TN: 2007 Burgaud Morgon Cote du Py Vieilles Vignes

A stunner of a wine for under $20.

There’s something for everybody here, minerality/sous bois/florals/bright red fruits/acidity/some tannin - there’s even a little gaminess to be discovered.

The wine is substantial and not wimpy, in fact, it took a good 3 hours to show it’s true colors, fighting through the ample structure.

Despite what at first appears to be near impenetrable, it is astonishingly airy, precise and long in the mouth. A treat to drink, and bottles like this make me revisit why I dont own more cru bojo.

I enjoyed Burgaud’s Regnie Vallieres 07 a couple weeks ago - my first taste of this producer. It was nice in a racy style - it was probably too chilled to get the most out of it though.

The more cru beaujolais I taste, the more I gravitate to Morgon. Foillard’s 06 Cote du Py this past weekend was terrific with delicious, focused cherry and cranberry flavors and plenty of structure.

I’ve been enjoying the 2017 Burgaud ‘Les Vallieres’ [Regnie] the last couple of very hot days. This light bodied, refreshing 12.5% abv has a pretty nose of cut red fruit, and a pleasing palate. There is no tannin, but plenty of juicy acidity, and it goes well with the crazy heat. I’m marinating some tuna and a cold gigante/butter bean salad for dinner tonight; this should be a nice precursor to that. They don’t make much of this feminine styled bottling (500 cs), and I think the pro’s descriptor of ‘nervy’ for other vintages is right on. It keeps getting better as one enjoys more of the bottle. One starts to pick up an iron skillet note as it opens up.

Arv, thanks for the report. Which is interesting, because the other cuvees I’ve had from him are definitely of the darker, meatier, fuller bodied style. I’ve really loved them, but they are more like a northern Rhône drinker’s version of Beaujolais.

Yes, the Regnie Vallieres is a different style from the Morgons. I prefer it.

I think the winemaking has gotten noticeably more elegant in the last couple of years. He also appears to have eradicated the brett that used to show up in some vintages.