Gamay

The 2016 from Domaine de la Rocaillère is a fruit-driven vin de soif – but one with hidden depths. After all, it’s produced from old vines that are the envy of neighbouring domaines. Expect classic aromas of red fruit and violets, as well as the crisp acidity characteristic of the vintage. This is a great match for classic bistro fare such as steak frites or coq au vin.

Alex’s is an exemplary Beaujolais-Villages, made the traditional way, using carbonic maceration and neutral (stainless steel) vessels. Expect lifted aromas of violets and red berries, lashings of juicy fruit on the palate, and a long, mineral finish – a nod to the protrusions of blue granite throughout Alex’s vineyards. In the region, a fresh, fruity Beaujolais-Villages like this might be paired with anything from charcuterie to roast chicken to a friture (akin to fried whitebait, traditionally fished from the Saône river) which illustrates just how versatile it is. It also makes a mouth-watering apéritif.
Will Heslop – Burgundy Buying Assistant, autumn 2018

From the parcel’s oldest vines, this is invariably more concentrated than the standard (non-Vieilles Vignes) Roilette. There’s an attractive savoury note to the nose, as well as the ethereal aromas of flowers and violets synonymous with the best wines of Fleurie. On the palate, expect fresh acidity and fine, chalky tannins. The 2017 is all the more impressive in light of the hail and drought that made for such a challenging vintage.
Will Heslop, Buying Assistant

Jean-Marc’s vines at the top of the Côte du Py suffered from hail on May 19th, so his mid-slope south-facing vines – which, he says, are most expressive of the slope’s famous blue granite – had more of a say than usual in the final blend. While this has a hugely attractive bouquet of berry fruit and flowers, it’s the intense mineral character of the palate that makes a real impression. Expect mouth-watering acidity and firm, fine-grained tannins that soften with time in the glass or decanter. There’s plenty of ripe fruit too, courtesy of a relatively warm growing season. A brilliant wine from one of the finest terroirs in Beaujolais, not to mention one of the finest winemakers.
Will Heslop – Burgundy Buying Assistant

This much-loved cuvée is blended from a handful of parcels (seven, give or take, depending on the vagaries of the vintage), with a variety of aspects and soils – mostly blue and pink granite – around the volcanic hill of Brouilly. It tends to taste well right out of the blocks and the 2017 is no exception, with aromas of summer pudding, violets and subtle savoury notes. It’s also capable of serious ageing, becoming yet more savoury – and more Pinot-like – with time in bottle. Drink now to 2026.
Will Heslop,Burgundy Buying Assistant (winter 2018)

The fresh, crunchy style of the ’16 vintage suits Julien’s wines down to the ground. For his Régnié, the ground in question is a steep, south-facing slope of pink granite, at an altitude of 280 to 400 metres. As with the majority of Julien’s five-hectare domaine, the vines here are 60 years old. Terroir and Julien’s delicate touch (carbonic maceration, no SO2 or new oak) account for this wine’s exceptionally intense bouquet of strawberries, stone fruit and flowers. It is more angular on the palate than the equally superb Fleurie, but both demand to be drunk lightly chilled and relatively young. Drink 2017-2020.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer

The excellence of Cru Beaujolais is something I have held dear for some time, but its ageing potential was first brought to my attention when I was served two Moulin-à-Vent wines from 1961 and 1962 produced by Camille Giroud. The freshness and complexity of these wines was simply astonishing and I have since made it something of a personal mission to return these great wines to their rightful place in the cellars and on the tables of the most discerning wine drinkers. The wines in our offer cover a range of styles; whole-bunch, de-stemmed, oaked, unoaked, elegant and floral, dense and structured. This almost endless variety and versatility is what is most fascinating about Gamay grown on Beaujolais’s volcanic soils. What the wines have in common, however, is that they all offer excellent value for money and great drinking pleasure.

Wild Soul is Julien’s “project”, a wine made from grapes bought from trusted vignerons who have well-sited vines at high altitude on rocky, granite soils. Made in the same manner as his other wines, with no sulphur during the vinification or élevage and no fining or filtration, this is raised in a concrete egg and neutral tank, in order to preserve purity of fruit. The result is a pure, refreshing expression of Gamay which lends itself to every occasion. 

Les Rouchaux, in the east of the appellation, has deep soils of blue granite which tend to result in “soft”, approachable wines – albeit with big tannins and, in 2015, relatively high (but balanced) alcohol. Expect aromas of blue and black fruit, savoury spice and cola. There’s an enticing sweetness to the front of the palate, which gives way to a fresh, mineral character. All in all, this is an extraordinary wine, which is likely to improve over the next decade and beyond.

