On a hot summer day our choice of wine is usually white (Chablis/Muscadet) or rosé. But sometimes the moment or meal calls for a red, and we like to be well prepared. Reds served cool have become popular in recent years, but it has to be the right red.
Beaujolais provides an excellent example. Much of our Beaujolais portfolio has gotten more serious (and way more impressive) in recent years – Dupré-Goujon and Fred Berne are making gamays as impressive as many pinots from the north (see our current July Futures). But today’s cuvée is less serious and just as fun.
Many readers will know Pierre Vessigaud for his extraordinary white Burgundies from the Maconnais. But it turns out their lone red – a cru Beaujolais – is just as tasty. It’s from St-Amour, the northernmost Beaujolais Cru that lies at the border between the Maconnais and Beaujolais. The nose is crisp, fruit forward, and very clean – look for notes of redcurrant and honeysuckle. The mouth is mid/low tannin, with delicate acidity and a clean fresh finish.
It’s dying to be paired with a burger off the grill or a summer corn salad. Take it to your neighborhood barbecue and you’ll be the first ones invited back.
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Vessigaud St-Amour 2024
bottle price: $28
