Beaujolais is on the comeback thanks to great family domaines like this one. Maison Dominique Piron was founded during the reign of Louis XIII and today has 95 hectares of vines throughout Beaujolais’ finest villages, a third of them in Morgon. Dominique Piron is the 14th generation of the family to be in charge and he has joined forces with a long-standing friend, Julien Revillon. Together they have a vision to produce Beaujolais as fine and luscious as any Grand Cru Burgundy. They go to great lengths to achieve this, in the vineyard and in the cellar. Taste this silky, ripe, fruit laden Beaujolais Villages. Packed with juicy flavour and a suppleness rarely found in other reds, it’s a sublime picnic wine, perfect with pâtés and chicken.

Chateau Peymouton is a part of the famed Chateau Laroque, situated about 3.5km east of the medieval town of Saint Emilion. When 27 hectares of Chateau Laroque was elevated to Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé status in 1996, the remaining 31 hectares on the property was designated as Chateau Peymounton - a new Saint Emilion Grand Cru. The Chateau Peymouton parcels are situated on the higher part of the property's plateau, where the soil is composed of fine clay over a limestone base. The wine is made by the same team as Chateau Laroque with the same attention to detail. A blend of 72% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an average vine age of 38 years. Deep dark crimson red, with complex aromatics of blue fruit, cigar box, and hints of violets. Very rich and powerful on the palate, with plush, dense, velvety tannins. A complex, richly flavoured Saint Emilion reflecting its Grand Cru status and the warm vintage.

The Guigal family owns vineyards in prime locations throughout the Appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage and Saint-Joseph from where their iconic wines are produced. The Guigal cellars are located in the centre of the town of Ampuis, on the right bank of the Rhône River, about 40 km south of Lyon. The Côtes du Rhône region stretches 200 km from Vienne in the north to Avignon in the south. Côtes-du-Rhône is the workhorse red of the southern Rhône Valley and is blended from up to 13 grape varieties, but usually leans heavily on grenache and syrah (Shiraz). Deep, bright, garnet-red in colour, it is a fresh, crisp wine with small soft fruit and spices. A full-bodied, elegant wine, with mellow tannins, warmth and aromatic intensity.

Yannick Amirault inherited five hectares from his father in 1982 and has since transformed the domaine to one reputable of Bourgueil. The fruit for this Cabernet Franc is sourced from the La Coudraye vineyard situated within the appellation of the famous Loire Valley. The wine has typically great depth, freshness and powerful fruit characteristics. Will reward will medium to long term cellaring.

Gamay is the extremely attractive grape that makes France’s Beaujolais so very appealing. You don't often see it in Australia but when you do you wonder why. Chris Coulter practices minimum intervention with his Coulter Wines enterprise, sourcing grapes mainly from the Adelaide Hills. This is “… charming and inviting on the nose with raspberry, sweet strawberry, floral and subtle spice aromas, leading to a silky-smooth palate offering youthful fruit flavours with silky texture and fine-grained tannins, making it delightfully drinkable.” (Sam Kim Wine Orbit). “… simply a delicious lightweight fresh red, a perfect summer drink. Gentle, supple texture, the wine has crisp acidity and a lingering persistence… a first-class Gamay and will provide pleasure for the next several years.” (Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot).

JEAN-PAUL BRUN Terres Dorees Cote De Brouilly, Beaujolais