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BUYINGGUIDE
that Chi roubles produces some of the coolest Beaujolais
cru wines. This is fruity with a tang of acidity
and a mineral texture that is enhanced by a crisp
character. The wine has light tannins and a final
juicy finish. Fruit of the Vines, Inc. —R.V.
abv: 13% Price: $18
89
Domaine des Marrans 2015 Vieilles Vignes
(Chiroubles). This is a fruity wine, full of
red-cherry flavors. They are framed by the firmer
texture and tannins that give the wine its character.
The wine is delicious and crisp with a lively aftertaste.
Drink now. Langdon Shiverick. —R.V.
abv: 12.5% Price: $24
89
Georges Duboeuf 2015 Domaine des Pontheux
(Chiroubles). Georges Duboeuf follows
this cru estate, owned by the Meziat family, and
produces the wine. It is a ripe wine, shot through
with young, juicy acidity. There is structure as well
as minerality to give the wine shape. Drink from late
2017. Quintessential Wines. —R.V.
abv: 13.5% Price: $19
88
Château de Javernand 2015 Les Gatilles (Chiroubles).
Named after the little lizards that
come out in the summer, the cru wine is attractive
and fruity. With acidity as well as plenty of red
fruits, it is soft and cool. Drink the wine now. Sierra
Nevada Imports. —R.V.
abv: 13% Price: $22
88
Georges Duboeuf 2015 Flower Label (Chiroubles).
Full of crisp fruit, this cru wine
is bright with red-berry flavors. It is light and with
a cool character that comes from the high altitude
of the vineyards. There is an edgy texture that
keeps the wine together. Drink now. Quintessential
Wines. —R.V.
abv: 13.5% Price: $20
87
Henry Fessy 2015 Chiroubles. A solidly structured
wine with fine tannins and ripe redberry
fruits. The acidity adds a piquancy to the
fruitiness giving the wine a lift. The wine comes
from Henry Fesse vines. Drink from late 2017. Louis
Latour Inc. —R.V.
abv: 13% Price: $18
94
MORGON
Château des Jacques 2015 Morgon. This is
a finely structured wine that will age well.
With black-plum fruits, layers of dark young tannins
and balanced acidity, it is both juicy and full of
great ripe swathes of fruit. From the cru estate that
is owned by Louis Jadot in Beaune, it is impressive
and worth aging. Drink from 2018. Kobrand. —R.V.
abv: 14.5% Price: $28
94
Stéphane Aviron 2014 Côte du Py Vieilles
Vignes (Morgon). The Côte du Py, one of
the best cru vineyard sites in Beaujolais, is on the
slope of a 3,000-foot extinct volcano. It produces
structured wines that can age well. Stéphane Aviron
brought out the quality of Py with a wine that is
powerful, ripe and dense with considerable tannic
structure. It will certainly need to age, so drink from
2019. Frederick Wildman & Sons, Ltd. —R.V.
abv: 13% Price: $24
93
Château de Chatelard 2015 Cuvée les Roches
(Morgon). Vines planted almost directly on
the rock have produced this firm and structured
wine. It is solid with dark tannins and concentrated
black fruits. Plenty of acidity gives a succulent character
to this generous wine. Drink from 2018. Wineberry
America LLC. Editors’ Choice. —R.V.
abv: 13% Price: $23
93
Stéphane Aviron 2015 Côte du Py Vieilles
Vignes (Morgon). Produced from old vines in
the Côte du Py on the slopes of an extinct volcano,
this cru wine is structured with generous black fruits
and a series of ripe tannins and balanced acidity. It
has the structure and density to age while also having
a light touch of black cherry fruit. Drink from 2019.
Frederick Wildman & Sons, Ltd. —R.V.
abv: 12.5% Price: $24
92
Château des Jacques 2015 Côte du Py (Morgon).
