Like Laura Lardy, who comes from four generations of Beaujolais winemakers, this bottle is deeply connected to the ancestry of the land. ‘La Fayarde’ pays tribute to the ancient forests that once blanketed the landscape in the Chénas region of the Beaujolais. Its pronounced structure and distinct green-ness runs through Gamay’s classic bright fruit character to emulate the lush woods that preceded it.
Trousseau Gris is a grape that requires a gentle hand and a firm understanding of winemaking to unlock its potential. Pax and Pam Mahle have done exactly that. They have put forward an expression with notes of watermelon, strawberry, and zesty acidity.
Tradition is an apt name for this bottle. This year, Charly joins his father, Jean-Paul Thévenet, in creating a singular take on the natural style of Beaujolais that the Gang of Four pioneered in the 1980s. It’s vibrant, serious, and also immensely fun. An intergenerational mashup worth sharing.
Nuits d’Ivresse or “Drunken Nights” is an homage to the work of Jules Chauvet, using absolutely no sulfur whatsoever. This cuvee is made from 50 year old vines, then aged in oak for a year - resulting in a deep smoked Cabernet Franc with notes of charred green bell pepper and earthy clay.
Nicolas Vauthier helped open one of the first natural wine bars in France, ‘Aux Crieurs de Vins’ and continued his legacy by starting his own winemaking project in Burgundy. This Pinot Noir has a bright and juicy quality while still holding its own against a rich meal.
Jean-Louis has been making wines that represent the cream of the crop in top-tier Cru Beaujolais for decades. They are inexplicably delicious, classic expressions of natural Beaujolais that offer a novel perspective on the high highs this region can achieve in capable hands. This bottle is a one time production.
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!
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.
