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Beaujolais from Caves de Pyrene

There seems to be a long overdue buzz all about Beaujolais at the moment, aided by word of another superlative vintage in 2009, which is of course good news for this long-neglected wine region of France. Shunned by those who concern themselves with the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays found just a little to the north (too many Burgundy wine guides seem to end their vinous explorations with the Mâconnais), and not even entering the collective consciousness of hardened Rhône drinkers (even though, from a political and administrative viewpoint at least, this is where the region belongs), and with a reputation sullied by the sadly ostentatious exuberance of the Nouveau phenomenon, it is perhaps no wonder that few people pay the region and its wines too much attention these days.

And yet to ignore this region is, I am convinced, to deny ourselves a multitude of vinous pleasures. A visit to the region, many years ago now, opened my eyes to the beautiful, fragranced purity of Fleurie and the dense, perfumed and indeed ageworthy wines from Morgon in particular. Fortunately there have always been some domaines where individuals have striven for concentration, balance and quality rather than focusing on short-term marketing gimmicks to sell their wines. And amongst these domaines there are emerging some iconic growers who, like their counterparts in the Loire, are working at the very boundaries of appellation regulations, using very natural methods, organic and in some cases biodynamic viticulture. The wines they turn out have a knack of reflecting their terroir and show characteristics that are very distant from the fruity confections of Beaujolais Nouveau which were too often endowed with wacky flavours owing more to the yeast with which they were inoculated than to their origins.

There are many such growers but two featured here, in this duo from popular 'natural wine' merchant Caves de Pyrene, are Jean-Claude Lapalu and Jean Foillard. Lapalu only started up in the mid-1990s but he has quickly established a sterling reputation, the quality coming through lowering yields, introducing lutte raisonnée and eschewing cultured yeasts, chaptalisation and sulphur. He has 12 hectares altogether, and the cuvée featured here, La Croix des Rameaux, is from Brouilly, the southernmost of all the Beaujolais crus. Jean Foillard, meanwhile, is the man behind one of the region's most iconic domaines; although somewhat longer in the tooth than Lapalu, having started work on the family domaine in the early-1980s, there are certain similarities between the two estates, in winemaking philosophy in particular. Foillard is a disciple of natural wine guru Jules Chauvet and like Lapalu he eschews the use of cultured yeasts and uses no sulphur, aiming all the time to maximise the expression of terroir in the wines. His Côte de Py cuvée hails from Morgon, just north of Brouilly, an appellation with a reputation for wines that can age well; Foillard himself recommends drinking it for ten years after the vintage, I would be surprised if it did not drink for much longer than that.

Both the wines tasted here were deliciously drinkable, although I preferred the combined vibrancy, purity and grip of Lapalu's La Croix des Rameaux to the savoury-sappy style of Foillard's Côte de Py on this tasting, although either could easily win a place in my cellar. I look forward to tasting them again in the 2008 and 2009 vintages, especially - judging by the building chatter about the quality - in the latter of these two. (2/9/10)

Beaujolais from Caves de Pyrene - Tasting Notes

Tasted in August 2010. Click for stockists:

Jean-Claude Lapalu Brouilly La Croix des Rameaux 2007: A vibrant red-black hue here, and a nose which opens out within an hour or two to reveal the aromas of chalky blackberries, beautifully vibrant and pure, with a fresh and slightly leafy note. A lovely, cool and fresh style on the palate, sappy and with well defined juicy fruit, full of cherry and blackberry style. This wine has a fine texture, savoury and dry. Through the middle it has a fine, firmly composed structure, which spirals down into a pure drop of fruit at the very end. In the finish, a little flourish of tannins gives some grip. A really impressive, finely defined wine. 17+/20

Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2007: A bottle finished off with a wax capsule. Very slight matt appearance to the wine, but still a vibrant colour, dark but very rich in hue right out to the rim. The nose offers notes of vibrant raspberry, cherry stone and raspberry leaf, alongside little notes of game, and darker elements too, liquorice and dark plum skin. A very fresh, savoury and sappy style on the palate, with crunchy and aromatic fruit tinged with violets. Lightly earthy, savoury and faintly spicy, rounded off with a light grip in the finish. Overall this has some nicely concentrated fruit cast against the stony brightness of the structure. 16+/20