Maison Joseph Burrier Fleurie ‘Poncié’ Château de Beauregard 2019, 0,75 L

An up and coming wine from a region that was once on top? That's right - a few years ago Beaujolais was the ultimate destination for young red wines. Beaujolais Nouveau were on every supermarket shelf in bottles of fruity, thin and really cheap wine. Why was there such a hype about them? We don't know, but believe that this craze has damaged the quality and reputation of the region over the long term. Unfortunately, Beaujolais is still associated with this cheap, light and completely bland style of wine.

Yet it doesn't need to be that way. Lately, quality has been asserting itself again and Gamay grapes are being allowed to shine, showing what they can do. Fleurie is a Cru des Beaujolais and impressive red wines grow here, the character of which is somewhere between Pinot Noir and Grenache. What does that mean? Elegant, light red wines with a lot of subtle fruit, alongside plenty of spice and hints of herbs, which impressively reflect the character of the soil.

And here we have an example that every wine lover taste at least once.

In the glass, you could initially mistake the wine for a Pinot Noir. It's likewise not dissimilar on the nose, although here there are more notes of herbs and the wine perhaps tends more towards blackberry aromas. The wood is well integrated, comes through discreetly and supports the aroma with a light touch of vanilla.

A real surprise on the palate: Super elegant, with a lot of fruit, including the blackberries and cherries that again come to the fore. The wood fits perfectly, the acidity is just right and the tannins are very gentle. In a word: Tasty. But don't get us wrong, the wine has real potential and manages a balancing act between drinkability and complexity - really great.