2020 Fleurie, Le Printemps, Yvon Métras, Beaujolais
Critics reviews
The 2020 Fleurie Le Printemps is one of the finest renditions of this young vine cuvée from Métras that I can remember tasting. Bursting with aromas of raspberries, mulberries, wild roses and warm spices, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with powdery tannins, vibrant acids and a sensual, succulent profile. These wines can be unpredictable with bottle age and go through difficult phases only to emerge resplendent—or not!—but the 2020 Printemps certainly has the makings of a terrific wine and one that nips at the heels of the Vieilles Vignes more closely than is typically the case.
One of the godfathers of the natural wine movement in the Beaujolais, the elusive Yvon Métras shuns the press, but when his wines show well, they're some of the region's most captivating; so, since I began covering this region, I've made a point of reviewing them from my own cellar. 2020, at least for now, seems to be one of Métras's finest recent vintages, and opening these bottles really didn't feel like work.
Drink 2021 - 2035
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (August 2022)
About this WINE
Domaine Yvon Metras
Beaujolais
The Beaujolais region occupies 22,000ha between Mâcon and Lyon, and spans 34 miles from north to south. Around 70 million litres of Beaujolais are produced each year, or two-and-a-half times the entire red and white wine production of the rest of Burgundy put together. More than half of this is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau, and released on the third Thursday of November following each harvest.
Beaujolais is almost exclusively planted with the Gamay grape, and produces mostly red wines. A small amount of white Beaujolais is produced from Chardonnay (or Aligoté) while a handful of Beaujolais rosés can also be found.
It is one of life's injustices that this beautiful wine region is forever associated in most people's minds with Beaujolais Nouveau, a thin and dilute wine that has more to do with marketing than actual substance. However there is an Aladdin's trove of gloriously satisfying wines to be found amongst the 10 named village crus that form the spiritual home of the fresh, fruity Gamay grape.
From north to south, St Amour, Juliénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Chénas, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié (a cru since 1988), Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly are situated along the 15-mile strip of granite hills to the north of the region. They range from light, lively and fragrant to rich and velvety. While most Beaujolais should be drunk as soon as possible, the crus are infinitely more concentrated and have much more personality. They can be kept for up to 10 years, at which age the best examples resemble mature Pinot Noir.
At its best simple Beaujolais is fruity and eminently drinkable, especially when lightly-chilled in summer. Most Beaujolais displays a pear-drop edge to its soft red fruit, and often notes of banana and bubble gum too. These traits come largely from the vinification method (semi-carbonic maceration) rather than the Gamay grape itself, where a swift fermentation highlights the aromatics and fruit, while minimising the tannins. Amongst the top crus, however, there has been a return to more traditional Burgundian vinification methods, and even oak ageing.There are five classifications of Beaujolais: Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais, Beaujolais Supérieur, Beaujolais Villages, and the 10 Beaujolais crus. As with the rest of Burgundy, the producer's name on the bottle is often the most important factor.
Recommended producers: Michel Chignard, Jean-Claude Desvignes, Olivier Merlin, Alain Michaud.
Gamay
A French variety planted predominately in Beaujolais where it is the grape behind everything from light and often acidic Beaujolais Nouveau through to the more serious and well-structured wines from the 10 cru villages. It takes its name from a hamlet just outside Chassagne-Montrachet and was at one stage widely planted on the Côte d`Or. However it was gradually phased out due to its poor yield and supposed poor quality of its wines.
The majority of Gamay wines in Beaujolais are labelled as Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages and are deliciously juicy, easy drinking, gulpable wines. Of more interest are the Cru wines from the 10 villages in the north of the region where the soil is predominantly granitic schist and where the vines are planted on gently undulating slopes. These can be well-structured, intensely perfumed wines, redolent of ripe black fruits and, while delicious young, will reward medium term cellaring.
Gamay is also grown in the Touraine region of the Loire where it produces soft, well-balanced, gluggable wines for drinking young.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
The price of the 150cl bottle, reduced from £141 previously, includes a 10% discount. This offer does not apply to BBX listings.
The 2020 Fleurie Le Printemps is one of the finest renditions of this young vine cuvée from Métras that I can remember tasting. Bursting with aromas of raspberries, mulberries, wild roses and warm spices, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with powdery tannins, vibrant acids and a sensual, succulent profile. These wines can be unpredictable with bottle age and go through difficult phases only to emerge resplendent—or not!—but the 2020 Printemps certainly has the makings of a terrific wine and one that nips at the heels of the Vieilles Vignes more closely than is typically the case.
One of the godfathers of the natural wine movement in the Beaujolais, the elusive Yvon Métras shuns the press, but when his wines show well, they're some of the region's most captivating; so, since I began covering this region, I've made a point of reviewing them from my own cellar. 2020, at least for now, seems to be one of Métras's finest recent vintages, and opening these bottles really didn't feel like work.
Drink 2021 - 2035
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (August 2022)
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee