($38, Wilson Daniels): Technically from Beaujolais, the wines from Moulin-à-Vent stand apart and have more in common with the rest of Burgundy because of the granitic soil of the appellation.  This is a broad shouldered robust Moulin-à-Vent, reflective of the warmth and ideal growing conditions of the vintage.  … Read more

($38, Wilson Daniels): Similar to their 2009, Château du Moulin-À-Vent’s 2010 Moulin-à-Vent reflects the vintage’s cooler growing season.   Fresher and more lively than their 2009, the 2010 has an uplifting sour cherry-like finish that begs for another sip.  Still with the granitic edge and firm — not hard — tannins expected from top-notch Moulin-à-Vent, it’s more linear and less opulent compared to the 2009. … Read more

($28, Wilson Daniels): Ever since the Parinet family purchased this iconic property in 2009, they have been making marvelous wine.  They focus solely on wine from Moulin-à-Vent, one of the top crus of Beaujolais.  Moulin-à-Vent is home to well-structured rich wines that often need years of bottle age — these wines are as far away from insipidly fruity Beaujolais-Nouveau as you can get. … Read more

($100, Wilson Daniels): Yes, you read the price correctly — $100 for a bottle of Beaujolais.  But to associate this wine with conventional image of Beaujolais — a fruity easy-to-drink wine — would be a terrible mistake.  The wines from Moulin-à-Vent, though a village in the Beaujolais region, rightly stand apart from that region and carry their own appellation. … Read more

($18, Louis Dressner Selections): Brun’s Beaujolais, bottled under the Terres Dorées label, redefine that appellation.  The vast majority of Beaujolais — I’m not speaking of Beaujolais-Village and certainly not the cru — are nothing more than alcoholic grape juice.  But Brun’s is real wine filled with satisfying mix of fruitiness and herbal/spicy elements. … Read more

($15, Frederick Wildman & Sons): The yields in Beaujolais in 2012, were, like everywhere else in Burgundy, down dramatically.  Stéphane estimates that the average yield in 2012 for Beaujolais in general was about 27 hl/ha, or half normal, which is both good and bad. … Read more

($12, Frederick Wildman & Sons):  J. J. Vincent is best known for their consistently excellent Pouilly Fuissé from their domaine, the Chateau de Fuissé.  This Beaujolais-Villages, however, comes from the négociant side of their company, from vines located within the village of Juliénas, but not within that cru’s appellation.  … Read more

($19, Frederick Wildman):  I love the range of Potel-Aviron’s 2009 Beaujolais.  They are ripe and precise across the board.  This Chénas, perhaps the least well-known Beaujolais cru, has plenty of verve to balance the explosive fruit.  Plumy undertones and a hint of earthiness come together beautifully. … Read more

($19, Frederick Wildman):  Juliénas, one of the ten named cru of Beaujolais, benefitted, like the rest of Burgundy, from the perfect 2009 growing season.  And Potel-Aviron, one of the region’s most consistent producers, produced stunning 2009s.  You can basically choose his 2009s blindfolded. … Read more

($15):  As with the rest of Burgundy, Beaujolais had two great back-to-back vintages in 2009 and 2010.  And, as with the rest of Burgundy, the styles of the two vintages in Beaujolais are very different, making it extremely difficult to choose between the two. … Read more

($16, Frederick Wildman):  Stéphane Aviron describes his 2009 Beaujolais as “sunny wines” because of the warmth of the vintage.  Anyone who thinks that all Beaujolais is just tutti-fruity and jammy should try his wines.  Spiced with a touch of minerality, this 2009 Beaujolais Villages harbors not a hint of overt grapey flavors. … Read more

($18, Frederick Wildman):  The Côte de Brouilly, one of the ten crus of Beaujolais, is known for stylish wines.  And this is one of them.  Firm, but not hard, a classy minerality explodes on the palate.  This is serious stuff. 92 Michael Apstein Mar 27, 2012… Read more

($19, WJ Deutsch):  Duboeuf, often dubbed the King of Beaujolais because he controls so much of the production of that region, was the first négociant to credit the individual grower by putting growers’ names, in addition to his own, on labels. … Read more

($13, W. J. Deutsch and Sons):  Brouilly, the largest of the Beaujolais crus, is known for good, but not terribly concentrated, wines.  This one clearly did read its script and shows why the locals are hailing the 2009 vintage in Beaujolais as one of the best ever. … Read more

($12, Kobrand):  The 2009 vintage is likely the best the Beaujolais region has seen in decades, according to veteran producers there.  It’s no surprise then, that Jadot, a top-notch Beaune-based Burgundy producer who has been investing heavily there since their purchase of Château des Jacques in 1996, made stunning Beaujolais in 2009. … Read more

