Beaujolais

Guy Breton is one of the “Gang of Four”, known for using more traditional methods of vinification. He excludes pesticides and uses little to no sulfur dioxide. This wine is made from vines 35-100 years old, grown on a bed of shallow stoney soil - creating a lush, red fruited Beaujolais driven by minerality.

Raphaël Saint-Cyr recently inherited his family's estate and immediately began the conversion to organic–making him the largest certified organic domaine in the Beaujolais. His wines emphasize simplicity, elegance, and drinkability–perfect for the quenching of summertime thirsts. Raphaël's Beaujolais Rosé was lithe, characterful, and frankly downright stunning for the price. It was a huge hit as well with classic cookout fare.

Fourth - generation vigneron Raphael Saint-Cyr is at the helm of one of the largest organic domaines in Beaujolais. His wines capture the joyful and expressive qualities that Beaujolais has to offer. This cuvee is an easy-drinking delight - pair with our house made Kasekrainer sausage!

Guy’s friends may call him “Petit Max”, but in the world of wine, he is quite the contrary. Breton is a major force in restoring the honor of Gamay in Beaujolais. This Morgon is his principle offering from 80-year-old vines, contributing a deeper complexity and structure to lush red fruits.

Guy Breton’s expertise started in his hometown of Morgon, but extends to the glorious, volcanic Côte de Brouilly appellation with a recent acquisition. Guy picks earlier than most, favoring freshness and elegance in his Beaujolais. This wine is floral, earthy, and oh so drinkable–yet with the complexity of truly fine wine. Enjoy it cool.

Marcel Lapierre helped launch the natural wine movement with his quest to produce delicious, highly drinkable Gamay without sulphur or chemicals. The estate has since set the standard for proper natural wine. The winemaking is now done by his son Mathieu & remains lively, fresh, and exuberant.

Marcel Lapierre is not any old winemaker. This man single handedly pioneered natural winemaking in his region, creating the benchmark in Beaujolais & inspiring a whole generation of winemakers along the way. “Cuvée Marcel” is a rich, powerful wine with integrated acidity & notes of dark fruit.

Guy Breton ’s cuvee “Marylou” is named for his daughter. The Gamay in this Beaujolais Villages is sourced from 45-year-old vines in Saint Joseph and surrounding subzones laden with granite and rocky soils - resulting in a wine that is filled with juicy red fruits, notes of violet, and profound minerality. Enjoy Cool!

All of the grapes for this cuvée comes from a lieu-dit named Mortperay that borders the neighboring cru of Fleurie. Rich fruit is on full display with a noticeable roundness thanks to 6 months aging in both casks and barrels. This is a wine for hearty fare and good times. Give it some air before drinking, and shoot for cellar temperature when serving.

Jean Foillard is a celebrity in Beaujolais and his son, Alex, is proof the winemaking apple doesn’t fall far from the…. Vine? This bottle is filled with blood orange zest, juicy red berries, and a strong spine of minerality. Beautiful balance and finesse.

Jean Foillard, veritable master of Morgon terroir, is sourcing from the highest altitude lieu-dit in the appellation for this cuvée, resulting in one of his most structured and brooding wines. Though an absolute treat now, the acidity and crunchy tannins present point to a bright future.

We don’t get a lot of Julienas in the shop — and we definitely don’t sell a lot of cru Beaujolais for under $35. And still, here is Soeur Cadette’s Julienas, a fresh take on Gamay that brings elegance and grace to the typically fun and crunchy style. This bottle will hit you with loads of sunny red fruit, followed by a wave of barely ripe raspberries and that essential black stone minerality.

Valentin Montanet’s family has been estate-bottling their wine in Burgundy since the 1990s. Before that, they were a part of the local co-op. It was something of a power move, to split off and do their own thing. But they believed their organically farmed vineyards would show up best if they weren’t mixed up with grapes from all over the region.

