The People’s Beaujolais
by Jane Augustine
Avec toutes mes amitiés Beaujolaises, “with all my Beaujolais friendship,” is how Ghislaine Dupeuble signs her emails. That detail succinctly summarizes her warmth and the essence of her family’s wines, which exude just what her signature suggests. Domaine Dupeuble is our most southern Beaujolais producer, situated in the hamlet of Le Breuil, just northwest of the food capital of Lyon. This part of the region boasts such dramatic landscapes and striking terroir that just a few years ago UNESCO declared the area a Geopark—worthy of protection for its spectacular geology. Here, Gamay grows on granite, schist, and pierres dorées, golden limestone that offers a privileged terrain for grapevines to dig deep in a way that’s wildly different from plantings in the sandier soil surrounding Villié-Morgon.
The 2023 vintage in Beaujolais gave us one of the most bountiful years of late, with an abundance of bright plump fruit. Dupeuble’s rouge is thirst-quenching and tangy with loads of violet and réglisse, aromas you might expect from fruit that grows so close to the Rhône. Enjoy it with anything from grilled sausages to homemade pizzas, herby rice and beans, or late-summer tomato salads. One glass of this simply made and easy-drinking Beaujolais will provide centuries’ worth of tradition, generosity, paysan culture, and friendship.
2023 Beaujolais
France | Beaujolais
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