Exceptionally steep slopes of granite and schist endow the best wines of the Côte de Brouilly with a complexity and minerality rarely found in those of the flatter vineyards of Brouilly (a separate Cru, which loops around the first). In 2017, this cuvée’s mineral core seems enrobed in rich, ripe dark fruit, suggestive of the vines’ location – a south-facing parcel, mid-slope (where cherries once grew, hence the name). It’s a seductive prospect now but will only improve with time in bottle. Drink now to 2023.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (winter 2018)

The 2013 Moulin-à-Vent Vieilles Vignes comes from 60- to 80-year-old vines. It has a very subtle and complex bouquet of blackberry, boysenberry and mineral scents that unfold in the glass.

The palate is medium-bodied with supple black fruit on the entry, but the back end exerts quite a grip. It does not quite have the panache of other vintages that I have tasted, but it is still an impressive Moulin-à-Vent that will repay those with the patience to cellar for several years.
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (spring 2015)

A modern style with upfront, vibrant and chewy oak in a well-executed combination with forward fruit. Glossy, luxurious and enjoyable.
Drinking Window 2018 - 2023
Andy Howard MW, James Lawther MW & Matt Wilkin MS, Decanter, (summer 2017)

Régnié is situated next to its better-known cousin, Morgon, and this wine displays a little of its neighbour’s structure. It is a blend of parcels; one on sandy granite soils giving mid-palate richness, the other stony gravel which adds spice and structure. This is a fruity and gentle wine to be enjoyed on its own or with simple dishes. 

Recent vintages of Olivier’s Moulin-à-Vent wines have shown a move to a more elegant, less-extracted style, reducing the proportion of new oak That is not to say, however, that he has lost any of the classic pink granite expression for which Moulin-à-Vent is famous. From vines mostly planted in 1937, there is a real energy and concentration here. Rich red fruit combines with smoky pepper notes and a gorgeous floral perfume, while the stony tannins and incredible length point to great ageing potential. Drink 2020-2028.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

The excellence of Cru Beaujolais is something I have held dear for some time, but its ageing potential was first brought to my attention when I was served two Moulin-à-Vent wines from 1961 and 1962 produced by Camille Giroud. The freshness and complexity of these wines was simply astonishing and I have since made it something of a personal mission to return these great wines to their rightful place in the cellars and on the tables of the most discerning wine drinkers. The wines in our offer cover a range of styles; whole-bunch, de-stemmed, oaked, unoaked, elegant and floral, dense and structured. This almost endless variety and versatility is what is most fascinating about Gamay grown on Beaujolais’s volcanic soils. What the wines have in common, however, is that they all offer excellent value for money and great drinking pleasure.

Javernières hails from the eponymous lieu-dit, at the foot of the Côte du Py in Morgon. Here, schist gives way to soils of deep clay, resulting in rich, concentrated wines, which pinote (become Pinot-like) as they age. Eighth-generation vigneron Louis-Benoît Desvignes attributes this cuvée’s depth of colour to its long, slow vinification – with no punching down, but a grill to keep the macerating fruit submerged – in open concrete vats. The 2017 is a showstopper, with heady aromas of flowers and savoury spice, and exceptional density on the palate. Only after another year or two, as its massive tannins begin to loosen up, will it reveal the extent of its complexity – fortunately, for the time being, we have a case or two of the ’14 remaining.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2018)

The 2015 Moulin a Vent Champ de Cour comes from 80-year-old vines and is 30% whole bunch fruit with 30% new oak. This easily has the best aromatics: red cherries, kirsch, a touch of cassis and fresh fig, quite complex and well defined. The palate is vibrant on the entry with a fine line of acidity, crisp and energetic with a sturdy, slightly backward finish that suggests it will need a couple of years to fully mature.
Neal Martin (summer 2017)

Less “nervous” than on its release, but just as energetic, with lifted red berry and floral aromas, fresh acidity and chalky tannins which seem to channel the eponymous rock beneath Thibault’s vines – this parcel just beside the (also eponymous) windmill. There’s real weight of fruit on the palate, including darker berry flavours behind the initial surge of red. A hugely complex wine which will reward a decade’s cellaring.  
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer

The 2015 Moulin a Vent la Roche contains 40% whole bunch fruit and is aged in 30% new oak. It comes from 70-year-old vines cropped at 24 hectoliters per hectare. This is much more controlled and sophisticated on the nose compared to the Vieilles Vignes, more mineralité showing through. The palate is well balanced with chewy tannin, grippy in the mouth with black cherries, tar and blueberry on the heady finish. This is a delicious, quite punchy Moulin-à-Vent from Thibault Liger-Belair.
Neal Martin (summer 2017)

Julien’s Fleurie is, in our minds, his finest wine. Raised in old oak barrels from a very famous address in Chambolle-Musigny, this is a classic Fleurie; seductive, perfumed and ethereal. Julien’s winemaking style – using minimal sulphur and intervening as little as possible – ensures that this is a wine which constantly evolves in the glass, morphing from red fruit to black, from brambles to irises and rose petals. A truly complex wine which is rich yet refreshing.

