FLEURIE

Brilliant Beaujolais

Unfortunately, the word 'Beaujolais' has become all too readily attached to the word 'Nouveau'. There's nothing wrong with a bit of fun, and at its best the old Beaujolly Nouveau is fun with a party hat on. But there is a lot more to Beaujolais than young wines being raced across France in sports cars and fruity red wine with your breakfast.

Those in the know are starting to purr appreciatively over the wines of the Beaujolais crus. These are the villages whose wines are good enough to be elevated above the generic Beaujolais name and have been given their own appellations.

It's all Gamay, so bright crisp fruit is the story of the day, but there's more - there's a silky feel almost occasionally redolent of Pinot Noir and even an ability to improve with a little age. From the subtle delights of Fleurie to the gently peppered Morgon, albeit all on the light side, this is a case that will enhance any wine lovers cellar/wine rack/cupboard under the stairs.

The Beaujolais Collection (12-Bottle Case)

In November, the wine world turns its attention to one, joyous party: Beaujolais Nouveau Day. It’s a brilliant festival of the harvest, but it's just the warm-up act. The real, soul-stirring magic of the region lies just beyond, in the 'Crus'—ten villages that produce some of the best value, most delicious red wine on the planet.

This 12-bottle case (two of each wine) is your all-access pass to the entire celebration, guiding you from the joyous and fruity to the serious and cellar-worthy.

Your tour begins with the pure, bouncy charm of a classic Beaujolais-Villages from Domaine Rochette, the perfect, charming party wine. From there, you'll explore the 'Cru' of Brouilly, tasting the difference between the 'richly fruited' 'Les Mines' and the 'fragrant and lifted' Côte de Brouilly 'Les Grillés' from the meticulous Domaine Chevalier-Métrat.

Next, it's the 'structured and powerful' Fleurie 'Cuvée Tardive' from Clos de La Roilette, a historic farm that famously still uses its 1920s racehorse label.

The finale is the gold-standard of the region: two wines from Domaine Paul Janin et Fils in Moulin-à-Vent. This is where Beaujolais gets 'Burgundian'. You'll get to compare the 'Empreinte', a delicious introduction to the house style , with the 'Vignes du Tremblay', an incredibly sophisticated wine from 50- to 70-year-old vines on granite soils. It is, as our note says, 'startlingly good!'.

This case contains two bottles of each of the following six wines:

2x 2023 BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES, Domaine Rochette

2x 2023 BROUILLY 'Les Mines', Domaine Chevalier-Métrat

2x 2023 CÔTE DE BROUILLY 'Les Grillés', Domaine Chevalier-Métrat

2x 2023 FLEURIE 'Cuvée Tardive', Clos de La Roilette

2x 2022 MOULIN-À-VENT 'Empreinte', Domaine Paul Janin et Fils

2x 2022 MOULIN-À-VENT 'Vignes du Tremblay', Domaine Paul Janin et Fils