I can't tell you how enthusiastic I am about these wines – the perfect antidote to Bordeaux 2009 madness. See some background here and do think seriously about getting in the lighter of these wines for immediate enjoyment.
The picture gives some idea of the gentle hills of the best Beaujolais villages, the crus. It's of some of the vineyards around the village of Fleurie that the Henriot family (owners of Bouchard Père et Fils) have been working on in their conversion of the Ch Poncié into Villa Ponciago, a slightly unfortunate name for English-speakers perhaps.
RED
Very mineral, cool wet granite. A wonderful juxtaposition of power and elegance. Dense sinewy tannins, finely brushed with lavender, violets and deliciously sappy nectarine in the middle. On the finish, sun-warmed scented thyme. A glorious mouthful of flavours. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2016
£9.99 Winescape
Mineral. A baritone of a wine. Deep and booming and solid with tingling wet-slate minerality. Richness, but all held in check and for now a monastic austerity that only piques the interest. One to hold on to. (TC)
Drink
2012
–
2016
£9.59 Alexander Hadleigh
Young, slightly aggressive tannins but good intensity of fruit and depth. Sweet and spicy and determined and ambitious. (TC)
Drink
2011
–
2016
£10.44 Waitrose
Smells of rust and dried blood. Chewy and metallic. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
€5.85 n/a UK
Attractively smoky nose. Rather smooth and polished. Lively, pure with some fine tannin in reserve. Definitely needs food at the moment to counteract the chew. I'd wait until the end of 2010 to start this wine. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2015
Quite closed with just a soft hint of strawberry perfume. Lots of tension on the palate, beautiful play between tightly cut tannins, nervy angular acidity and pure sweet wild strawberries. Earthy, sweet beetroot undertones. Fine and layered with a finely woven complexity. (TC)
13.5%
Drink
2010
–
2015
£10.99 Soho Wine Supply
A quiet nose. Then lots of angles and energy. Full of lovely red fruit and bright liveliness, just a teeny bit short. (TC)
Drink
2010
–
2012
£9.71 - £11.50 Bablake Wines, Nicolas, Davy's
Bright crimson. Very light nose. Pleasant, light, easy palate but I don't feel as though this selection of Depagneux Beaujolais has been selected with as much fastidiousness as most Wine Society ranges are. Light and undemanding. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2011
£8.50 The Wine Society
Dark crimson. Full, open and floral (Pinot Noir-like?) on the nose. Lightly chewy. Lots of grunt and personality. Still a little youthful on the palate. On schist and manganese. Certified organic since 2002. Horse in prospect. Lots to get your teeth into here. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2017
Softer and more floral on the nose than the other Chiroubles, that peony perfume appearing again. Wonderful arching acidity, pure fruit and pure long, lightly drawn lines. Clementine, orange zest and bright cherry gently bound up with a silk scarf of tannin. (TC)
Drink
2010
–
2013
€7 n/a UK
Cherry cough-mixture nose. Sweet, squashed, slightly bruised cherry on the mid palate and then damp leaves on the finish. Interesting in a damp-mossy-stones sort of way. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2013
€8.40 n/a UK
Smells like straight strawberry jam but on the palate there seems to be some rather raw oak bitterness which gives it a certain harshness and for the moment is really sitting on the sweet fruit underneath. To give it the benefit of the doubt, it might just need some time to integrate. (TC)
13%
Drink
2012
–
2015
€8.50
Fresh herb-garden aromas of mint and sorrel. Earthy with rich sun-drenched sweet fruit. Honest and tangy, silky tannin and a wine that makes you want to linger and think. Hard to spit. (TC)
Drink
2010
–
2015
£9.95 Vine Trail
Dark crimson – vibrant colour. Polished, dense, mineral-scented fruit and quite a bit of tannin. Despite the relatively lowly appellation, I would wait awhile before tackling this. Really quite as serious as many a cru Beaujolais. Still very firm but very impressive. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2011
–
2014
Dark crimson. Lacy, racy, polished. Smooth and juicy. Hint of rhubarb. Lip smacking though only just refreshing enough. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2014
£12.50 Stone, Vine & Sun
From Coudert Appert of Fleurie. Minerals on the nose and real raciness. Super-juicy start and already bumptious and very appealing. Quite sweet on the front palate and then some fine tannin on the finish. SO drinkable. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2013
£10.50 Stone, Vine & Sun
Relatively pale crimson. Rather dull nose. Nothing desperately wrong with this but it doesn't sing as sweetly nor as eloquently as their Chiroubles. Chewy finish. Is this very mild TCA? (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2016
£10.95 Stone, Vine & Sun
Firm and spicy with masculine, muscular length. Cinnamon and clove. Poised, rounded fruit, lovely and really long. Satisfying. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2015
Daniel Lambert Wines
Dark purplish crimson. Very meaty nose with lovely lift. Extremely substantial wine with really quite round tannins, almost burgundian. Perfumed and round with just a skein of minerality on the finish. Vineyard soil is some manganese in pink granite apparently. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2016
Majestic
Fruits of the forest, crushed raspberries. Beautiful lines and dancing intensity weaving in and out of deliciously sweet strawberries and velvety touch-me tannins. This is an embracing mouthful of wine. Just great. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2014
£9.95 Paul Adams Fine Wines
Very herbal – oreganum and thyme. Tight-weave tannin and delicious cherry and strawberry fruit. Fleshy and lovely and lightly laced with spice. Roses and chrysanthemums on a finish as meandering and floral as a path in a cottage garden. (TC)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2016
£9.25 Paul Adams Fine Wines
It takes time to reach Alain Chatoux’s hideaway in Ste-Paule, some 700 m above sea-level, near the Bois d’Oingt – this is where the best ‘straight’ Beaujolais comes from, on steep granitic and schistous slopes, completely different from the vineyards down in the plain of the Saône.
