Beaujolais

"The methods at Lapierre are just as revolutionary as they are traditional; the detail and precision with which they work is striking and entirely different from the mass-produced majority of Beaujolais on the market today. Decomposed granite comprises most of their eleven hectares, and the vines

"This cuvee takes the Vin de France appellation, because the Beaujolais governing body decided to do away with the Vin de Pays designation in Beaujolais, leaving only the appellations and Vin de France. The wine is still almost all from the cru of Morgon, with a little bit of A.O.C. Beaujolais as

This is a wine to keep; its character resulting from the soil composition (The cote du Py hillside near the tiny village of Morgon).This is the most typical wine of this appellation, thanks to its rich soil of blue stones coming from the disintegration of schist. The Morgon « Côte du Py » is full

Wine Spectator 92 WS TOP 100 2011 Rank 54Moulin-a-Vent Domaine de La Tour du Bief Clos de la Tour "Lush fruit flavors of blackberry and blueberry mix with a core of spice and dried herb notes in this fresh and silky red, which has lightly chewy tannins, followed by lingering hints of dark

Wine Spectator 91"Like berries freshly picked on a summer day, the raspberry and strawberry notes here are ripe and pure, mixing with hints of pekoe tea leaf, mineral, ground anise and damson preserves. An elegant and balanced version. Drink now through 2018. ".—A.N.

"Damien Dupeuble recently telephoned, excited because this new Beaujolais that we blended together had just won a gold medal at the annual tasting competition in the Beaujolais region. Deservedly so, if I do say so myself, because it is nothing but pure drinking pleasure. The aromatics and silkiness

John Gillman 90+"The 2011 Beaujolais from Michel Guignier is a very lovely example of the vintage. The deep and vibrant nose jumps from the glass in a classy blend of black cherries, sweet cranberries, woodsmoke, violets and a very stylish base of soil. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish and

"2012 is a well-structure, solemn, solid and delightfully fruity vintage. It has a lovely, silky, ruby red color and very pleasant red berry aromas - redcurrants, and raspberries - with occasional hints of vineyard peach and even wild strawberries." - Georges Dubœuf

Wine Enthusiast 90"Firm tannins and its dark plum and blackberry fruits all point to a structured wine that has aging potential. It is ripe, with black cherry and spice notes that are balanced with acidity. Keep for one year." — R.V.

International Wine Cellar 91"Bright purple. Highly perfumed aromas of raspberry, rose, lavender and Asian spices. Juicy, pure and penetrating, offering tightly wound red berry, floral and star anise flavors that gain depth with air. A long, aromatic, sharply delineated finish features bright berry

Wine Spectator 90"A lovely, dark and smoky red, displaying brambly blackberry, ripe plum, and creme de cassis fruit flavors. Lush and velvety, with fine balance and dusty tannins on the dark chocolate-tinged finish. Drink now through 2014."

Wine Enthusiast 91"Of all the Beaujolais crus, Morgon is the one for aging. This wine, with its powerful structure exemplifies this. It has weight, a dark and solid feel, very dense. To balance this, there is sweet, juicy fruit, a full of opulent feel. Keep for 3-4 years." ~R.V.

The James bottling comes from a single portion of the Cote de Py vineyard at the highest elevation, where the vines are 45+ years old.

The Javernieres is produced from some wines from old vines that are matured in oak barrels over several months to enhance the tannin. The maturing tradition of great Burgundy wines is found in this "vin de grande garde".

"The methods at Lapierre are just as revolutionary as they are traditional; the detail and precision with which they work is striking and entirely different from the mass-produced majority of Beaujolais on the market today. Decomposed granite comprises most of their eleven hectares, and the vines

"There are 39 villages entitled to the name Beaujolias-Villages. This wine in tender, wonderfully fruity with the aroma of fresh grapes and when served slightly chilled will complement most lighter foods." ~ Winery Notes

This full bodied wine, with a deep ruby colour and a red fruit flavour, comes from a granite area called « Les Charmes » in the west part of the cru Morgon. It will improve in the bottle springtime onwards.