Clos de la Roilette (Coudert) ★ 4.4
Fleurie AOCGamayFleurie
Clos de la Roilette is a walled lieu-dit in Fleurie farmed by Alain Coudert, producing a distinctive style for the appellation. The enclosed granite plot gives a darker, more structured Fleurie than most of the appellation, with more tannin and ageing ability. It is little known outside France but has been a favourite of informed Beaujolais buyers for decades.
Tip: Clos de la Roilette ages unusually well for Fleurie; if you find older vintages at a wine merchant do not hesitate, the wine often opens beautifully at five to eight years from harvest.
Domaine de la Madone (Le Perréon) ★ 4.2
Beaujolais-Villages AOCGamayBeaujolais-Villages
Domaine de la Madone in Le Perréon (Bererd brothers) farms 28 hectares of vineyards across two villages, Le Perréon and Vaux-en-Beaujolais. The estate is divided into 90 small plots with vines averaging 40 years old on steep, decomposed pink-granite slopes that produce some of the most structured Beaujolais-Villages of the appellation, with a 2.5-hectare organic block and the rest in sustainable viticulture.
Tip: Le Perréon is a quiet village in the centre of the Beaujolais that sees few wine tourists; the Madone domaine is a good reason to explore the Beaujolais-Villages zone beyond the ten Crus.
Christian Ducroux ★ 4.6
Régnié AOCGamayDemeter CertifiedORGANIC CERTIFIEDNaturalRégnié
Christian Ducroux in Régnié-Durette is a long-committed biodynamic producer, certified Demeter since the 1990s and farming without any inputs beyond sulphur-free fermentation.
Tip: Ducroux's Régnié is a standout expression of the tenth and newest Beaujolais Cru; ask for a cellar visit when passing through Régnié-Durette.
Yvon Métras ★ 4.8
Fleurie AOCGamayBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDNaturalFleurie
Yvon Métras farms a small estate based in Vauxrenard near Fleurie, with very old Gamay vines including some planted in 1898 in the top lieux-dits of Grille-Midi and La Madone.
Tip: Métras Fleurie is usually sold on allocation and sells out within days of each release; contact his importer in your country months ahead of the vintage release to join the list.
Jean-Claude Lapalu ★ 4.6
Brouilly AOCGamayBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDNaturalBrouilly
Jean-Claude Lapalu farms eleven hectares in the Brouilly Cru with biodynamic practices and makes zero-sulphur Gamay that has attracted attention from natural-wine writers as a reference for the appellation.
Tip: Lapalu's Cuvée des Fous comes from very old Gamay vines and has more density and grip than most Brouilly; it is the bottle to seek out if you want to understand what natural Brouilly can achieve.
Karim Vionnet ★ 4.5
Morgon AOCGamayORGANIC CERTIFIEDNaturalMorgon
Karim Vionnet is a younger-generation Beaujolais producer based at Le Clachet in Villié-Morgon, working roughly 8 hectares across plots in Quincié, Lantignié and other communes.
Tip: Vionnet's wines are poured by the glass at several Paris natural-wine bars and are worth tracking down before a Morgon visit to understand the appellation's current direction.
