FRENCH WINE

This highly aromatic Côte de Brouilly oozes with flavors of kirsch, crushed rocks, potpourri, and ripe raspberries. Juicy and fresh, the wine’s tangy acidity and structured backbone lead to a long finish. Drink over the next five years.

PRACTICING ORGANIC

The wines have a seductive aromatic component, a silky texture, and a downright deliciousness that is unmistakably Foillard. After all, Alex used tried-and-true techniques to craft his wines: whole-cluster fermentation with natural yeasts, no fining or filtration, and no additives of any kind save for a minute sulfur dose at bottling. The new generation at Domaine Foillard has burst onto the scene with a bang, and the future is full of exciting possibilities for this talented Beaujolais youngster.

VINOUS 94 POINTS - "Shimmering purple. Assertive, smoke-accented aromas of fresh dark berries, violet, licorice and exotic spices. Energetic black raspberry, bitter cherry and floral pastille flavors show impressive depth, and a spine of smoky minerality adds lift and delineation. Turns sweeter on the youthfully tannic, penetrating finish, which hangs on with strong, floral-driven tenacity."

VINOUS 91 POINTS - "Opaque ruby. Powerful cherry and blackberry aromas pick up smoky mineral and floral qualities as the wine opens up. Weighty, in the manner of the vintage, but showing very good energy as well, offering gently sweet black currant, cherry and violet pastille flavors that firm up slowly on the back half. Dusty tannins come in late on the finish, which hangs around with suave floral and spice notes. This wine is quite civilized both for the appellation and for the vintage."

VINOUS 92 POINTS -- "Deep, bright-hued violet. Fresh dark berries, candied flowers, allspice and a hint of blood orange on the expansive nose. Sappy and appealingly sweet, offering pliant cherry and black raspberry flavors that deepen and spread out quickly with air. Delivers a suave blend of power and finesse and finishes very long and smooth, with bright, mineral-driven thrust, silky tannins and lingering floral and spice notes."

WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "Richer, more voluptuous and larger-scaled than its 2017 counterpart, the 2018 Brouilly Reverdon unfurls with a ripe bouquet of mulberries, blackberries and licorice. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with broad shoulders and a generous, expressive profile."

WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "Bouland's 2018 Chiroubles bursts with aromas of ripe blackberries, red plums, violets and cracked black pepper. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with a succulent core of fruit, fine concentration and a long, lip-smacking finish. An especially gourmand rendition of this cuvée, it hails from a steep hillside site and is matured in tank."

WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "The entire contents of the five-year-old foudre that contains Bouland's 2018 Morgon Pré Jourdan were reserved by his US importer, so overseas consumers may have a hard time finding this superb wine, which hails from lieu-dit near the village in the direction of Fleurie. Aromas of blackberries and spices mingle with notes of rose petals, violets and potpourri in a bouquet that has taken on a discrete patina from its comparatively new foudre. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, layered and succulent, with fine and powdery tannins, ripe acids and a perfumed finish."

WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "Exuberant aromas of raspberries, blackberries and cherries introduce the 2019 Chiroubles Chatenay, a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine that's round and enveloping, with a charming core of fruit and melting, delicately powdery tannins. It will drink well young."

WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "Offering up aromas of red plums, berries, raw cocoa and spices, the 2019 Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Melanie is medium to full-bodied, supple and velvety, with a fleshy core of fruit, melting tannins and lively acids. Bright and charming, it's produced from a south-facing site near Château Thivin."

WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "The 2019 Morgon Bellevue Sable is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, cherries, orange rind and plums. Medium to full-bodied, supple and succulent, it's bright and fleshy, with powdery tannins and a generous core of fruit, girdled by lively acids. Bottled only a week before I tasted it, I suspect it will perform even better with six months' bottle age. As readers will remember, this cuvée comes from younger vines, planted on Viala rootstock in sandy soils—as the "Sable" newly added to its label makes clear."