Owned by Beaune merchant Louis
Jadot, this cru estate produces some impressive
wines. While its alcohol is excessive for a Beaujolais,
it wears its power well. The black plum fruit and tannins
from wood aging that are still very present will
soften over the next year to give a rich generous wine
with a style that is Burgundian rather than traditional
Beaujolais. Drink from 2018. Kobrand. —R.V.
abv: 15% Price: $43
92
Jean-Paul Brun 2015 Morgon. A dense wine
with the tannins and structure to go with
the density. It is concentrated with great swathes
of black plum and spice flavors, shot through with
acidity. Made with wild yeast and without carbonic
maceration, this is a wine for serious aging.
Drink from 2019. Louis/Dressner Selections. Cellar
Selection. —R.V.
abv: 13.5% Price: $27
92
Jean-Pierre Large 2015 Les Délys (Morgon).
Seriously structured, this is a powerful
and tannic cru wine. It has a dry firm core that is
guarding the blackberry and cherry fruits. As they
develop, the wine will become riper and richer. Wait
until 2019 to drink this long-term wine. —R.V.
abv: 12.5%
Price: $NA
91
Domaine de Bel Air 2015 Les Charmes (Morgon).
Jean-Marc Lafont’s 16-acre Les
Charmes vineyard is on granite soil in the west of
the cru appellation. The wine is firm and concentrated
with serious tannins as well as perfumed
juicy black fruits. With its tannins, it is a wine to
age. Drink from 2018. Vigneron Imports. —R.V.
abv: 13.5% Price: $20
91
Georges Duboeuf 2015 Côte du Py (Morgon).
For full review see page 13. Editors’ Choice.
abv: 13.5% Price: $22
91
Georges Duboeuf 2015 Jean-Ernest Descombes
(Morgon). For full review see page 13.
abv: 13% Price: $22
90
Domaine Gaget 2014 Côte du Py (Morgon).
This ripe and smooth wood-aged cru wine
from small parcels on the south slope of 1,174-foot
Côte du Py is now very approachable. It has generous
tannins that are mature and with fine acidity
and black-cherry fruits. The wine, concentrated and
rich, is ready to drink. Roche-Mère Wine Selections.
—R.V.
abv: 13% Price: $25
90
Georges Duboeuf 2015 Domaine de Javernière
Côte du Py (Morgon). From the south-east
facing Côte du Py, this is a powerfully structured
wine. It is as full of tannins as of ripe red fruits. The
wine with its dense character it likely to age well
over several years. Drink from 2018. Quintessential
Wines. —R.V.
abv: 13.5% Price: $20
90
Georges Duboeuf 2015 Jean-Ernest
Descombes Côte du Py (Morgon). Old vines
on the slope of the Côte du Py have given a cru wine
that certainly has structure. It has vivid red-cherry
fruits, lightly spiced and peppery. With its attractive
acidity and bright fruity character from the latest
generation of the Descombes family who have
been growing grapes in Morgon since the French
Revolution, it will be ready to drink from late 2017.
Quintessential Wines. —R.V.
abv: 13.5% Price: $22
89
Joseph Drouhin 2015 Hospices de Belleville
(Morgon). Aged in large 130-gallon wood
vats, this is Beaujolais made in a Burgundian style. It
has ripe red fruits, a firm structure to allow aging and
concentration. It will develop over the next two years
to give a generous rich wine. This is Drouhin’s second
vintage of handling the vines, wines and marketing in
partnership with the Hospices de Belleville charity.
Drink from 2018. Dreyfus, Ashby & Co. —R.V.
abv: 13%
Price: $NA
89
Trenel Fils 2015 Morgon. A rich and fruity
wine that is ripe with black-plum fruits. It
is soft and smooth, with a juicy berry character. The
tannins act as a cushion to all this opulent fruit. It
is an attractive cru wine, ready to drink from mid-
2017. —R.V.
abv: 13%
Price: $NA
88
Château de Pizay 2015 Morgon. This estate
has been producing wine in Morgon since
the 11th century. The wine comes from structured
granite soil in a blend of different parcels. It has
a strong mineral elements as well as layers of ripe
black-cherry fruits. There is just a hint of banana
that does spoil the full effect of the wine and hope-
72 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | MARCH 2017