Beaujolais Not So Nouveau
Look - don't get us wrong.
We love Beaujolais Nouveau day - which falls on the 16th of November - as much as the next person who enjoys an excuse to drink lightly chilled, extremely light red wine and eat charcuterie from 10am on a weekday. It's a blast.
And we're certainly not trying to be contrarians here. But we just thought now was the moment also to consider how utterly splendid Beaujolais can be with a little age under its belt. Age, wisdom, grace, finesse. All of these things come with time.
So, we invite you to join us in flicking two fingers at the infantile Ribena that passes for wine (fun and daft and joyful as it can be), and lean into a couple of fine Beaujolais that have...seen some things. They're the ones with the best stories.
Available now in all of our bottle shops across London or via the app for delivery within an hour (Central London) or next day around the UK
WHAT: Fleurie 'La Madone' - Gamay - Frane - 2014
PRODUCER: All Beaujolais roads lead to Sylvain Chanudet. You will come across him and his Domaine de Prion wines when visiting other vignerons’ cellars and vineyards as well as bistrots and cafés through the region. His ubiquity is partly due to his charisma but also his day job - a nursery that supplies the region's best winemakers with top quality massal selections, inherited from a long-established family of local vignerons.
WHERE: Sylvain and his extended family live on a high south-east-facing slope of Fleurie called Prion, where he selects some of the oldest and best located vines for the domaine bottlings, as well as selling off to micro-negociants (like Drop faves Le Grappin).
WHY: 2014 was a stunning vintage for beaujolais and this will tell you why. Aged in cement, with just one bottling after 11 months, it's a slightly more rustic, bigger framed wine than Chanudet's usual. The fruit has good depth and is spicy (think liquorice, cloves and nutmeg) with a hint of wild rose too. Almost seeping north into Pinot territory if you close your eyes and imagine.
WHAT: Beaujolais 'Buyon' - Gamay - France - 2020
PRODUCER: The Harel family have owned vines in Saint-Étienne-des-Oullières since 1768 and Quentin took over from his father 2012. Having been raised at the domaine he chose to spread his wings (up to a point) and train in the northern Rhone, as well as with other growers in the Beaujolais region. He also makes beer which seems prudent.
WHERE: We're in Beaujolais, naturally, where Gamay proliferates and good times tend to roll.
WHY: There's a proper hands off approach to growing the grapes and making the wine. No filtration or fining just keeping all the organic goodness. A fragrant red wine with soft tannins and a refreshing finish. As you'd expect from a beaujolais.
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