Domaine Piron et Lafont, Chenas (Beaujolais, France) Quartz 2006

($18, Michael Skurnick): Chenas is one of the 10 villages in Beaujolais whose wines are distinctive and are allowed to carry the village name—instead of the more generic Beaujolais-Villages—on the label.  The name, Quartz, comes from a vein of quartz running through the vineyard and is responsible for the wine’s earthy minerality, which acts as a lovely complement to its red cherry fruit-like flavors.  There’s more substance here than with a Beaujolais-Villages, and fine tannins reinforce the message that this is serious wine. 88 Michael Apstein Feb 2, 2010