When we talk about wines from the Beaujolais, we often refer to the region’s reds as ambrosial nectars full of hedonistic, generous, and convivial qualities that mirror many of their makers’ own personalities. And while it may be true that these Beaujolais tend to be among the most joyous bottles you’ll taste, behind their cheerful beauty you’ll also find profoundly creative and painstaking vignerons who are not only continuing to refine their reds to become more delicious every year, but are also delving into rosé and blanc with great success.
     The striking diversity of the region’s wines came into focus for me on a recent visit. During our first stop, chez Nicole Chanrion and her son Romain, Romain pointed to a few rows of Gamay vines on the lower slopes of Mont Brouilly beneath the domaine that lie just outside the limits of the Côte-de-Brouilly appellation. Rather than make a declassified rouge, an ingenious idea occurred to Romain: he and Nicole would fashion a white wine from Gamay—a blanc de noirs—that would offer a different take on the Mont Brouilly’s trademark minerality. The resulting wine is crisp and refreshing, and a perfect match for fresh seafood, your favorite chèvre, or a sunset apéritif.
     Further south in Villié-Morgon, we spent apéro hour with the current generation of Gang of Four vignerons, tasting the lithe and luminous reds of Guy Breton first. Like his friends, Guy might appear laid back, but he is an unrelenting worker, often spending late nights and early mornings in the vines and cellar to make sure harvest, fermentation, and the élevage proceed flawlessly. This rigorous approach pays off, resulting in an old-vine Morgon that is utterly enchanting—it’s as if someone challenged him to take the cooler, high-altitude terroir of Morgon and make a red as ethereal, silky, and elegant as possible. He’s certainly nailed the challenge, especially in the superb 2021 vintage.
     Showcasing the best terroirs, complexities, curiosities, and flat-out deliciousness of the Beaujolais, all six wines in this sampler demonstrate what makes the region so irresistible and a perennial KLWM favorite.