Bright crimson. Fresh, full of fruit. Lots of acidity. Smooth and sleek and very versatile. Not very long but super easy. Could (should?) be drunk without food. (JR) 12.5%
Bright crimson. Fresh, full of fruit. Lots of acidity. Smooth and sleek and very versatile. Not very long but super easy. Could (should?) be drunk without food. (JR) 12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2011
£9.95 per bottle, or £8.95 by the case BBR
Cédric Chignard continues his father’s good work with their 8.5 ha of Fleurie in and around Les Moriers on the Moulin à Vent side of the appellation. The wine is made in large wooden foudres, but no barrels for the regular cuvée.
Mineral nose. Quite soft and scented. Very flattering. Complete and quite forward even if there is a little tannin there. (JR)
Drink
2011
–
2015
£14.95 per bottle, or £13.45 by case BBR
Sweet cherry jam on the nose. Sweet fruit with pretty sharp acid. Very get-up-and-go, lots of energy if not the most graceful. (TC)
Drink
2010
–
2013
€5.75 n/a UK
To begin with, the nose was all liquorice and charcoal with the faintest smudge of bramble berries. But when I came back to the wine a bit later, it smelt just like I'd opened a packet of blackcurrant pastilles. Chewy and elements of wild fennel, garrigue, sun-baked raspberries and wet hot black slate. Firm minerality. Very alive and persistent. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2014
€5 n/a UK
Unusually light and round and forward and charming for a Morgon. Light tannins on the finish. Good value – very juicy. Lovely early-drinking super-fruity Morgon. Quite intense on the finish. GV (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2011
–
2016
£9.95 Stone, Vine & Sun
Mid ruby/crimson. Another rather light nose from Depagneux negociant. A bit of texture and chew and nothing to object to but just a slight lack of individuality – especially in comparison to the Coteaux du Lyonnais from The Wine Society. Fine tannins on the finish. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2012
£8.50 The Wine Society
The domaine is now run by Louis-Claude’s daughter Claude-Emmanuelle and son Louis-Benoît. They offer a range of different Morgon bottlings, from the all-purpose La Voûte St-Vincent, via a 2-ha plot on the granitic Côte du Py, to their holding of Javernières which usually makes the fullest wine of the appellation.
