“Good Beaujolais really delivers so much drinking pleasure,” wrote Gary Walsh of The Wine Front as he concluded his write-up of the 2015 Piron Beaujolais Brouilly. Who can argue, really?
This region was the focus of the latest edition of trendy UK wine mag Noble Rot. “Beaujolais, at least the best of it, is now serious stuff, a wine allowed to play in the shoals of Burgundy, while creeping open the door to just a touch more pleasure, all while offering what Burgundy typically hasn’t: consistency,” wrote Jon Bonné in his article The Pleasure of Now. The piece written in the same magazine by Jamie Goode was entitled Gamay: A Grape Whose Time Has Come.
Dominique Piron, president of Inter-Beaujolais regional body, couldn’t agree more. He’s been waiting a while for this, with a family history in Morgon going back to the late 1500s. “The fashion for heavy, powerful wines has gone,” he says. “We have a grape that’s right in the slot. Beaujolais’ moment is now.”
That sentiment has been given all the more resonance by the arrival of the 2015 wines. It was a harvest to shine a bright beam of light on the grace, perfume, poise and pleasure of Beaujolais. Don’t hesitate for a second.
2015 Dominique Piron Brouilly RRP $37
Pretty, perfumed with a suggestion of bubble gum, flowers, spice, aniseed, and cherries. Light, supple, fine grained tannin, juiciness of cherry/raspberry fruit, light pippy tang of acidity, fresh and spiced to close. Love that little slurry of tannin on the finish. Good Beaujolais really delivers so much drinking pleasure. 92 points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
2015 Dominique Piron Fleurie RRP $43
Raspberry, dried roses, spice, a bit of polished cedar, minerally feel to it, and a certain sharpness to the acidity. It’s tight and the tannin makes a play, almost an emery feel to them, fresh berries and cherry, with a tang and severity to the finish. Energetic. It’s a fine thing to drink. 92 points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
2015 Dominique Piron Morgon Côte du Py RRP $43
The big boy is in the kitchen. Dark cherries, raspberries, liquorice and sniff of spiced wood. Fleshy, open weave tannin, dark raspberry, cherry, depth and derring-do, crisp strawberry acidity, touch of meaty gamey stuff too. The finish is pretty long, closing with a satisfying chomp of tannin. Vigorous. 93 points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front