($60, Misa Imports):  The team of Philippe Pascal and Guillaume Marko have set the standard for Givry with their graceful wines from Domaine du Celliers aux Moines by focusing on specific parcels within the vineyard, matching the viticulture and the winemaking to the parcel, what the French call sélection parcellaire.  With their new domaine, Mont Bessay, they are doing the same thing in Juliénas and are already producing stunning wines there.  In addition, they are raising the profile of Juliénas, a less well recognized Beaujolais cru that has typically taken a back seat to Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie, and Morgon.  Pascal, a former top LVMH executive and Marko, a winemaker who focuses of organic and biodynamic farming, founded Mont Bassey in 2021, so the 2022s are just their second vintage.  Moreover, they made these wines in a rented garage that lacked temperature control, making them all the more impressive.  The En Bassey bottling, a blend from plots around the newly constructed modern winery, seamlessly combines bright red cherry-like nuances, an attractive earthiness, and spice.  In general, wines from Juliénas are not known for elegance, but elegance is front and center and highlights the stature of their En Bessay bottling.  Despite its structure, this lively mid-weight wine dances on the palate.  It is a delight to drink this very expressive wine now.
93 Michael Apstein Aug 27, 2024