Substantial meaty nose with quite marked tannins on the palate. Very firm. Wait quite a while for this to soften! (JR) 13%
Substantial meaty nose with quite marked tannins on the palate. Very firm. Wait quite a while for this to soften! (JR) 13%
Drink
2013
–
2018
£12.50 Berry Bros & Rudd
Cask sample. Deep crimson. Really rich and gorgeous. Very dark and dense but utterly seductive. Racy and thick – this has flesh but also the racy acidity of Beaujolais. Just lovely. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2018
£108 ib BBR
Bright mid crimson. Light, sweetish nose with a rather more industrial cast than the Marks & Spencer version from the Cave St-Desirat. Astringent finish too. The best thing about this wine is the pretty flowery label. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2010
The Wine Society
Smells of parma violets and grape-flavoured soda. Dominant acidity – a bit jagged – and dusty violet notes. (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2011
£5.99 Berkmann Wine Cellars
Bubblegum aromas here. A noticeable step up in tannin density, compared to the straight Beaujolais. Smooth though, and correct, but lacks excitement. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2011
£9.79 Berkmann Wine Cellars
Emphatic crimson. Notably ripe nose. Smooth and succulent fruit at first and then some quite insistent tannins on the finish. Lots of bite and grace. Needs a bit of time. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2013
Deep crimson. Fresh and straightforward on the nose. Attractively savoury undertow. Slightly inky finish. Crackling fruit. Pretty tough finish still. Slightly drying. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2013
Mid to light crimson. Lively and well balanced. Quite evolved on the nose. Easy and relatively simple. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2013
Mid crimson. Firm and dense. Quite a spine of acidity and ripe tannins. You could enjoy this but it should improve too. Juicy fruit in the middle. Quite flirtatious. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2013
Quite dark crimson. Light nose that's just a little indistinct. Acidity rather more dominant than the tannin. Fades a little fast. More like a typical vintage Duboeuf than some that are more obviously marked by 2009's ripeness. Good, positive finish though. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2012
Light, bright crimson. Very appetising acidity and fresh, perhaps slightly simple fruit. No one could object to this but it's not exactly thrilling. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2012
Mid crimson. Very polished nose – perhaps a little tame? Taffeta texture – this wine positively crackles. Fine tannins on the finish. A lighter register than some though it should develop more complexity, even though it's far from full bodied. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2013
Dark crimson. Polished nose. Very well balanced and rather sweeter than most. Raspberry fruit with very fine tannins. I should imagine this is rather good value as it tastes as though it could be a single vineyard wine. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2014
Dark crimson. Embryonic nose. Meaty scents and lots of very ripe fruit. Then chewy tannins on the finish with some acidity noticeable. A very substantial wine that's almost like a young red burgundy. (Though that is not why I am giving it quite a high score!) (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2015
Notably dark crimson. Very appetising nose – really gouleyant and juicy fruit. Smooth and polished on the palate – really very different from most Beaujolais, so solid is this wine, without marked acidity. This may be 'only' the regular Duboeuf label but it is very ambitious. (JR)
13%
Drink
2012
–
2017
Bottled by Georges Duboeuf. Confession: I have a sentimental attachment to this label which has not changed since I served it at my 30th birthday party 30 years ago. More acidity on the nose than on the regular Morgon. Perhaps more typical but less marked by the vintage? Still a little fizzy on the palate – tastes like work in progress... with some rather sour tannins on the finish. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2016
Tar and sweets and then drying tannins. Lovely red fruit but it's only just peeping past the tannin. (TC)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2014
£12.79 Berkmann Cellars
Bright crimson. Very fine and delicate. Like the brush of a feather. Already open and very pretty. The word gouleyant (gets the saliva flowing) is made for a wine like this. Racy and super refreshing. The perfect lunchtime wine? (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2011
The domaine is situated in the hamlet of Le Tracot, near Regnié, a noted spot for its Beaujolais Villages. Over the past decade Jean-Paul has built up his holdings to include cuvées of Brouilly, Fleurie, Morgon and Moulin à Vent.
Darker than the Chatoux wine at the same price served alongside. Real bite and savour. Quite dense for a Beaujolais. Real grip here. Not quite ready yet though it would probably be fine with food. I’d start this at the end of northern hemisphere summer. GV (JR) 12.5%
Darker than the Chatoux wine at the same price served alongside. Real bite and savour. Quite dense for a Beaujolais. Real grip here. Not quite ready yet though it would probably be fine with food. I’d start this at the end of northern hemisphere summer. GV (JR) 12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2013
