Beaujolais
Beaujolais is almost entirely planted with the Gamay grape and produces mostly red wines. Around 70 million litres of Beaujolais are produced each year, or two-and-a-half times the entire wine production of the rest of Burgundy. More than half of this is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau, although an Aladdin's trove of gloriously satisfying wines exist amongst the 10 named village crus that occupy a 15-mile strip of granite hills to the north.
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Domaine de la Rocaillere,
Ready, but will keep,
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.
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Domaine de la Rocaillere,
Ready, but will keep,
The 2017 is the best vintage I’ve tasted of Rocaillère’s old-vine Beaujolais. On the nose, expect aromas of summer pudding and violets, while the palate offers something more profound: grippy tannins and a pronounced mineral character, which speaks of the vineyard’s shallow, rocky (granitic) soils. This super wine is at its vivacious best served lightly chilled, as an accompaniment to charcuterie or hard cheeses.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (winter 2019)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (winter 2019)
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Alexandre Burgaud,
Ready, but will keep,
From the 2017 vintage, Alex’s Beaujolais Lantignié is made exclusively from his oldest and best-sited vines, primarily on blue granite, similar to that found on the Côte du Py (where Alex’s cousin Jean-Marc works his magic). It’s vinified in similar fashion to Alex’s Beaujolais Villages but with a slightly longer maceration, producing a more complex, concentrated wine, with an enchanting, lifted nose, reminiscent of a particularly fine Fleurie. Frankly, this puts most Cru Beaujolais in the shade, and fully endorses Lantignié’s fledgling bid for Cru status. Drink now or cellar for up to three years.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (autumn 2018)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (autumn 2018)
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Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes,
Ready, but will keep,
Another success story for the Desvignes siblings, this is a touch fuller than the 2016, owing to a warmer vintage, but with the same bright red fruit character and fresh acidity. Again, its delicate floral aspect points to the location of the vines, in the climat of Douby, adjacent to Fleurie. It’s a versatile food wine, which will enhance – and be enhanced by – any number of styles of cuisine, but I’m plumping for Lincolnshire sausages, fiery mustard and mash.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2018)
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Domaine Metrat,
Ready, but will keep,
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
Will Heslop, Buying Assistant
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
Until 1st April this product is discounted by 30 percent. Price shown includes saving.*
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)
*Discount is already applied to the single-bottle price and no further discount will be applied at checkout.
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)
*Discount is already applied to the single-bottle price and no further discount will be applied at checkout.
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£95.00
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Jean-Marc Burgaud,
Ready, but will improve,
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
Will Heslop – Burgundy Buying Assistant
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£143.04
Magnum
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Chateau Thivin,
Ready, but will keep,
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)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (winter 2018)
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Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will keep,
Olivier Merlin is perhaps best known for his excellent white wines, but his talents also extend to reds. Having spotted the potential of the vineyards of Moulin-à-Vent, he bought some parcels of old vines and quickly began making excellent, ageworthy red wines.
With a superb, even, purple colour, the wine’s nose is discreet at first, but then begins to expand wonderfully, with lovely smooth rich fruit throughout. It’s in total harmony, very lovely, long and fine. In recent vintages Olivier has pursued a lighter touch in extraction, allowing the fruit from ancient vines to be expressed more graciously. Drink now to 2022.
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Domaine Julien Sunier,
Ready, but will keep,
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.
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Domaine Julien Sunier,
Ready, but will keep,
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.
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
The Vieilles Vignes is effectively Thibault’s Moulin-à- Vent business card, a blend of 10 parcels spread across seven hectares, with vines between 65 and 105 years of age. The 2016 vintage is the first for which he has used large foudres to raise the wine. There is a wonderful, old-vine intensity and concentration to this wine, great depth of flavour and power, but without reaching excess. The granite soil really comes through on the persistent, saline finish. Drink 2021-2029.
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.
