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DECANT SF WILL BE CLOSED FOR A PRIVATE EVENT THE EVENING OF SATURDAY, MARCH 8th.
Antoine Sunier is part of a new wave of Beaujolais vignerons working with organic farming, whole-cluster fermentation, and low-intervention cellar practices to craft expressive, terroir-driven wines. His Régnié comes from old vines in three lieux-dits and is a structured, ageworthy Gamay that bridges youthful vibrancy with Burgundian finesse.
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WINEMAKER: Antoine Sunier
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FARMING: Organically grown grapes; low-sulfur vinification
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VARIETY: 100% Gamay
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TERROIR: From 45+ year old vines grown in Les Forchets, Le Potet, and Montmerond—plots marked by granite, clay, and alluvial soils.
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VINIFICATION: 100% whole cluster fermentation with indigenous yeasts; unfined and unfiltered. Aged in neutral barrels, then in bottle before release. Minimal sulfur used.
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AGING: Aged in used oak barrels, then in bottle prior to release
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TASTING NOTES: Dark purple in hue with aromas of black raspberry, wild blueberry, and crushed violets. The palate is firm and structured, showing gritty tannins, stony minerality, and brooding dark fruit. With age, expect evolving notes of forest floor, truffle, and dried herbs.
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FOOD PAIRINGS: Roast duck, lentil stew with mushrooms, charcuterie, or coq au vin
Antoine Sunier, Régnié, Beaujolais, France 2020
It must have been difficult being the younger brother of a legend. Antoine Sunier is the younger brother of Julien Sunier, considered one of the pioneers of modern, natural winemaking in Beaujolais, and the winemaking bug didn’t bite Antoine until after he already had an established career in telecommunications. But after four years of seeing Julien’s happiness working for himself and creating beautiful wines, Antoine was inspired to learn the craft, first in Burgundy, and then with Jean Claude Lapalu in Beaujolais. With the guidance of his brother, Antoine purchased a small farm with old Gamay vines in Régnié, Beaujolais, and in 2014, debuted his own wines,
This wine is a classic representation of Régnié, one of the more regal and age-worthy crus of Beaujolais. From just 2.7ha of 45+ year old organically-farmed vines, Antoine creates a silky, dark-fruited Gamay that swells with black and red plum, dried strawberry, and cinnamon bark. Antoine hand-harvests and sorts the grape bunches in the vineyards of Les Forchets, le Potet, and Montmerond. The bunches are transported to the winery where they are kept whole to begin a traditional carbonic fermentation in closed vats. After nearly two weeks, the grapes are pressed off into Burgundy barrels (only about 10-15% new) and cement tanks to finish fermentation and elevage for up to 8 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.
The wines are fresh but generous, clean but rustic, and have already improved with a few years of age. Enjoy Antoine’s wine with a hearty cassoulet (beans and duck and sausage, oh my!) or roasted root veggies. — Cara Patricia
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Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are on the unceded ancestral homelands of the Ramaytush Ohlone (the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula) and the Wappo & Miwok (the original inhabitants of Napa County).