£9.95 per bottle, or £8.95 by the case BBR
Sleek and polished. Just a light dusting of tannins. Solid stuff capable of delivering dependable pleasure. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2011
–
2014
£13.95 per bottle, or £12.55 by the case BBR
Mid crimson. Smells quite maceration carbonique. A little bit too much banana for me. Plus some tannin and angular chew. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2012
–
2015
£15.95 per bottle, or £14.35 by the case BBR
Smells like wine gums and jelly beans. Quite grapey. Juicy, cherries, bright and smooth. (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2011
£8.99-10.99 Forth Wines, Flourish & Prosper, Planet of the Grapes, Taurus
Dark crimson. Easy, sweet fruit. A little industrial and sweetened up. Fine but not exciting. Fades fast. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2012
Henry Fessy 2009 Chénas
15.5 +
Fruits-of-the-forest cordial on the nose, bitter-sweet cherry and jasmine on the palate. Quite chewy. Scented dry tea leaves. Interesting. (TC)
13.5%
Drink
2010
–
2014
£10.99 Flourish & Prosper, Planet of the Grapes, Taurus Wines
Very primary aromas – fruit drops, and a little awkward. Chalky tannins and plenty of vim. Tangy redcurrant, cranberry. An appetising dustiness on the finish. Characterful. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2012
£11.99 Taurus Wines, Plant of the Grapes, Flourish & Prosper
Apple and blackberry cordial on the nose. Smudgy soft tannins, like deep kohl eyeliner, framing blueberry fruit and violets. Green – laurel – notes, crisply cut acidity. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2012
£13.99 Forth Wines, Flourish & Prosper, Nicholas Corke Fine Wines, Taurus Wines
Pretty, feminine roundedness with a good shot of acidity. Unfortunately it finishes all too abruptly and the tannins are just a touch on the raw side. Not quite together. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2011
£10.45-£12.95 Corks Out, Winedrop.co.uk
Dark crimson. No sign of a Depagneux connection here. Meaty racy sleek fruit that is just so juicy it gets the appetite going. Very fair price. Already quite polished; the tannins are very well hidden. Some real savour. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2013
£10.50 The Wine Society
Really good, mouthfilling concentration. Lots of expression, bitter cherry and herbs. A good dense matting of tannins. Depth and colour and dimension. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2015
€4.20 n/a UK
Mid crimson. Crackling, lively, very recognisably Beaujolais. Fine tannins and persistence suggest a fairly long life in recognisably classic mode. Marked acidity. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2014
Deep crimson. Opulent and very ripe. Polished tannins. A Musigny? Lots of stuffing. Very serious. But plumper and more obviously seductive than the Grands Cras. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2018
Dark crimson. Scented and sophisticated on the nose. Very serious and chewy indeed. Still extremely youthful. Lots of tannin even though there is considerable attack too. Vines are 55 years old. Lots of extract and acidity. Dry finish. A sort of Hermitage style of cru Beaujolais! (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2018
Oddbins
Utterly lip smacking. This delightfully splits the difference between the lighter examples of Beaujolais-Villages and the more serious Crus wines. Firm and mineral-scented, this has succulent fully ripe Gamay fruit that spreads convincingly right across the palate. Makes you want to sing. VGV (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2013
£8.75 Christopher Piper
No alcohol level on the label of this wine! Mid crimson. Fresh, light, vibrant fruit that is already appetising. Very straightforward. Quite a bit of acidity on the finish and some light tannins. Quite chewy. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2013
Cask sample. Very dark crimson. Almost severe on the nose. Thick and almost treacley – just a little oxidised. Not sure whether this is a sample or a wine thing. Dense and chewy.
Second bottle: A bit fresher on the nose, though this seems as though it has taken ripeness to the limit. Lots of rather severe tannins too. (JR)
Second bottle: A bit fresher on the nose, though this seems as though it has taken ripeness to the limit. Lots of rather severe tannins too. (JR)
Drink
2013
–
2017
£15.95 per bottle, or £14.35 by the case BBR
James and Sarah Wilding have abandoned St Albans for the charms of the Beaujolais countryside and a delightful property close to Morgon with some fine vineyard holdings, all benefiting from old vines. Starting in 2009 they will produce an old-vine blend and two single vineyard wines. Whereas Côte du Py is famed for rugged, structured wines, Les Charmes has more clay in the soil and provides a softer, generous style.
Cask sample. Dark crimson. Rich and rather opulent and Côte d’Or-like even though there is quite a bit tannin here. Easy to see how this would become more like Pinot... (JR)
Cask sample. Dark crimson. Rich and rather opulent and Côte d’Or-like even though there is quite a bit tannin here. Easy to see how this would become more like Pinot... (JR)
Drink
2013
–
2019
£13.95 per bottle, or £12.55 by the case BBR
