2020 Régnié, Vallières, Jean-Marc Burgaud, Beaujolais, France
About £18, quercuswines.co.uk, golbornefinewinedeli.com, glugwines.co.uk, Nysa Wines, 020-7924 5727
There are two things that I love about this week’s tip. Firstly, a select handful of independent merchants have spotted this truly awesome wine, and they are to be applauded. Secondly, the wine itself is utterly thrilling, and it does a neat job of explaining the virtues of the 2020 vintage in Burgundy and Beaujolais in red-wine form.
January is Burgundy month, and I have already written copious notes on my website about the finest wines, which you should already be securing for your cellar. But as very few of the reds have found their way into bottle yet, and purchases are made as En Primeur “futures”, I thought I would find the most expressive example available in the UK right now and implore you to drink it. This very wine will explain the vintage in a couple of truly delicious gulps.
While many think of the 2020 Burgundy vintage as a high-quality white-wine year, the very best reds are dark coloured, ripe, and refreshing. The best reflect their vineyards precisely with crisp acidity and supple tannins. Jean-Marc Burgaud is considered one of Beaujolais’ superstar winemakers. While his Morgons are long-lived and his expressive Villages wine, Les Vignes de Lantignié, is always a beauty, it is this Régnié that combines the fruit clarity of the Beaujolais and the profound depth and elegance of his top Cru wines. Give a few bottles a road test, and if you like what you see there are many more recommendations to track down in my online notes.
Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com)