Brouilly is the largest and furthest south of the Beaujolais crus. It has a good south eastern exposure, at the bottom of the Saône Valley at an altitude of 200 to 300 metres. The subsoil consists of granite debris and blue-tinged schist. This also ranked the full 5 stars in my abbreviated-for-iPad rating system! Immediately exuberant, with a diverse array of floral notes, theres also some white pepper and crushed cherry notes. Gamay varietal by Dominique Piron.

It is the freshest of the Beaujolais Crus and the Parisian's favourite. Fresh and fruity, light and supple, it has a pleasant aroma of violets. The true wine-lovers drink it young when the Gamay still possesses its entire aroma.

The 2017 is a smoky and juicy dark cherry-and-raspberry-noted wine with sappy freshness and a nice, crunchy finish. "The late Marcel Lapierre once said of Beaujolais, Ça se bois sous la douche. (Its a wine you can drink under the shower). While this captures the simple deliciousness of much Beaujolais, it doesnt do justice to the wines being produced by the finest artisans like Pierre-Marie Chermette. Of the wines of Domaine du Vissoux we would be more likely to say, Il est trop bon pour être bu sous la douche! Its too damn good to be drunk in the shower! Beaujolais can be the most joyful, compelling and life-affirming of wines. Yet in the hands of a master it can also be a wonderfully refined, long-lived Burgundy. Domaine du Vissoux is a producer capable of fashioning such wines. This is why their wines can be found in many of Frances finest restaurants and why Vissoux remains the highest-rated Beaujolais producer in the leading French wine guide, Les Meilleurs Vins de France. Owners Pierre-Marie and Martine Chermette were among the first in Beaujolais to use sustainable agricultural practices, shunning the use of any chemicals in the vineyard and encouraging as much life in the soil as possible. They prune hard to keep yields low, harvest by hand when the grapes are fully ripe and regularly carry out green harvests to further reduce the yields and ensure full ripeness for the harvest. The wines are made with minimal intervention: wild yeasts, minimal sulphur additions and no filtering if possible. Ageing is in traditional up-to-the-ceiling, neutral oak casks."

Expressive note of red fruit. Elegant in the mouth and well structured. Serve with poultry , roast meats and soft cheeses. Best served between 12 - 14° C.

Domaine Dubost is a fourth generation estate and has been managed by the hands of Jean-Paul Dubost since he took over from his father in 1993. They farm approximately 19 hectares, nine of which are from the village appellation. The rest of the land is split between Brouilly, Moulin à Vent, Morgon, and a little in Regnié. He has been transitioning to biodynamics since 2005 and ferments all of the wines with natural yeasts. The crus are made without sulphur or other additions. Jean-Paul Dubost Beaujolais-Lantignié Récolte is a red natural wine made from 100% Gamay grapes from the Beaujolais Village appellation called Beaujolais-Lantignié. Sustainable farming, low-intervention in the cellar.

Black cherry and bright raspberry with a hit of heady, whole peppercorn spice, touch of cola and lovely burst of five spice that drives the inviting nose home. Super crunchy, raspberry fruit layered in with fine slippery tannins. Bursting with red fruit flavour, bright and bouncy. It's fine and tight with a lovely core of fruit that feels light and airy and at once concentrated and precise in its delivery. A fine Villages. BEAUNE & BEYOND.

A more serious wine from the Southern Rhone. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault roots grow in reddish, brown soils through limestone and reach deep, deep down. Vinification is traditional in concrete vats with daily pumping over, followed with ageing for six months in old large foudre, then bottled without fining and no filtration. The resulting wine is a triumph and a jewel in the crown for the Rhone.

This is one of the gems produced by cult winemaker Elian Da Ros, who learned the art of winemaking at the prestigious Domaine Zind Humbrecht in Alsace before taking over the family vineyard. This luscious red is a blend of half Cabernet Franc, with the rest a split between Merlot and Syrah and matured for 18 months in old oak. Drink young for the sheer enjoyment.

This is a vibrantly aromatic and juicy, red fruited wine, with energy and a refreshing, tangy backbone. The long, spicy finish has plenty to keep you engaged.