Smells of marshmallows and cherry lozenges. But the palate is surprisingly tightly focused and etched with fine-lined acidity. Earthy, but lifted by notes of grapefruit and orange zest and juniper. Slight dusty, rustic tannins around good fruit. (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2013
€4.50 n/a UK
Firm, vibrant crimson from the appellation to the immediate south of Beaujolais and clearly a gifted practitioner for this wine is full of conscientiously grown fruit with real vivacity and a certain interesting smokiness. Lovely for relatively early drinking. Unfortuately The Wine Society don't seem to be listing this yet but it would be ideal for this summer. (JR)
13.5%
Drink
2010
–
2011
The Wine Society
Slightly harsh and hard, with bitterness on the finish. Not great. (TC)
Drink
2010
–
2011
Boisset
Dark crimson. Scented and rather lusciously fruited. Easy and round. Quite obviously ripe and fruity. Some dry angularity on the very end of the palate. Not quite the vitality of some other wines from this stable. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2015
Perfumed and compact. A touch of wild herbs and absolutely beautiful, perfectly formed strawberry and blueberry and plum. Simply bursting with life and sap and deliciousness. A touch of green coffee bean. Tannins so graceful and limber and glossy that despite their strength one hardly realises they are there. Long, fascinating and fabulous. VGV (TC)
Drink
2012
–
2020
£13.99 The Wine Society
Very dark crimson. Sappy and succulent on the nose. Sweet start and very polished fruit. Polished. Sweet and crunchy. Fairly light finish. (JR)
13%
Drink
2012
–
2016
Looks dark and brooding. Lots of juice and extract here. And real tension underneath. This is Beaujolais made for the very long term but with no sacrifice of Beaujolais character. Not trying to be burgundy. I'd happily cellar this for quite a while. (JR)
13%
Drink
2012
–
2018
Very dark crimson. Fragrant and rather more evolved aromatically than the straight Ch des Jacques. Very polished and urbane. Meaty, savoury, with very fine tannin management. Some sweet raspberry fruit on the front palate with well-hidden tannins. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2016
Very dark crimson indeed. Very mineral and sweet (an unusual combination) and unusual. Big and bold and very concentrated. Intense black berries – not very obviously Gamay. Very vibrant. Tingle-issimo. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2016
Light purplish crimson. Low-key nose (The Wine Society source many of their Beaujolais, including this one, from negociant Depagneux). A little ho hum with very marked acidity. Just a bit mean for the vintage. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2011
£6.75 The Wine Society
Mid to light purplish crimson with a slightly industrial nose. Marked acidity after some flattering raspberry fruit. This certainly isn't expensive... Light tannins on the finish. Just a little bit sweetened up? (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2012
£6.95 The Wine Society
Sappy raspberry fruit with really mouthfilling but still flirtatious impact. Delightful for current drinking. Not especially persistent or intense but no shortage of keen fruit. Silver medal from Paris. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2011
£8.95 Stone, Vine & Sun
Light and pure and fresh – a complete contrast to the Vieilles Vignes Brouilly. Very much a wine for this summer. Lots of acidity. (JR)
Drink
2010
Rich, satin smooth, very seductive. Sweeter and more polished than most Beaujolais. Definitely a wine to sweep an unbeliever off their feet. Very intense. Light tannins and low acid – surely quite late picked? Or is it just the age of the vines that does it? Super healthy. It almost recalls a young southern Rhône wine. (JR)
14%
Drink
2010
–
2012
This, perhaps surprisingly, was the only 2009 Beaujolais on the list in June at the famous Daniel et Denise bouchon in Lyons. Bottled 25 Mar 2010 according to the label. Lots of fresh fruit and masses of acidity. Pure and straightforward though less mindblowing than our fellow diners had remembered it. When it warmed up it showed appealing taffeta crackle. Very lively. (JR)
Drink
2010
–
2013
Mid to dark crimson. Very mineral nose really gets the saliva flowing. Rather more evolved aromatically than some. Apparently this plot is sand over sometimes visible granite. (JR)
Drink
2010
–
2015
Pale, rather grey crimson. Light and tart. None of the density of a fine Morgon 2009. Rather vapid. Scrawny. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2012
Cask sample. Dark crimson. Succulent and racy. Sinewy. Very firm. (JR)
Drink
2013
–
2018
£189 ib BBR
Cask sample. Burgundian vintage. Mid crimson. Solid. Dense. Lots of chew. Like a young Côte de Nuits – chunky. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2017
£138 ib BBR
Thibault, installed in Nuits St Georges since 2002, finished his wine studies at the Lycee Bel-Air near Belleville a few years earlier. He gained a great enthusiasm for the Beaujolais while he was there, especially the wines of Moulin à Vent. 2009 is the first vintage of a newly acquired property of 3.2 ha. Three wines will be bottled: Les Ruchaux, a vieilles vignes blend (60 years+) and La Roche, a classic terroir with hardly any topsoil and 80-year-old vines, almost next door to Olivier Merlin’s La Rochelle.
