Fleurie Les Moriers, Domaine Chignard 2023

Out of the ten Beaujolais crus, Fleurie is one of the most enduringly popular, and its characteristic fragrance and bright fruit have a lot to do with that. This one, though, has a bit more substance to go along with the elegance. It comes from c.60-year-old vines on steep, south-facing granitic slopes. With half the wine spending time in old oak foudres, it shows a bright red cherry, raspberry and strawberry complexion, clear violet florality and gentle soft spice. A touch of savoury complexity underneath rounds out this refined Beaujolais very nicely.

As with most Beaujolais crus it'll age gracefully for a few more years but, even so, is at its best now. It shows well with a very light chill and is spot on with roast chicken, charcuterie or simple grilled sausages.

Domaine Chignard has been in the hands of Cédric Chignard since 2007 and, as the fifth generation in charge, he sees carrying on the estate’s traditions and standards as his main priority. The family has worked their vines in Fleurie since 1900, building a solid reputation that Cédric is intent on maintaining. Most of the domaine’s eight hectares lie high on granite slopes above the village, including their flagship Les Moriers parcel which is on decomposed granite with a sunny, well-exposed aspect. Old vines, hand-harvesting, whole-bunch fermentations and ageing in large old foudres define the approach and give the wines their signature character.