A Beaujolais Bounty

Beaujolais has long been a haven for Burgundy drinkers looking for great values to drink while their Premier and Grand Cru bottles age into maturity. But no longer satisfied with being the little sibling, Beaujolais has transformed into a region of serious, attention-commanding wines that are now being sought for their own collecting merits, largely courtesy the international fame of producers like Lapierre, Foillard, and Metras.

Once upon a time, we were told that “Beaujolais doesn’t age,” but that old advice sounds downright ridiculous in today’s world. Quite to the contrary, Cru Beaujolais wines are typically made with structure enough to both enjoy early and after a few years in the cellar, when those tannic edges can soften to reveal the open-faced beauty that the region has long been known for. Today’s offer includes many bottles that are in their perfect drinking windows, going back to the 2017 vintage. For large format fans, we have a few available today, including rare mags of Foillard Côte du Py. And from that same climat, Château Grange Cochard has a marvelous, mature example of what Morgon is capable of opening into with some age.

We also have a trio of elegant and charming wines from Daniel Bouland, whose work we’re adoring fans of. Foillard, whose name is basically synonymous with Beaujolais these days, also represents with a trio. These amazing wines will require just a little patience, but promise to be some of the greatest value bottles you’ll ever buy. Château Thivin brings two selections today, showing off their classic richness and opulence. Pierre Chermette, whose old school style makes his wines an easy house favorite, has four different bottlings available here. Trust us, if you’re not familiar with Chermette, you’ll want to try each of these incredibly pure expressions of Gamay.

We close today’s offer with a relatively unknown gem from Kermit Lynch’s portfolio: Quentin Harel. A no-brainer case buy, the 2019 Les Grandes Terres is one of the best $20 wines we’ve ever found. Following the examples of Lapierre and Foillard, Harel farms everything organically, and has quickly risen to fame in Beaujolais for his serious, honest, and pleasurable wines. The magnums of Morgon Charmes are truly special, made from a single hectare of 80+ year old vines. We could keep heaping praise on these, but we’ll just leave it with this: if you’re unfamiliar, do yourself a favor and check them out today!