During vinification, instead of punchdowns and pumpovers, the Geoffray family favors a unique low-intervention method called grillage: a grille, or wooden grate, is used to keep the grape skins, seeds, and stems submerged during fermentation. Grapes remain whole for longer, allowing the pure, fruit-forward qualities of their organically grown Gamay to prevail. The 2021 vintage proved an elegant one for Thivin’s Brouilly, with all the suppleness and tonicity you’d expect from this storied estate. The purity of fruit and mineral precision, even in a challenging vintage like 2021, is an unmatched testament to their mastery.

“Les Moriers” is an exceptional vineyard in the cru of Fleurie; not only is it steep and stony, with a granite core, but a portion of it reaches into Moulin-à-Vent, a cru known for its structural depth and Rhône-like aromatics. Fleurie, by contrast, is thought to be more delicate, pretty and floral, as its name suggests. In Chignard’s “Les Moriers” we have elements of both crus coming together as one, resulting in a harmonious balance of heft and gravitas, laced with violet and a fresh-cut, blossoming bouquet. If there were only one Beaujolais to call “versatile,” this would be it.

In 2017, with Guy Breton’s first bottling of Chiroubles, he introduced us to a new cru from the region among his already diverse and illustrious repertoire. With each passing year, his Chiroubles continues to stand out. The 2021 vintage is the most transparent I’ve seen, rosy and sheer, both peppery and bright on the palate. Named “Cuvée Léa” after his granddaughter, it hails from a higher-altitude parcel with seventy-year-old vines that are naturally low-yielding. Breton prefers long, cold macerations for his organic grapes, and the results are both stylish and genre-defining. In the natural wine world of “ethereal” Gamays, this one is flawless and buoyant, yet intensely perfumed.