Cask sample. Lovely suppleness. So glorious! (JR)
Cask sample. Lovely suppleness. So glorious! (JR)
Drink
2011
–
2018
£156 ib BBR
Dark crimson. Quite firm and concentrated – far more so than any vintage of this wine that I remember tasting. Should not disappoint even if it is not exactly thrilling in the mid palate. Should develop further. Fine tannins on the finish. Sleek. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2014
Dark crimson and rather industrial on the nose. Really rather fruitless on the palate. Low grade TCA perhaps? I can't smell TCA but this is not a pleasant bottle. é (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2011
Mid crimson, even a little pale at the rim. Really meaty and succulent on the nose. Not forced. A relatively fruity Morgon – unusual – but with lots of fun and frivolity. For fairly early drinking as Morgons go. Juicy and some fine tannins. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2014
Mid crimson. From vines belonging to the owners of Loron. Traditional techniques, macerations of over 20 days – all the stuff coming back in to the region – so much the better. Scented and full of life. Very polished tannins. Quite different in character to the other wines in the Loron range. Lots of wild life here! In a good way. No biodynamic claims are made on the back label but it certainly tastes pretty lunar. Exciting stuff. Smoother and less tough and sturdy than many wines from this appellation. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2016
Greyish crimson. Bursting with easy, very slightly rubbery fruit on the nose. No great follow-through but competent and flirtatious. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2011
Quite dense. Liquorice and pretty bloody. Herbs and cayenne pepper lifting a meaty, serious wine with broad shoulders and good presence. (TC)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2015
£13 Ernst George
Extremely dark crimson. Very intense indeed – an interesting blend of intensely ripe fruit with strong minerality. No shortage of interest! Then real lift and thrust on the palate – this one is turbo charged, but is not excessively alcoholic. Still too brutal to enjoy at the moment, this wine should have a glorious future. (JR)
13%
Drink
2012
–
2020
A very sweet nose – loganberry coulis, even liqueur like. Powerful, full bodied, and very un-Fleurie. Huge intensity, with lots of granitic minerality (practically chiselled out of the vineyard, it seems), and then layers of thick crushed mulberry and aniseed. Long too. The big drawback is the heat. That alcohol weighs in with a heavy-handed finish. (TC)
14%
Drink
2010
–
2014
£9.95 Paul Adams Fine Wines
Roasted, baked fruit on the nose, some cinnamon. Sweet and hot and heavy. Balsamic, raspberry chocolates. Atypical and far too hot and over ripe. (TC)
14.5%
Drink
2010
–
2012
€4.67 n/a UK
Dark crimson. Light but very appetising nose. Sweet fruit on the front palate but a little bit heavy somehow. Not quite as flirtatious as some. Chewy tannins on the finish. Sinewy. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2011
–
2014
£12.80 per bottle or £155.40 per case Hicks & Don
Mid crimson and lots of acidity. Sweet but rather simple fruit. Nothing to object to; nothing to enthuse about. Rather dry finish. Just a bit dull. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2010
£12.95 per bottle or £155.34 per case Hicks & Don
Quite an alcohol level! And a naughty heavy bottle too, even though the Fleurie of this Marrans trio is the most expensive. Deep crimson. Inky and sweet – almost damson-like sourness – on the nose. This is very intense and unusual, especially in view of that sourness. Very tart finish. Wait! Certainly not comfortable at the moment. Perhaps a bit overdone? (JR)
14.5%
Drink
2012
–
2016
£12.55 per bottle or £150.60 per case Hicks & Don
Raspberry and cinnamon on the nose. Quite jammy with a lemony edge, lithe tannins, juicy and simple but easy to drink and enjoy. (TC)
Drink
2010
–
2012
Cask sample. Mineral scented. Polished. Rather Bordelais structure though! A little bit inky. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2017
£126 ib BBR
Cask sample. 2006 was his first vintage here. Transparent crimson. Meaty, appetising nose. Lots of sweetness and chew. Dense and a little bit drying on the finish. Merlin’s Beaujolais are a little more severe/serious than most. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2020
£159 ib BBR
Dom Métrat 2009 Chiroubles
16.5 +
Pale crimson. Bone dry and very nervy and electric. Lots of ripeness here but it’s clearly one of the more fragile crus too. Dry on the finish for the moment. I’d wait awhile for this. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2012
–
2016
£14.50 per bottle, or £13.05 by the case BBR
Cask sample. Relatively light nose. Lots of acidity. Penetrating and silky textured. Straightforward but a bit stolid. (JR)
Drink
2011
–
2014
£105 ib BBR
Deep crimson. Very lively and fresh and mineral. Great balance – quite a sweet start but good fresh acidity afterwards. Absolute purists might find this a little too sweet for their taste but it would make a lovely friendly introduction to the uninitiated. Light tannins on the finish. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2012