When weather ruined the 2016 Burgundy harvest, Valentin turned disaster into opportunity by acting on a long-held dream: to make Beaujolais. His first vintage with purchased fruit was distinctly Burgundian. Delicious, but of another place. In the last few years, he’s begun to hit the bullseye. The thread of Burgundy is still there, in the graceful quality that permeates this bottle, but it’s all crunch and fruit and minerality. This is definitive Beaujolais.

As much fun to drink as it is to say, Chiroubles  (SHI-roob) is a serious underdog Cru in Beaujolais. Chiroubles stands out because it contains some of the highest elevation plots in all of Beaujolais, which translates to cooler nighttime temps and a freshness of flavor unmatched in the region. Bright and quaffable.

You know the gang by now–Lapierre, Foillard, and Breton. These guys banded up in their twenties to (help) change the world of French wine, natural wine, and Beaujolais forever. But the name Thévenet, the fourth gang of Four member, rarely gets mentioned. That's partially because Jean-Paul makes far less wine than the others. The single wine he makes, perhaps the most elegant and long-lived expression of Morgon I've ever tasted is a true study on that lovely village. It is high-toned, zesty, and lightly funk in its youth, and can age like great Burgundy–if, unlike me, you have the patience to wait. I've gone through chilled bottle after chilled bottle this summer. If you love Beaujolais and haven't yet experienced Thévenet's rendition, now's the time to do it!

 

Coming from a family of vignerons, Yann Bertrand is bringing a fresh take on the great wines of cru Beaujolais. He may be young, but with the guidance of the masters, he’s rising to the top of the  new generation of Beaujolais producers at lightning speed. 

Jean Foillard is known for making some of the most compelling wines of Beaujolais. He farms old vines across multiple appellations within his region, never using chemicals in his work & only the healthiest grapes make it into his wine. His Morgon Corcelette is crazy fresh, energetic & mineral driven.

One of the region's most charming yet least understood villages, Chénas in the hands of Dutraive comes off as a Morgon-Fleurie hybrid, with ample structure and gravitas supporting its inherently elegant fruit and tannin profile. In the glass, it offers up notes of ripe red cranberry, fresh mint, and anise. The most utterly drinkable of the bunch, 'Papolet' is a pure delight to drink alongside just about anything, preferably with a light chill.

Sourced from one of Fleurie's highest-altitude vineyard sites with granitic soil, 'La Tonne' a high-toned, seriously elegant expression of this village's noble terroir. Think notes of tart raspberries highlighted by herbal notes of rose petal and black pepper. Best served cool–and alongside a roast bird.

Widely known as “The Queen of Beaujolais” the Cru of Fleurie is set on the steep slopes at the foot of La Madone. 90% of the soil here is pink granitic, which is dry & acidic and creates these wonderfully lifted wines that are elegantly floral and still ripe and juicy. Breton has done it again.

It’s as fresh as it gets. This Nouveau is a completely natural wine made right after this year’s harvest with Gamay farmed without pesticides, harvested by hand, and vinified with native yeasts and no SO2. It’s fresh, punchy, and bursting with strawberry and barely ripe cherry. Gislaine and Stéphane Dupeuble run the domaine today, but it’s been in operation since the 1500s — and has only changed its name three times in that entire tenure. This is minimal intervention Gamay with maximum history.

Guy Breton’s expertise started in his hometown of Morgon, but extends to the glorious, volcanic Côte de Brouilly appellation with a recent acquisition. Guy picks earlier than most, favoring freshness and elegance in his Beaujolais. This wine is floral, earthy, and oh so drinkable–yet with the complexity of truly fine wine. Enjoy it cool.

Jean-Louis Dutraive is a definite name to know in the Beaujolais wine region. He has been making some of the most pure expressions of Gamay since 1977. This particular bottle is silky smooth with notes of wild berries, fresh herbs, and violets. Drink often and with friends.

Producer Anne Sophie Dubois has teamed up with her partner Sylvain Martel to create this classic Beaujolais that buzzes with the influence of Jules Chauvet. This Gamay uses whole cluster fermentation, giving it a hearty structure that easily transports you from summer to autumn.