The Beaujolais has always had a turbulent relationship with the rest of Burgundy. To many in the Côte d’Or, Beaujolais represents overmarketed and undercrafted wine. But in recent years the Beaujolais has undergone a renaissance, as the prominence of Nouveau recedes and more vignerons make ageworthy wine.
Among our favorite serious Beaujolais sources is Laurent Perrachon, a family domaine working very old vines with meticulous care. Perrachon has plenty of fans — the domaine regularly receives top notes from Jancis Robinson, Josh Raynolds (Vinous), and Allen Meadows (Burghound).
Jancis Robinson calls Moulin-a-Vent the “most highly rated of all the Beaujolais crus,” and after a sip of today’s wine it’s not hard to see why. Perrachon’s Moulin-a-Vent “Les Burdelines” is as dense and bold as any Beaujolais we’ve tasted. As with Perrachon’s other wines, this bears more resemblance in mouthfeel to a Northern Rhône Syrah than a Pinot from Burgundy.
From a year with exceptional intensity and concentration, the 2015 Burdelines is serious and substantial, but also classy and refined. Perrachon keeps this wine in oak for a bit longer to help it knit together, and the extra few months of rest works wonders.
There’s a smoothness and elegance that’s unusual for Gamay. The oak adds a faint note of toast, but more serves to soften the edges and round the palate. With an hour in a carafe, this wine will happily accompany a hearty meal and a rowdy group of friends. Look for anise, cherry, black pepper, and stones on the nose, with a dense, chewy mouthfeel and notes of briary cassis and black raspberry.
With Thanksgiving just over a month away, this couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
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Perrachon Moulin-a-Vent “Burdelines” 2015
bottle price: $25
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