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2019 Morgon Corcelette Vieilles Vignes Cailloux is once again quite structured this year, though it's not as brooding and muscular as its 2018 counterpart. Revealing aromas of raspberries, cherries, burning embers and sweet soil tones, it's medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit, lively acids and a chassis of fine but abundant tannins."

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2019 Morgon Corcelette Vieilles Vignes Sable is excellent, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cherries, plums, violets and orange rind. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and muscular, built around succulent acids and powdery tannins, it's elegantly structured and built to age, even if it's charming enough to be enjoyed young—the 2011 vintage from my own cellar is drinking brilliantly."

WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "The 2019 Morgon Les Delys Vignes plantées en 1926 has turned out brilliantly, wafting from the glass with aromas of ripe cherries, blackberries, strawberries, sweet soil tones and spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's seamless and multidimensional, and with striking concentration, succulent acids and powdery tannins, it's long and penetrating. While this is carrying less puppy fat than the 2018 at the same age, it's still quite a demonstrative, fruit-driven vintage of Les Delys, and while it will be long-lived, it can also be approached young."

WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "Aromas of cherries, blackberries, cassis, dark chocolate and smoked meats introduce the 2019 Morgon Pré Jourdan, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and generous wine with an ample core of nicely concentrated fruit, succulent acids and fine, elegantly chalky tannins. As readers will remember, this new cuvée—which debuted with the 2018 vintage—derives from a lieu-dit near the village in the direction of Fleurie."

The estate of Domaine de la Grand Cour dates back to 1969 when it was purchased by Jean Dutraive, making it one of the oldest in the village of Fleurie. Jean-Louis is a devout practitioner of organic viticulture with the property having been certified by ECOCERT in 2009. Dutraive, however, was practicing organic viniculture many years before that. The wines undergo traditional vinification without sulfur and with native yeast at very low temperatures, with carbonic maceration and little or no filtering. Jean-Louis' motto in the cellar is "minimal intervention and maximum surveillance. Aromas of dark cherry, violets and exotic spices on the nose. Rustic and complex on the palate, Dutraive compares the Grand'Cour to a baby Beaune Rouge in its muscle and breadth.

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS: "Unwinding in the glass with aromas of rose petals, sweet red cherries, dried flowers and ripe strawberries, the 2018 Fleurie Poncié is medium to full-bodied, lively and enveloping, with a charming, fruit-driven profile this year that tends to obscure its elegantly fine-boned tannic chassis. But don't be fooled, this is reliably one of Chermette's finest cuvées, and the 2018 rendition should evolve gracefully for 15 years or more."

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS: "The 2018 Moulin-à-Vent Les Trois Roches is also showing very well, exhibiting an inviting bouquet of black raspberries, spices, candied peel and peonies. On the palate, it's full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, with a deep and concentrated core of fleshy fruit that largely conceals the wines tannins. This is another terrific effort from Chermette in this gourmand, attractively immediate vintage."

Chiroubles is sourced from 60-year-old vines in the lieu-dit of Javernand, where we see a more sandy form of granite. The high elevation and soil here give a decidedly ethereal expression of Gamay.Guy Breton, or Petit Max as his friends call him, is the member we hear about the least in the Gang of Four. They followed Jules Chauvet's critical teachings on natural viticulture and non-interventionist winemaking. I can turn to a few names for truly mineral-driven personality in this region, including Guy Breton, whose wines show the greatest levity and fine-grained structure.

VINOUS 92 POINTS - "Vivid magenta. Expressive red/blue fruit aromas are complemented by suggestions of candied flowers, smoky minerals and baking spices. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering intense black raspberry and boysenberry flavors that tighten up slowly on the back half. Finishes long and smooth, showing excellent clarity, well-knit tannins and resonating floral and mineral character."

WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS - "From vines in Quincié and named after Breton's daughter, the 2018 Beaujolais-Villages Cuvée Marylou reveals a lovely bouquet of cherries, citrus zest and strawberries. On the palate, it's medium."

