BEAUJOLAIS/CRU

Jean-Paul Thevenet is one of the big ambassador of natural wines in beaujolais region. He runs his vineyard of old vines in a biodynamic way, with no pesticides and with respect of the life into the soil. 2015 was a warm vintage and this "vieilles vignes" will show a ripper gamay with excellent smooth tanins. A complex wine that can age beautifuly or can be enjoyed during his youth.

This top class wine has a nose dominated by blackberries and cherries and a silky smooth palate with fine tannins combining. Classic Morgon, showing the fruit of Beaujolais and the charm of Burgundy. This wine is ready to drink now but Morgon is one of the longest-lasting crus and will therefore develop for a futher year or two.

VINOUS-ANTONIO GALLONI 90 POINTS: Deep ruby. Ripe cherry and dark berry aromas are complemented by suggestions of licorice and fruitcake. Lush and creamy on the palate, offering ripe, expansive black and blue fruit flavors that don't come off very Beaujolais-like to me. Seamless and sweet, with a potent black raspberry quality clinging on a long, broad and subtly tannic finish. I suspect that Beaujolais purists will find my score high, while those who love plush, seamless and assertively fruity wines will view it as stingy. Either way, the smart money is on drinking it now and over the next few years."

The 2016 Chateau Des Tours Beaujolais should be at or near the top of your list of wines to serve during the holidays. This wine from Brouilly benefits from the nearly perfect growing season of warm sunny days and cool nights. The excellent conditions of the vintage show in the perfectly ripened fruit flavors of this wine and its generous texture with soft, supple tannins.

Beaujolais is located just south of Burgundy and its vineyards are classified according to quality. Chateau Des Tours is located in Brouilly, which is one of the 10 Cru’s considered to be the crème de la crème of the winegrowing region and recognized for their exceptional quality of their wines. At their best, the Cru’s of Beaujolais rival the drinkability of village-level Burgundy and offer outstanding value. Chateau Des Tours is located at the foot of Mount Brouilly and its 40 year-old vineyards are situated in a natural amphitheater around the Château. The vines are planted in sandy soils made of decomposed granite over bedrock.

Chateau Des Tours has crafted a wine which is generously textured yet bright. This pleasing Beaujolais is ready to drink now, yet capable of aging for several years if desired. Des Tours shows how good Cru Beaujolais can be at a price that is an outstanding value.

Medium ruby in color with brilliant reflections. The bouquet is dominated by violets with red and black fruit aromas along with a touch of spiciness. The palate is rich and round and medium-bodied. The tannins are soft and supple, framing fruit flavors which are mouth-watering. Fresh-picked black cherries, dark raspberries, plum and warm spices are ripe and juicy. Drink now through 2021.

"The vineyard holdings of the Domaine de la Chapelle des Bois extend across the Fleurie boundary into Chiroubles. Their parcel is dominated by granite and is planted to vines that are of an average age of fifty (50) years. The cuvaison for the Chiroubles is normally a 10 to 12 day affair. The resulting wine has a vibrant expression of fresh red fruits; it is marked by delicate tannins; and, it is the most precocious and welcoming wine of this estate. [NOTE: approximately 150 cases per year are available for distribution in the USA]" MADROSE.COM

Delicate and fragrant with a satisfying weight of damson and dark cherry fruit - not overly complex yet full of pleasure.

Wine Advocate: "The 2016 Julienas Vieilles Vignes has a light red cherry and cranberry-scented bouquet that is pretty and classic in style. The palate is fresh with crunchy red fruit, good structure here for a Juliénas with a short but punchy blackcurrant finish. Drink over the next 3 to 4 years—this is a worthy follow-up to the superb 2015."

Coming from a small vineyard of one acre located in Les Bruyeres near the Cru Fleure in Beaujolais. Handpicked chardonnay, fermented and ged in stainless steel vats. Very fresh and clean and well-balanced to pair with cheese, salad or fish.

In the hamlet of Le Breuil, deep in the southern Beaujolais and perched above a narrow creek, the Domaine Dupeuble has been running almost continuously since 1512. This wine, imported by Kermit Lynch, is known as "Coteau Belle-Vue" in Europe.