£12.95 per bottle, or £11.65 by the case BBR
Floral, as scented as a garden in the early morning... dew on petals. Delicate and yet sharply delineated and intense. Shimmering. Raspberry and nectarine. So so pretty. (TC)
Drink
2010
–
2013
Boisset
Scented, a bouquet of peonies, and underneath redcurrant and cherry. The palate is a bit of a jolt in contrast with fairly strident acidity and sharp burlesque-like red fruit like a slash of lipstick. Certainly not dull, but a bit of a painted hussy. (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2011
£9.79 Berkmann Wine Cellars
Strawberries and tangy redcurrant. Very very smooth finely wrought tannins with lemon peel and sorrel crimping the edges of the juicy middle. A lovely finish. (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2014
Boisset
Pellerin 2009 Morgon
15.5
Sweeties, cherry candy nose. Almost plummy in the mouth, it bounces oddly between confected and serious. A bit messy on the finish. Maybe it just needs to settle down? (TC)
Drink
2011
–
2014
Boisset
Dark crimson. Lightly smoky nose, even a suggestion of bacon fat. Sweet start. Then some chew. Solid and workmanlike. Rather chunky tannins. (JR)
Drink
2011
–
2015
46-year-old very densely planted vines. Dark crimson. Already quite integrated, developed nose. Very concentrated and ambitious. Still with lots of acid and fine tannins. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2016
Berry fruit gums and grapetizer aromas, verging on caricature. But all parody drops away on the palate with the first ever-so-gentle tug of tannins, a hint of spice – cinnamon – with an attractively bitter chicory-leaf streak. Pretty good in a quirky way. (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2011
£8.99 Le Bon Vin
Liquorice all-sorts aroma. Very minerally, charcoal overlay and chewy/twiggy tannins with a great goosebumpy spine of zest. Such vitality here! Charcoal dust sprinkled over sweet-sour sloe berries and wild brambly red fruit. (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2014
€6.75 n/a UK
Cask sample. Unusually modern label for Beaujolais. Light and lively and very flirtatious indeed. Lovely stuff. A little bit of Juliénas graininess too. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2016
£15.50 per bottle, or £13.95 by the case BBR
Simple but straight, honest, dancing fruit. No specious confectionery. Fresh and grippy. GV (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2013
€3.50 n/a UK
Liqueur and then the aroma of damp clay, dill and blackberries. Very herbal on the palate. Green – parsley and dill – and sharply lined. Dusty, ashy tannin. OK, but I'd love to find more juicy fruit in here. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2012
£11.99 Averys Wine Merchants
Mid crimson. Light vital rather smoky nose. Very beguiling and open. Super juicy with some lightly chewy tannins but this is developed enough to enjoy already. Practically given away! (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2013
£8.95 per bottle or £107.40 per case Hicks & Don
Lots of refreshing, mouthwatering acidity on the nose. Silky texture. Utterly soothing even if not desperately stimulating. Clearly the work of an honest farmer somehow. I see this is a third-generation grower in La Chapelle de Guinchay. Lots of verve. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2013
£10.75 Stone, Vine & Sun
Lightish ruby. Introvert and minerally then very sweet. I don't really like this very much. Not enough refreshing acidity. Lots of chewy minerals on the finish. A very strong statement. But the statement is not communicating to me. Though it is certainly distinctive. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2011
–
2016
£14.50 Stone, Vine & Sun
Even this humble wine is deeper coloured than usual in 2009. Very light nose. Just sort of off-dry fresh fruit with quite a bit of acidity. Not really very strongly Gamay though clean and brisk. Not bad value. I'm sure there are worse AC Beaujolais than this... (JR)
12%
Drink
2010
Marks & Spencer
Cask sample. Healthy crimson. This wine has withstood the sulphur-free journey better than the straight Beaujolais and suggests there really is something worth paying for here. Slightly candied note though. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2016
£129 ib BBR
Cask sample. Light crimson. No sulphur so it has deteriorated unfortunately. Difficult to score. (JR)
Drink
0
£14.95 per bottle, or £13.45 by the case BBR
Soft and sweet on the nose with mineral, almost slatey notes on the palate entry. Very tangy but some lovely pomegranate fruit over smooth soft tannins. Very, very drinkable. Surprising length and breadth for a simple Beaujolais. GV (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2011
€5.50 ex cellar
Light crimson. Light minerally nose. Firm and sinewy. Really quite serious for a basic bottling. Bone dry on the finish. Wait a little while. (JR)
12%
Drink
2011
–
2014
Boredaux Index, Savage Selection
Mid crimson. Meaty, alluring nose with lots of chew. Crunchy, very pure fruit. Very linear style. Needs to put a little flesh on but its impressively sincere. (JR)
12%
Drink
2012
–
2015
Boredaux Index, Savage Selection
Vibrant crimson. Succulent. Polished, very seductive. Lovely slightly inky fruit. Masses of energy and race. Very fine with a dry finish. (JR)
