Simple “Beaujolais” does not justify this new cuvée by sibling duo Mathieu and Camille Lapierre. It tastes more like top-class Morgon, with loads of bright cherry and silky violets, only it’s made from parcels just beyond the Morgon AOC boundaries. A testament to the greatness of whole-cluster Gamay from sandy granitic soils, it is a more affordable—and available—opportunity to experience the magic that makes Lapierre an iconic producer not just in Beaujolais, but in all of wine.

After an internship with the Lapierres just up the street, a teenaged Charly Thévenet convinced his father, Jean Paul, to abandon herbicides and start plowing his vineyards. More than twenty years later, Charly continues to carry the family domaine forward, honing farming and winemaking to produce cru Beaujolais that is purer and more delicious with each passing vintage. His Régnié has always had an intensity and concentration from ninety-year-old vines planted directly into granite bedrock, but in 2021 it is also lithe, juicy, and dangerously thirst-quenching. A change to all-tank aging, lower sulfur, plus a Beaujolais vintage for the ages has resulted in one of his finest releases to date.

If you’re familiar with the Geoffray family’s Côte de Brouilly, a mainstay of our portfolio for thirty years now, you know it’s consistently among the region’s most classy, terroir-driven, age-worthy releases. This rare cuvée, named after the Geoffray ancestor who purchased the château back in 1877, represents a selection from ancient vines in two of Thivin’s best vineyards. Raised in Burgundy barrels rather than foudres, it delivers extraordinary power and breadth that make it an ideal candidate for cellaring. The deep complexity of mature bottles matches that of much fancier Burgundy, but with a joyous freshness you can only get in top Beaujolais.