VINOUS 93 POINTS - "Shimmering, youthful purple. Mineral-accented cherry and black raspberry aromas are underscored by a spicy element that builds as the wine opens up. Sappy and focused on the palate, offering appealingly sweet dark berry and spicecake flavors along with complicating suggestions of licorice and candied violet. The spice and floral notes build steadily through an impressively long, smooth finish, which is framed by harmonious tannins that fold slowly into the wine's intense fruit. Many of these vines are over a century old now."

CERTIFIED ORGANIC

Traditional, whole cluster fermentation lasts from 3-4 weeks
Aged for 6-9 months in used oak barrels
Sourced exclusively from the Les Charmes vineyard, the highest altitude lieu-dit in the appellatio

The Famille Dutraive négociant business was created by Jean-Louis himself, after losing 90% of his crop to frost in 2016. The family sources only organically farmed fruit from local growers, vinifying carbonically with native yeast. The 2017 ‘Clos du Chapitre’ comes from a single parcel, vinified in concrete and aged in steel/neutral oak for six months; energetic and bright, full of fresh red-fruit flavors and soil-driven undertones.

We are thrilled to offer two fantastic Beaujolais from the exciting 2019 vintage. These refreshing red wines from Jean-Marc Burgaud immediately caught our attention when we tasted them and were blown away by the purity, intensity and freshness of the fruit.

We previously featured the Burgaud's Lantignie from the prior vintage and it was quickly snapped up by our savvy customers. This time, we were able to purchase the Lantignie as well as the Morgon Cote du Py. They are both delicious, satisfying examples of high-quality Beaujolais and offer tremendous value as well!

William Kelley of the Wine Advocate also loved both wines awarding the Lantignie 92 Points and calling it "one of the region's finest values." Lantignie is considered one of the best villages due to its hillsides and granite soil which produces a wine with a bright ruby color and a fresh and fruity nose. The vines range between 40 and 100 years of age.

The Morgon Cote du Py received a score of 94 Points with Kelley calling it "another of Burgaud's real successes this year." This wine offers increased depth, complexity and a very long finish. It is a tremendous example of the quality to be found at the Cru Beaujolais level. The Cote du Py is located on a hillside near the tiny village of Morgon. The vineyards average 50 years of age and are planted in rich soil of blue stones coming from decomposed schist.

Further praise followed with Kelley stating, "The more I taste Jean-Marc Burgaud's wines, the more I find to admire. A winemaker at the peak of his powers, Burgaud has abandoned new oak in favor of seasoned wood, and extraction is more measured than in the past, with his classical semi-carbonic macerations ranging from between seven and 15 days in duration, depending on the cuvee. And there's just one bottling of each wine, making for rare consistency."

Winemaking is traditional at this domaine with Jean-Marc practicing organic and refusing to use chemical fertilizers or insecticides. He respects the land, plowing the soil and harvesting by hand. The finest grapes are selected with whole bunch maceration taking place in vats (both stainless steel and concrete vats are employed) followed by aging in used wood.

The popularity of Gamay from Beaujolais increases every year. What's not to like with beautiful, juicy fruit such as dark cherries framed by silky tannins? Beaujolais is a fantastic medium-bodied culinary partner and is often served with turkey, chicken and traditional fare served during the holidays. It is also deeply satisfying to enjoy on its own.

These wines are among the best you will find in Beaujolais and the quality to price ratio is hard to beat. We are happy to offer these eminently drinkable, refreshing Beaujolais at great prices.

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2019 Morgon Côte du Py has turned out beautifully, delivering an inviting nose of smoky black cherries, cassis and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, bright and lively, it's deep and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit underpinned by tangy acids. This is another of Burgaud's real successes this year."

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2019 Morgon Côte du Py has turned out beautifully, delivering an inviting nose of smoky black cherries, cassis and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, bright and lively, it's deep and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit underpinned by tangy acids. This is another of Burgaud's real successes this year."

Starting with old vines, never using synthetic herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all, and refusing both chaptalization and filtration. These techniques allow the character of Morgon to express itself naturally, without any cosmetic surgery: rustic and spicy yet also refreshing and loaded with the minerality of the granitic vineyards.