Jean Louis Dutraive Fleurie Clos de la Grand'Cour 2021

Jean-Louis does everything right. In his words, he practices “low intervention, high surveillance” winemaking. Everything is organic, with only tiny amounts of sulfur added at bottling in certain vintages — only when necessary. This is the winemaker that other Beaujolais winemakers look to as a yardstick, the one who sets the bar for great Gamay and yet somehow never receives quite the same type of standing ovation as his peers.

So we’re calling it. It’s time to stand up and give him his due. From “young” vines (30-70 years old) this has a lush, fresh edge on his old vine cuvée from Brouilly (also worth checking out). Its aromatics are surreal, with deep notes of black cherries, violets, and spice. This is the kind of Beaujolais that brings uncomplicated complexity to the party.