Jean-Marc Burgaud, wizard winemaker in Morgon, introduced us to his cousin Alexandre’s superb Beaujolais-Villages. The wine comes from old vines in the village of Lantignié, which is regarded as being the best location for Beaujolais-Villages. The wine is made in classical Beaujolais style with the stems retained.

This is quite different from the hugely popular 2014, but just as impressive. Aromas of black fruit rather than red predominate and the alcohol, though worn lightly, is 1.5 percent higher – this due to a summer heat wave which worried even the most experienced vignerons in Beaujolais. Young Alexandre held his nerve, waiting for light rain to bring respite to the vines and therefore harvesting unwizened, juicy grapes which account for the winning freshness and sheer drinkability of his wine. A great candidate to be your “house wine” but consider it for grander occasions too.

Much deeper in colour than the domaine’s other wines, this cuvée is made from vines of sixty to eighty-years-old located mid-slope where pink granite meets clay – the latter contributing extra body without diminishing the lifted aromatics and mouth-watering freshness that are among the hallmarks of Fleurie. Its complex bouquet includes a caramel note, as well as violets and lashings of (just) ripe black fruit.
20% of the wine is aged in used oak, rounding the edges and reinforcing the structure that will enable it to improve over the next decade. With time, this will become as savoury and downright voluptuous as the ’09, tasted at the domaine in spring 2016.
Will Heslop - Wine Buyer

22 millimetres of rain doesn’t seem like much, but the Desvignes siblings are adamant that their 2015s would have been a disaster were it not for a brief downpour on August 17th, which restored the domaine’s parched vines to full health. As it turned out, 2015 Voûte St Vincent is an utter triumph. The warm growing season has endowed it with a riper, darker fruit profile than the (excellent) ’14. The palate is gently rounded without being flabby. Louis-Benoît and Claude-Emmanuelle took great pains to avoid over-extraction, but haven’t deprived the wine of its brawny, yet silky tannins – a must for Morgon.
Drinking beautifully in spring 2017 and over the next three years.
Will Heslop - Wine Buyer

For proof positive of the capacity of Beaujolais to supply world class wines at an affordable price, look no further than Château Thivin, in Côte de Brouilly. Sept vignes is, ostensibly, the domaine’s most “basic” cuvée, but it shows remarkable complexity and finesse, and will continue to improve over the next decade (and perhaps beyond). It is sourced from seven parcels, with a variety of aspects and soils – mostly blue and pink granite – around the volcanic hill of Brouilly. Approximately a third of the grapes in this cuvée are de-stemmed.
The nose combines flamboyant aromas of strawberry compote, blueberry and more subtle savoury notes, which will become more distinct with the passing years.
The theme of cheerful red and blue fruit continues on the palate. This is riper and less austere than, say, the cuvée Godefroy, but has the same beguiling saline character to the finish.
Try it with carpaccio or tartare de bœuf.
Will Heslop - Wine Buyer

Jean-Marc compares 2015 to the excellent ‘09 vintage, but notes his wines have extra freshness (read acidity) in ’15 despite an exceptionally hot, dry summer. He’s happy with his decision to begin harvest early, on August 29th.

The 2015 Côte du Py is virtually opaque – the first indication of its remarkable concentration. The nose is relatively open with aromas of blue fruit and nutmeg, as well as a telltale sign of carbonic maceration: a beguiling, high-toned scent somewhere between kirsch and watercolour paint. In contrast, the palate is so tightly wound that it calls for decanting at least an hour before service. But once its muscular tannins have begun to relax, the wine’s finesse hoves into view. This is as full-bodied and powerful as Beaujolais comes, but its mouthwatering acidity provides balance.

If you can resist, this is likely to peak in 3+ years time, when it will make a sensational accompaniment to roast meat or game.
Will Heslop - Wine Buyer, March 2017