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.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 139cs
£112.32
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will keep,
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.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£90.00
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will keep,
It’s now one of the wine trade’s worst kept secrets that the Beaujolais Crus can be a source of great-value, age-worthy wines such as this. The nose combines ripe red fruit with spicy, savoury notes, while the fresh, mineral palate sings of the distinctive granite slopes of Moulin-à-Vent. Drinking brilliantly now with charcuterie or turkey sandwiches, but it will continue to gain complexity – to pinote (become more Pinot-like) in the local parlance – over the next decade or more.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (winter 2018)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (winter 2018)
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£120.00
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
A truly special cuvée, hence Thibault’s choice to release it only in magnum, les Vignes Centenaires hails from some of the oldest (a proportion planted in 1872) and best-sited vines in Beaujolais. In ’14, Thibault retained almost half the stems, and aged 40% of this cuvée in new wood, untoasted, to preserve the purity of fruit Thibault regards as one of its hallmarks, alongside extraordinary concentration and length. Best approached from 2019 onwards.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Magnum 3 x 150cl 2cs
£300.00
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
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
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - robertparker.com - Apr 2015
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
£125.00
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Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes,
Ready, but will keep,
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.
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.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£218.00
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Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will keep,
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.
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.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£135.00
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will keep,
Les Rouchaux is a single 1.5 ha plot at mid slope, close to the windmill itself, on sandy and alluvial soil with outcrops of blue granite manganese, with 70 year old vines. A concentrated wine from a very small crop here too, just 16 hl/ ha of very healthy fruit. Jet black purple in colour, this displays a bundle of dark fruit energy, good acidity, a wine that really shows the terroir more than the Gamay grape.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£149.00
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will keep,
Though happily established in Nuits-St Georges, Thibault trained at a viticultural college in Beaujolais where ancestors of his once had vines. Starting with the 2009 vintage, Thibault has begun to build up a portfolio of vineyards within the appellation of Moulin-à-Vent. His wines are some of the most fabulous we have ever tasted from the region. This is the first vintage made from two small plots of ancient vines, planted in 1879 and 1882. The vines appear to be ungrafted – a moment of pre-phylloxera history! No new barrels have been used, to allow the fruit to speak for itself.
With an intense, full purple colour, the bouquet has a lively, lifted quality far removed from simple Beaujolais. The wine is incredibly velvety on the palate, yet refreshed by excellent minerality. Very suave and long.
With an intense, full purple colour, the bouquet has a lively, lifted quality far removed from simple Beaujolais. The wine is incredibly velvety on the palate, yet refreshed by excellent minerality. Very suave and long.
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will keep,
Glowing purple, amazingly noble nose, much more grip behind, good acidity and also the minerality of the top of the slope. More tannin, indeed more of everything, compared to the first two delectable wines. Clearly a wine with great ageing potential.
Jasper Morris MW, Beaujolais Buying Director
Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair
Though happily established in Nuits-St Georges, Thibault trained at a viticultural college in Beaujolais where ancestors of his once had vines. Starting with the 2009 vintage, Thibault has begun to build up a portfolio of vineyards within the appellation of Moulin à Vent. His wines are some of the most fabulous we have ever tasted from the region.
Jasper Morris MW, Beaujolais Buying Director
Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair
Though happily established in Nuits-St Georges, Thibault trained at a viticultural college in Beaujolais where ancestors of his once had vines. Starting with the 2009 vintage, Thibault has begun to build up a portfolio of vineyards within the appellation of Moulin à Vent. His wines are some of the most fabulous we have ever tasted from the region.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£120.00
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Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will keep,
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).
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Buyer).
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£145.00
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Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will keep,
Brilliant ruby. Suave red and blue fruit aromas show excellent clarity and are enlivened by smoky mineral and Indian spice flourishes. Sappy, sweet and expansive, offering intense boysenberry, cherry liqueur and floral pastille flavors and a hint of white pepper. Conveys a suave blend of richness and vivacity and finishes with smooth tannins and an intense echo of sweet blue fruit.
92 Points. Drinking window: 2018-2023
Josh Raynolds, vinous.com, June 2016
92 Points. Drinking window: 2018-2023
Josh Raynolds, vinous.com, June 2016
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£160.00
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En Primeur
Magnum 3 x 150cl 4cs
£240.00
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
Thibault has made this cuvée since the 2009 vintage, having identified the site as special and isolated it from the blended Vieilles Vignes wine. The vines are at the bottom of the hill, on quite deep soils with a mix of blue/pink sandy granite and silt. The result is a rounded and soft expression of Moulin-à-Vent, arguably the most approachable of the range. There is a spicy, peppery Syrah note to the nose, then a touch of black olive and rich, concentrated red-black fruit, with sophisticated, silky tannins on the palate. Drink 2020-2026.
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.
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.
En Primeur
Bottle 6 x 75cl 12cs
£90.00
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Will Heslop – Burgundy Buying Assistant, autumn 2018