While the new release of its lighter and fruitier sibling, Beaujolais Nouveau, will make it to our shores the third Thursday in November, this Beaujolais from Dupeuble is more of a serious red wine that will delight throughout the holiday season. The nose is rife with forward red fruits: cherry, raspberry, strawberry, plum and a touch of cranberry. The fruits are the focus upon tasting, with the red berries mixed in with good acidity and harmonious balance. Raspberry and cherry lambic come to mind. The forward fruits and easy acidity will pair well with rich holiday meals and help cut through some of the lush sauces and gravies.

ORGANIC FARMING

Friends refer to Breton as Petit Max, and of the gang’s Morgons, his is the lightest, brightest, prettiest, and easiest to drink. His higher-altitude vineyards bring a little extra acidity, plus he makes his wine the way he likes to drink it—it’s a pretty good-looking lad, much like Petit Max himself. Don’t let it fool you, though. The raw material is solid and plenty sturdy. –Dixon Brooke/Kermit Lynch

The 2015 Fleurie has a generous, open-knit bouquet with mineral-driven red cherries, fennel and blackcurrant leaf aromas. The palate is well balanced with fine tannin. It feels very fresh in the mouth with just a hint of menthol furnishing the harmonious finish. It represents one of the most delicious offerings from Foillard at the moment.

VINOUSMEDIA 91 POINTS: "Bright magenta. High-pitched red fruit and lavender aromas show excellent clarity and pick up a mineral nuance as the wine stretches out. Juicy and precise on the palate, offering intense raspberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that deepen slowly on the back half. In a vibrant style, with no excess fat and a very long, smooth finish that echoes the red fruit note."

The dark ruby robe, gorgeously perfumed fruit, and silky long finish of this intoxicating cru are a force that can't be reckoned with. Discover it for yourself. ORGANIC

Deep, bright red. Red currant and strawberry aromas, with a floral nuance and a touch of medicinal herbs. A straightforward, lively wine that offers tangy red fruit flavors and a touch of bitterness. Finishes dry, with gentle grip and an echo of peppery herbs. " International Wine Cellars

An elegant Beaujolais: intense ruby-red colour; on the nose, aromas of violet, lilac, sometimes blackberry and cranberry. Supple tannins, with lively acidity. On the palate, the wine leaves a pleasant note of wild berries"~ Winery notes

After a couple of harvests abroad and numerous years of wine school, Justin broke ground on his own label in 2015. Thus far, he’s spent most of his adult life working for his famous father, Jean-Louis Dutraive, and like his father’s wines, his are gentle and fun, with seriousness brewing within. Thankfully, this apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

Wise beyond his twenty-two years, Justin openly shares his ideas with his legendary dad and follows his advice every step of the way. The relationship between them is one of mutual respect and admiration, so they seem like very good friends and are an absolute pleasure to be around.

Crisp, Dry, Elegant and Aromatic, Floral, Fruity, Light, Mineral

CERTIFIED ORGANIC SINCE 2009

Winemaker's Notes
"This crisp, fruit-forward and juicy wine has expressive aromas and flavors of ripe red berries, with nice heft in the mouth, and mineral and spice notes. Most red meats and grilled or roasted white meats, especially those prepared with savory herbs or spices."

Dominique Piron’s family history in Beaujolais spans more than four centuries, with his oldest known ancestor born in Morgon in 1590. Since then, there have been 14 generations of winegrowers in the family. Dominique seeks to create characterful terroir wines that are fruity, subtle and elegant from his sloping vineyards of fragmented granite and schist. These are wines that showed us what we’d long been looking for from Beaujolais but had almost given up hope of finding.

This young wine has great potential. It shows weight and a powerful tannic structure as well as bold, ripe black fruits. Coming from the top sector of Morgon, the wine has concentration and richness. It needs to age, and won't be ready before 2019. Editor's Choice; Rated : 94 Points; Roger Voss; Wine Enthusiast