12%
Drink
2010
–
2013
Boredaux Index, Savage Selection
Mid crimson. Scented, succulent fruit. Lovely polished fruit on the front palate that opened out into a lush, flattering drink with such a lot of ripeness that the considerable tannins are almost completely disguised. Very impressive. The label says that decanting is recommended. I left the bottle open overnight to highly advantageous effect. (JR)
12%
Drink
2010
–
2015
Boredaux Index, Savage Selection
Mid crimson. Very fragrant. Then substantial. Much chewier than the Morgon. Tastes much stronger than 12%, and set for the very long term. Ambitious wine that is light years from conventional mass-market Beaujolais. NB suggested drink dates. (JR)
12%
Drink
2012
–
2018
Bordeaux Index, Savage Selection
Lovely depth and savour and pull. Raspberry notes overlaid with coriander spice and turmeric. Very complete. (TC)
12.7%
Drink
2010
–
2014
€5.50 n/a UK
Cherry candy, cinnamon and liqueur. Very, very spicy – even a red chili note – and a real meatiness. Something warming about this. A belly of red fruit and a lovely cheekiness. (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2014
Enotria
A blend. Very lively and slightly earthy in a good way. Lots of terroir on the nose. Silky and grunty. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2012
–
2016
£14.95 per bottle, or £13.45 by the case BBR
The home vineyard. More juice than the Sept Vignes. Round at the start but then lots of acidity. Real finesse. But not necessarily that much better than the blend, methinks. (JR)
13.5%
Drink
2012
–
2017
£15.50 per bottle, or £13.95 by the case BBR
Smells a bit stagnant. Metallic and not very approachable. There is a hint of rounded ripe fruit but it's difficult to get past the stalky tannins. (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2012
£11 Thorman Hunt
Dark crimson. Fairly light and soft for a Juliénas (though it firms up a little on the finish) but there is no shortage of charm and fruit. Real vibration on the palate. Hint of liquorice. Really very attractive now. Good value. (JR)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2014
£9.50 The Wine Society
Darkish crimson. Less open than La Reserve bottling but equally dry and uncompromising. Fleurie but not as you know it. More like a Morgon in fact in its ambition. Almost austere, which is not a word frequently found in a Beaujolais tasting note but certainly distinctive... (JR)
13%
Drink
2012
–
2016
Now that the Ch de Poncié belongs to Henriot, it has been renamed Villa Ponciago – not a name that works well in the UK where the word poncey has negative connotations. Dark crimson. But it's firm and has good attack on the nose. Very confident winemaking. Attractively dry on the finish. This is Fleurie made for the long term. Well done! Real sap and structure to this wine. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2015
Quite dark crimson. Relatively firm and youthful though with explosively ripe fruit, even a slight hint of molasses. Sturdy stuff. This one should run and run. (JR)
13%
Drink
2012
–
2017
£11.95 Stone, Vine & Sun
Mid crimson. Rather more complex nose than most – not so obviously Beaujolais on the nose. Lots of taffeta stuffing and just a hint of ink. Much more than simple fruit – quite a bit of texture here. Wait a year or so to take maximum advantage of this juicy wine. (JR)
13%
Drink
2011
–
2016
£10.75 Stone, Vine & Sun
Smells like Turkish Delight and sweeties melting in the hot sun. Bright and juicy and sour, speckled with dustiness. Smooth clay-textured tannins – light fingered, but definitely encircling the fruit. (TC)
13%
Drink
2010
–
2011
Enotria
Nicole Chanrion. Dark crimson. Luscious ripe fruit with real pzazz and life. Lots of richness and intensity. Great value and persistence. So lively! Very fine tannins and real explosive fruit. (JR)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2015
£12.15 per bottle or £145.80 per case Hicks & Don
Another Depagneux wine, this time with The Wine Society's own label on it. Darkish crimson with purple notes. Again, something just a tad industrial on the nose of this – are the wines too heavily filtered, I wonder? Good substance on the palate, the one really crackles and almost fizzes. Should have quite a long life. Lots of interest on the palate here – it's just the nose that lets it down. (JR)
13.5%
Drink
2010
–
2014
£9.50 The Wine Society
WHITE
Quite intense, sharp and sherbet-dabbed nose; some white blossom. That same rather etched intensity in the mouth. Lime bonbons and lacy elderflower notes with a lovely sweet-sour tang and a come-out-and-play pull to the finish. (TC)
Drink
2010
–
2011
£14.29 Corking Wines
A Terroirs et Talents property. Glimpses of Chablis on the nose. The front palate is taut and lean with wet-stone minerality and lemon, a hint of oatmeal. Almost austere but tremendous tightly coiled energy and depth, glittering with citrus, softened a little by white blossom. As crisply folded as freshly starched linen. (TC)
12.5%
Drink
2010
–
2013
Full, succulent super-juicy nose with hints of overripe greengages. Lots of flavour here. Still a little chewy on the finish. Bumptious. (JR)
12%
Drink
2011
–
2013
Boredaux Index, Savage Selection
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