2022 Pierre-Marie Chermette Origine Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais

Cherry and red plum, cherry kernels, almond essence, it’s a bit meaty, dense, firm and crunchy, with a savoury finish. It ticks the boxes for sweet and savoury with a right balance, and scratches that Beaujolais itch quite nicely.

91 points Kasia Sobiesiak winefront.com.au

In his seminal book Adventures on the Wine Route, Kermit Lynch bemoaned the trend for chaptalized, high-octane Beaujolais, yearning instead for the wines of yesteryear, with their depth, natural alcohol and acidity. Chermette’s emblematic Cuvée Traditionnelle Vieilles Vignes (as it was called then) was first bottled in 1986 at the behest of Jean Brouilly, then Michelin-starred chef of Tarare. It instantly caused a sensation, launching the fame of the Chermette wines and igniting heated debate within the region. Uncapitalized and unfiltered (inadvertently or not), this wild-ferment, low sulphur, old-vine cuvée sailed over the oceans of bland, homogenised Beaujolais being produced at the time. It also raised the bar considerably for quality, non-cru Beaujolais and remains a benchmark today.

 The fruit source is a densely-planted four hectares in Saint-Vérand with vines sited on a pocket of dark granite—soil that partly accounts for the wine’s Cru-level depth and minerality. The vine age also helps, ranging from 35 to 85 years. These vines typically produce a considerably plumper and silkier wine than the entry-level Griottes, and in the ’21 this has manifested in deeper berry fruit, lithe structure and mouth-watering tension. An outstanding value.