($18, Louis Dressner Selections): Michel Tête, one of the top Beaujolais producers, uses the name Domaine de Clos du Fief for the vineyards he owns in Juliénas, one of the 10 villages in Beaujolais allowed to carry the village name.  Wines from Juliénas typically display a charming rusticity and true to form, this one combines that engaging quality with an earthy—almost briary—character that melds nicely with the bright red fruit flavors. … Read more

($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.  … Read more

($19, Becky Wasserman Selection):  Julienas is one of the ten crus–best villages–within the Beaujolais region.  This wine’s charmingly rustic character nicely complements and offsets the cherry-like fruitiness.  Mild tannins and bright acidity lend structure without being abrasive.  It’s a perfect “bistro” wine.… Read more

($30): I know, 30 bucks for Beaujolais is a lot of money.  But, this is not your father’s grapey rendition.  Louis Dressner manages to find Beaujolais producers who make distinctive wines.  Those of you skeptical of the genre–that includes Michael Franz, my colleague and editor at WRO–really ought to try wines like this one. … Read more

($30, Louis Dressner Selections): The Clos de la Roilette is a beautifully located 22-acre vineyard in Fleurie, one of the ten crus (named villages) of Beaujolais, adjacent to Moulin-a-Vent.  This, the Cuvée Tardive–not to be confused with a vendange tardive, which would indicate a sweet wine–is a selection from old vines and typically needs more aging time. … Read more

($13, Louis Latour Inc.): The venerable Burgundy négociant, Maison Louis Latour, has just purchased this well-known Beaujolais producer.  Although we can expect a bump up in quality as Latour takes control, this 2007 Fleurie, from one of the 10 named villages in Beaujolais, is already an engaging wine. … Read more

($24, Louis Dressner Selections): The wines from Julienas, one of the 10 named villages–or crus–of Beaujolais typically have an attractive spice and rusticity which makes them one of my favorites from that region.  Michel Tete captures that essential essence–spiced red fruit–in this beautifully balanced wine.… Read more

($30, Louis Dressner Selections): Michel Tete makes serious Beaujolais.  His wines dispel the notion that Beaujolais is simply grapey swill.  He makes this Cuvée Prestige along with a regular bottling from the Domaine du Clos du Fief (also reviewed this week). … Read more

($20, Louis Dressner Selections): Damien Coquelet, only 20 years old, comes from a family–Descombes–whose name is synonymous with superb Beaujolais.  This Chiroubles could be the poster child for the wines of that village.  Very fragrant, with a delicate–almost lacey–minerality, it is not grapey at all. … Read more

($19): Jean-Paul Brun is one of Beaujolais’ treasures because of the consistent quality of the wines he makes.  His crus of Beaujolais (some of them reviewed this week) are stunning, but his ‘simple’ Beaujolais is equally illuminating because it is so different from the all too often sweet and grapey industrial Beaujolais on the market. … Read more

($20, Ex-Cellars): Burrier, proprietor of the high-quality Château de Beauregard in Pouilly-Fuissé, also acts as a small négociant for a few wines from Beaujolais. This terrific wine from Julienas, one of the best crus of Beaujolais, conveys fresh fruity, but not grapey, flavors along with an alluring wildness often characteristic of wines from this village. … Read more

($12, Kobrand): Jadot has made a substantial investment in Beaujolais with their single vineyard wines from their estates in Moulin-a-Vent, Brouilly, Fleurie and Morgon.  Their commitment shows even in this wine, their lowest level Beaujolais.  Sure, it delivers plenty of the berry-like fruitiness, characteristic of wines from the region. … Read more

($17, Dreyfus Ashby): Freshness and brightness are two hallmarks of Beaujolais and this one has them both.  With plenty of fruitiness and a balancing acid edge, I could envision drinking lots of this wine with steak-frites. 87 Michael Apstein Nov 28, 2006… Read more

($15, Louis Dressner Selections): Jean-Paul Brun’s Terres Dorées label is a reliable sign of quality in Beaujolais.  Too many Beaujolais are just grapey and simple.  Not Terres Dorées.  The 2005 l’Ancien Vieilles Vignes has an attractive layer of earthiness, even minerality, that I assume is the result of vieilles vignes (old vines)-to complement its inherent fruitiness. … Read more

($12, Kobrand): Let me get straight to the point. Jadot’s 2005 Beaujolais-Villages is delicious and a great value. Buy it by the case. Forget what you’ve heard about Beaujolais being thin, watery stuff. This is the kind of Beaujolais that brought the world’s attention to that region.… Read more

($11, WJ Deutsch): Full, fresh and fruity, just as Beaujolais Nouveau should be. The concentration and extract make this year’s version very appealing and, hopefully, bodes well for 2005 Burgundy in general. 86 Michael Apstein Jan 3, 2006… Read more