Beaujolais is the source of plenty of uninteresting wines. Fully a third of the region’s production is the Beaujolais Nouveau, a cheap insipid red rushed to market a month after harvest. But the rest of the region contains many highly undervalued wines, some in the same class of top wines from the north of Burgundy.
No Beaujolais source has more impressed us than Laurent Perrachon. From meticulously cultivated old vines and careful use of oak, Perrachon creates remarkably delicious and refined red Burgundies. We’re not the only ones to notice; the domaine is among the only Beaujolais producers reviewed (and praised) by both Josh Raynolds (Vinous) and Allen Meadows (Burghound).
These are honest, complex, delicious red Burgundies; they just happen to be made from Gamay.
Perrachon’s 2018 Juliénas “Vignes Centenaires” is a startlingly good value. It’s pure Gamay, dense and inky, drawing from vines planted over a century ago. Perfectly extracted and carefully aged in oak barrels, this wine shows a beautifully dark, brooding nose of anise and blackberries. The tannins are juicy and silky and bursting with fruit; look for dark chocolate and raspberry jam in the mouth.
This has more stuffing and character than many $30 Pinots you’d find from an hour north. The 2018 vintage produced an abundance of very ripe fruit, and this wine bursts with flavor and texture. The tannins are present, but not nearly as young as we’d expected: a perfect autumn red. At under $5/glass, this is a perfect match for your Thanksgiving table — though we caution a case may not last you til November.
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Perrachon Juliénas “Centenaires” 2018
bottle price: $24
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