2020 Beaujolais

Just a little whole bunch is used here, and it works brilliantly. The Gamay shows all the structure and sophistication of the Boillots’ Côte d’Or Pinots, but with the juicy, pretty, peppery texture of Beaujolais. It’s got gorgeous blueberry fruit, and fine-grained tannins, thanks to the excellent granitic terroir.

Unlike the rest of the Breton range which is grown on granitic soils, this comes from the famous pierre bleue soils of Mont Brouilly. The parcel is actually owned by good friend, and Lay & Wheeler favourite, Jean-Claude Lapalu. J-C looks after the vines during the year, and he and Breton pick the parcel on the same day, with Breton buying half the grapes. The wines the two men make couldn’t be more different in style. This version is lightly scented with ripe strawberries and cinnamon. There’s a little light grip from some fine tannins that are woven through the symphony of sweet red fruits. It is a delicious expression of Beaujolais, one with some gentle body and sweet ripeness, but no heaviness at all.

This is the flagship wine of the domaine. It comes from 90-year-old vines, and shows a charming combination of energy and unforced concentration, with persistence and a light lift of reduction. At 13.5% it is perfectly balanced. This is a wine with so much life, and a great example of the Guy Breton style that has earned him such a following.

This is the flagship wine of the domaine. It comes from 90-year-old vines, and shows a charming combination of energy and unforced concentration, with persistence and a light lift of reduction. At 13.5% it is perfectly balanced. This is a wine with so much life, and a great example of the Guy Breton style that has earned him such a following.

Unlike the rest of the Breton range which is grown on granitic soils, this comes from the famous pierre bleue soils of Mont Brouilly. The parcel is actually owned by good friend, and Lay & Wheeler favourite, Jean-Claude Lapalu. J-C looks after the vines during the year, and he and Breton pick the parcel on the same day, with Breton buying half the grapes. The wines the two men make couldn’t be more different in style. This version is lightly scented with ripe strawberries and cinnamon. There’s a little light grip from some fine tannins that are woven through the symphony of sweet red fruits. It is a delicious expression of Beaujolais, one with some gentle body and sweet ripeness, but no heaviness at all.

This is Guy Breton’s top cuvée, and is given his nickname, P’tit Max, which he has been called since childhood after his father. The wine comes from a parcel of low yielding 130-year-old vines. He says that rather than being bigger or oakier than the rest of his wines (as top cuvées at other addresses can be), it instead has a level of finesse that sets it apart. This 2020 is so intense, with juicy finesse and perfectly formed silky tannins. There is mineral depth to the fruit, and the wine already tastes delicious at this early stage. A tasting of the 2009 alongside it convinced me further of this wine’s brilliant ageing potential. Don’t be afraid to cellar this with confidence.

This is Guy Breton’s top cuvée, and is given his nickname, P’tit Max, which he has been called since childhood after his father. The wine comes from a parcel of low yielding 130-year-old vines. He says that rather than being bigger or oakier than the rest of his wines (as top cuvées at other addresses can be), it instead has a level of finesse that sets it apart. This 2020 is so intense, with juicy finesse and perfectly formed silky tannins. There is mineral depth to the fruit, and the wine already tastes delicious at this early stage. A tasting of the 2009 alongside it convinced me further of this wine’s brilliant ageing potential. Don’t be afraid to cellar this with confidence.

This is low-intervention in the extreme: Jean-Claude doesn’t touch the tank during its 12 day maceration and fermentation. Combine this with zero sulphur and 100% whole bunch, and you’d be forgiven for assuming this would stray far onto the funky side of ‘natural’ wine. Yet it remains wonderfully poised. For anyone who knows the 2019 Eau Forte, this is a completely different animal. Where the 2019 was light, crunchy, and aromatic, the 2020 is powerful, structured, though still so very elegant. Its velour tannins and cool minty fruit culminate in a long sumptuous finish, and mean the wine is the most successful of Jean-Claude’s fuller-bodied 2020s.

Quite unlike some Beaujolais in 2020 that are big, full-bodied and powerful, this Beaujolais Villages is as light and crunchy, fresh and juicy as you’d hope for from a glass of classic bojo. At just 12.5% alcohol it shows no signs of the heat of the 2020 vintage. In fact, it has the peppery freshness and floral, graphite notes of a fresher vintage. This is thanks to the small amount of high-altitude fruit Jean-Claude buys in, which gives acidity and definition to the richer fruit of his own organically farmed vines. It’s undoubtedly a stand-out from Jean-Claude this year, and terrific value for money.