Well, I certainly was not expecting this kind of a result from a 2018 Cru Beaujolais. We opened this one at lunch today with fellow forumite MikkoR in his backyard and as a nicely chilled light red it was just the perfect drink. It would have been just way too easy to empty the whole bottle there in no time as the drinkability was through the roof but as I was still about to drive back home we ended up exercising moderation.
There really were no signs of a hot vintage here and we were wondering whether that might be due to a cooler terroir or decisions at the vineyard. If the more respected Crus have achieved their fame due to being able to produce more concentrated wine historically compared to the others could it be that these “lesser” terroirs are then better suited to these recent hot vintages? I am not sure if I have ever tried a Régnié before so I really have no answers myself unfortunately but clearly I must drink more to find out. I don’t know how great of a wine this one is in a vacuum but stylistically it offers exactly the things that made me fall in love with Cru Beaujolais in the first place. It does not reach the heights of Lapierre, Foillard, Thivin, Lapalu etc in “normal” vintages but I think I would rather drink this than most of the hot vintage 13.5-14% ABV wines from those mentioned.
When it comes to the producer in question I had to create the CT entry myself which probably means that global availability is not huge. That said if you like me value drinkability in your Bojo above everything else you should check it out were you to come across a bottle.
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2018 Aurélie Crozet Régnié Les Châtillons - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Régnié (26.5.2020)
The nose is very fresh and bright with notes of raspberry, cranberry, stems and violets. It is not all that deep or distinct but makes a promise of high drinkability and refreshment even before the first sip. On the palate it is indeed lighter bodied yet with good presence and slight chewiness. It has splendidly lifting acidity and a clean, lingering finish. Totally unlike the more revered crus like Morgon or MaV, this a lean vin de soif type of Beaujolais that goes down way too easily on its own or with white meats. Some might find it a bit unimpressive in terms of ripeness but I enjoy it for the purity, crispness and weightlessness.
Posted from CellarTracker