Exuding grace and sophistication, the Butte Bourgueil Mi Pente 2014 is an exquisite testament to traditional French winemaking. Allied with the finest Cabernet Franc grapes handpicked from the sun-kissed hills of Bourgueil in the Loire Valley, this wine is a marvel of nature and human ingenuity. Accurate craftsmanship by the astute vintner produces its signature medium-bodied elegance accompanied by intriguingly complex flavours.

Following the classic Bourgueil style, it is carefully aged for up to 24 months in wooden oak barrels to craft a remarkable bouquet providing a harmonious blend of rich dark fruits and an underlying subtly of earthy undertones. Finely balanced acidity and supple tannins add to its impressively long finish, promising prolonged pleasure.

Butte Bourgueil Mi Pente 2014 indeed captures the essence of the region and the unrivalled skills of its producer. A distinguished selection, it caters to the sophisticated palate of the discerning, experienced wine aficionado.

From the renowned vineyards of Beaujolais, France comes the exquisite Cave de Fleurie Fleurie 2020. A true testament to expert winemaking, this seductive red blend is crafted from handpicked Gamay grapes meticulously grown in granite soils. Produced by Cave de Fleurie, a revered co-operative cellar that has been preserving traditional vinification methods since 1927, this wine emanates quality. The climate, resulting from the onshore Mediterranean breeze, imbues the 2020 vintage with a unique complexity enriched by an excellent growing season.

The Cave de Fleurie Fleurie 2020 dazzles the palate with ripe red berry accents, delicate floral undertones and a velvety finish. Its well-executed balance between acidity and tannins showcases a harmony of flavours perfect for any sophisticated palate. A carefully cellared bottle of this wine reveals the time-honoured excellence you've come to expect from Cave de Fleurie. Delight in every sip of this superb wine, a fine example of French viticulture at its absolute best.

Wine Advocate (94)

Fans of old-school Beaujolais will adore the 2021 Fleurie Cuvée Tardive from the Clos de la Roilette. Bursting with aromas of crunchy red berries, peonies, spices and plums, it's medium-bodied, ample and enveloping, with succulent acids, melting tannins and a pretty, perfumed finish. Despite the challenges of the year, the Coudert family have produced a lovely classic, and it's a wine that's much more drinkable and vibrant than some of the recent banner vintages at this address.

Wine Advocate (95)

Jean-Paul Brun's 66-year-old vines in this prime lieux-dit have yielded a superb 2018 Fleurie Grille-Midi, a striking wine that unfurls in the glass with complex aromas of black raspberries, rose petals, smoked meats and violets. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and satiny, with a bottomless core of concentrated fruit, velvety tannins and ripe acids, concluding with a long and sapid finish. This is a brilliant, age-worthy Fleurie worth special effort to track down.

Wine Advocate (95)

Jean-Paul Brun's 66-year-old vines in this prime lieux-dit have yielded a superb 2018 Fleurie Grille-Midi, a striking wine that unfurls in the glass with complex aromas of black raspberries, rose petals, smoked meats and violets. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and satiny, with a bottomless core of concentrated fruit, velvety tannins and ripe acids, concluding with a long and sapid finish. This is a brilliant, age-worthy Fleurie worth special effort to track down.

Experience the epitome of Beauijolais grandeur with the Jules Desjourneys Fleurie Chapelle Bois 2020. Produced in the spellbinding vineyards of Fleurie, in the heart of the French Beaujolais region, this exquisite wine is the brainchild of meticulous viticulturist, Fabien Duperray. Employing organic practices in the lush hillside vineyards, Duperray meticulously nurtures Gamay grapes, compromising nothing in the pursuit of impeccable quality. This exquisite Fleurie is aged in Burgundian barrels adding to its complex structure and enhancing the purity of the Gamay fruit.

The Jules Desjourneys Fleurie Chapelle Bois 2020 titillates with a profound bouquet of crushed black cherries, wild berries and spices, underpinned by subtle earthy undertones. On the palate, it boasts a silky yet generous body with a vibrant acidity and mineral-infused finish that elegantly lingers. This remarkable blend showcases the distinctive charm and meticulous craft that Jules Desjourneys wines are renowned for. Truly a quintessential Beaujolais indulgence.

Vinous (91+)

From granite and quartz soils, the 2020 Fleurie La Clos Vernay has a perfumed rose petal scented bouquet with ample red cherry and crushed strawberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, quite tensile and steely, broody on the finish. Give this 3-4 years in bottle.

Vinous (90)

The 2020 Fleurie La Joie du Palais comes from a steeper vineyard and is de-stemmed by hand (30% whole bunch). It has an incense scented bouquet, hints of lavender and violet petals. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip, quite fleshy in the mouth, more red fruit laced with crushed stone on the finish. Very fine, perhaps a couple of years in bottle required.

Wine Advocate (94)

From low-yielding Cabernet Franc vines that average 45 years of age and root in the silex clay soils of the côte, the 2019 Bourgueil Le Grand Clos opens with a pure, fine and intense, concentrated but also aromatic and fragrant bouquet of dark and red fruits and crushed stones along with refreshing lemony and spicy notes. Round and very elegant on the palate, this is a beautifully balanced Grand Clos with a concentrated finish with tight but fine tannins and a fresh acidity that gives a positive astringency. The aftertaste is long and intense but always in balance and underlines the remarkable finesse of this wine that aged for 12 to 18 months in 400-liter tonneaux. Tasted in June 2021.

Wine Advocate (93+)

From vines averaging 45 years of age on the slopes of the Coteau and aged in oak barrels for 20 months, the 2018 Bourgueil Les Quartiers opens with a deep, intense and toasty bouquet of ripe, black berries and blackcurrants intermixed with spicy tones, cigar box and graphite. Silky, refined and fresh on the palate, this is an elegant, tight but vivacious, silky-textured Cabernet Franc with crystalline tannins and a long finish that is still oak-influenced in its flavors, but the structure, finesse and intensity and the very delicate raspberry flavor in the aftertaste indicate excellent aging potential. Personally, I prefer the crus that were partly aged in stoneware (amphorae) and also for a shorter period, whereas Les Quartiers represents the old Amirault style, before 2014.