This new parcel for Lafarge Vial totals 0.66 hectares of 55-year-old vines planted on blue granite soil on the Mont de Brouilly. The identity of this special terroir is clearly defined, with a richer and darker fruit profile than the prettier Fleurie wines. There are notes of exotic spices on the nose, while the palate has dense, red-black fruit and a touch of pepper which leads on to a stony tannic structure, lending the wine remarkable freshness and purity. Drink 2021-2027.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

The excellence of Cru Beaujolais is something I have held dear for some time, but its ageing potential was first brought to my attention when I was served two Moulin-à-Vent wines from 1961 and 1962 produced by Camille Giroud. The freshness and complexity of these wines was simply astonishing and I have since made it something of a personal mission to return these great wines to their rightful place in the cellars and on the tables of the most discerning wine drinkers. The wines in our offer cover a range of styles; whole-bunch, de-stemmed, oaked, unoaked, elegant and floral, dense and structured. This almost endless variety and versatility is what is most fascinating about Gamay grown on Beaujolais’s volcanic soils. What the wines have in common, however, is that they all offer excellent value for money and great drinking pleasure.

This cuvée is produced from vines planted between 1870 and 1880 (pre-phylloxera, needless to say). Half the grapes are de-stemmed, and the wine raised in a large, tronconic cask. The result is reminiscent of the great wines of the Northern Rhône, with meaty, peppery base notes and a sublime floral lift. Its concentration, complexity and length are remarkable, and make for a wine that will reward patient cellaring for the next decade or more.

Although from the same variety (100 percent Gamay), Thibault Ligier-Belair's concentrated, complex Beaujolais is poles apart from the bright and breezy nouveau style with which most drinkers are familiar. From eight parcels of vines of up to 95 years old, on the nose this shows an appealing hint of reduction which gives way to aromas of kirsch and dark berry fruit. The palate is characteristically mineral and tannic, and will benefit from decanting. Drink now to 2029.

The 2013 Moulin-à-Vent Les Rouchaux spent 12 to 15 months in barrel. Compared to the 2013 La Roche, the fruit here is less broody and more open, some red cherries beginning to appear with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a lightly spiced opening, chalky tannin, and a focused, intense finish that leaves boysenberry and citrus fruit on the aftertaste. This is an excellent, modern-style Moulin-à-Vent.
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - robertparker.com - Apr 2015

A serious wine in the sense that its complexity, concentration and structure mean it will benefit greatly from another five to ten years in bottle. But equally, Les Impénitents bursts with such intense aromas of blue fruit and something akin to watercolour paints (the result of carbonic maceration) - it’s bound to bring a smile to your face. With every swirl of the glass, an extra layer of aromatic complexity is revealed: earth, gunflint, woodsmoke…
Century-old vines in heavy, clay-rich soils at the base of the Côte du Py (in the lieu dit Javernières) give a wine that is at once massive, with exceptionally fine medium to high tannins, yet light on its feet. The ’14 is shot through with fresh acidity, indicative of a stellar vintage described as ‘classique et gourmand’ by Louis-Benoît Desvignes.
For what it’s worth, the esteemed La Revue du vin de France rated this the top wine of all Beaujolais in 2014.

A serious wine from the lower part of the eponymous Côte du Py, on les Javernières exactly. This cuvee is produced from the oldest vines…some were planted in…1914 (the youngest plants being 25+ years old but going to Les Javernières cuvee). South east facing on deep clay rich in iron oxide rich soils and whole bunch fermentations have contributed to give birth to a robust wine packed full character.

Ink black in colour with a profound and rich nose. Full, muscular and tight on the palate, this wine is youth at the moment and requires airing prior to drinking (consider morning for evening drinking – no decanting - at cellar temperature). This is a very promising wine which will develop nicely over the next 10+ years in a good cellar. A characterful example, Beaujolais at its very best!
Francis Huicq, London Shop Manager

A small bottling from some ancient – over 100 year old - vines in the clay-rich Javernieres vineyard at the foot of the famous Cote de Py hill. Despite coming in at just 12.4% alcohol, with no subsequent adjustment, this is utterly black in colour, with incredible density. Tasted from tank it showed a most astonishing density of fruit. One to put away for the long term!
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Buying Director

Until 31st August this product is discounted by 30%*
Brilliant purple in colour, Thibault’s La Roche cuvee from an exceptional site has an incredibly vigorous nose, austere but fabulously concentrated, really fine and persistent. This wine has great keeping potential.
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Olivier was like a cat with two tails when he was able to buy this superb plot of vines, planted in 1937 on one of Moulin à Vent’s top terroirs. Olivier’s vinification delivers wines without the deepest colour but with exceptional depth of flavour and amazing persistence. This will reveal multiple layers with maturity.
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Buyer).