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2013 Régnié
Guy BretonRégnié is the least known of the Beaujolais grand crus, and I wonder why it was recognized as grand cru only recently. Certain examples match the stature of the finest Morgons and Moulin-à-Vents.
Breton makes Morgon, too, and it is more dense and tannic. His Régnié tastes low in alcohol, and it is; it is surprisingly penetrating on the palate. I mean it sinks in and continues to release its lovely perfume on the palate.
—Kermit Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2013 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Régnié |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Guy Breton |
Winemaker: | Guy Breton |
Vineyard: | 50% 100 years, 50% 35 years, 1 ha |
Soil: | Granite, Sand |
Aging: | Wines are aged on fine lees in Burgundian barrels |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes”
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Leave it to Breton to take summer heat and turn it into a light summer breeze in a glass.
2022 Régnié
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Savor it while you can, because your glass will be empty before you know it, leaving you only with the spicy, mineral-laden aftertaste of a bottle that went down way too easily.
2022 Côte de Brouilly
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A relatively new addition to Guy Breton’s Beaujolais lineup, this exuberant Côte de Brouilly is flat-out delicious.
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October Club Rouge ~ Leave it to Breton to take summer heat and turn it into a light summer breeze in a glass.
2023 Moulin-à-Vent “Vieilles Vignes”
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Moulin-à-Vent has a unique, earthy, chewy edge to it that you just can’t find anywhere else.
2021 Côte de Brouilly
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A relatively new addition to Guy Breton’s Beaujolais lineup, this exuberant Côte de Brouilly is flat-out delicious.
2022 Fleurie
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An opulent, mouth-filling expression of granitic terroir, this bottling has the delicate floral nuances and fine-grained tannin that differentiates Fleurie from the other crus.
2022 Beaujolais-Villages
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Silky and seductive, with notes of rose petals, red berries, and stones.
2022 Régnié “En Voiture Simone”
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The high-toned nose suggests an absolutely electric wine, full of delicate florals and tart berries, and the juice hits the palate like a dreamy cloud of Gamay.
2022 Chiroubles “Cuvée Léa”
France | Beaujolais
Floral and succulent, bursting with notes of little red berries, but it is also delicate and light on its feet.
About The Producer
Guy Breton
About The Region
Beaujolais
After years of the region’s reputation being co-opted by mass-produced Beaujolais Nouveau and the prevalence of industrial farming, the fortunes of vignerons from the Beaujolais have been on the rise in the past couple of decades. Much of this change is due to Jules Chauvet, a prominent Beaujolais producer who Kermit worked with in the 1980s and arguably the father of the natural wine movement, who advocated not using herbicides or pesticides in vineyards, not chaptalizing, fermenting with ambient yeasts, and vinifying without SO2. Chief among Chauvet’s followers was Marcel Lapierre and his three friends, Jean Foillard, Guy Breton, and Jean-Paul Thévenet—a group of Morgon producers who Kermit dubbed “the Gang of Four.” The espousal of Chauvet’s methods led to a dramatic change in quality of wines from Beaujolais and with that an increased interest and appreciation for the AOC crus, Villages, and regular Beaujolais bottlings.
The crus of Beaujolais are interpreted through the Gamay grape and each illuminate the variety of great terroirs available in the region. Distinguishing itself from the clay and limestone of Burgundy, Beaujolais soils are predominantly decomposed granite, with pockets of blue volcanic rock. The primary vinification method is carbonic maceration, where grapes are not crushed, but instead whole clusters are placed in a tank, thus allowing fermentation to take place inside each grape berry.
Much like the easy-going and friendly nature of many Beaujolais vignerons, the wines too have a lively and easy-drinking spirit. They are versatile at table but make particularly good matches with the local pork sausages and charcuterie. Though often considered a wine that must be drunk young, many of the top crus offer great aging potential.
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2020 Brouilly
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2022 Chiroubles “Cuvée Léa”
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2022 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes”
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2022 Beaujolais Blanc “Clos de Rochebonne”
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2020 Brouilly
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2022 Régnié “En Voiture Simone”
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais
2023 Morgon
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2022 Côte-de-Brouilly
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2022 Beaujolais-Villages
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais
2021 Beaujolais-Villages
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2022 Brouilly “Reverdon”
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2023 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch