BEUJOLAIS ANCIEN!

Hey :)

Our Big Beaujolais bash is back for version 4.0. This is always a highlight of the year, and this time it's gonna be bigger than ever. If you’ve been before, you’ll know it’s not one to miss…

If you’re new here, let me give you the lowdown. The third Thursday of November is known in the wine world as Beaujolais Nouveau Day, essentially one massive piss-up to celebrate the recent harvest. It’s the day the first juice of the latest Beaujolais crop is legally allowed to hit the market. Before that? Strictly off-limits. There are parties all over the world to mark the occasion. Sounds great, right?

Well… the only issue is, the nouveau wines don’t actually taste that good. In the rush to get them out, they often end up overly tutti-frutti, tasting more like carbo ferments than serious wine. So, while we do want to celebrate one of our favourite regions and seriously, you should see how full our Beaujolais shelf is, we want to do it properly.

So for us it’s strictly Beaujolais "Ancien". That means we’ll only be pouring the region’s very best. All 13 crus will be on offer. Different vintages, from classically cool to warmer and richer years. Granite through to schist. No iconic Gamay left uncorked.

It’ll be a night of free-flowing, as-much-as-you-can-drink wine, molten raclette from our pals at Jumi, and one hell of a vibe. This year, it also falls on my birthday so I’ll be cracking open plenty of nice bottles to double down on the celebrations.

Tickets are already moving fast. Do your worst here.

Can’t wait for the good times? Well, you’re in luck as we’ve just received a re-up from Robinot. Avid fans will know I’m crushing hard on the 2023 vintage, especially in the Loire. The cooler year has brought us crisp, refreshing whites that are drinking like a dream straight out the gate. Especially if you’re an acid fiend like me!

Bistrologie is always the leanest, and here it’s at its most hydrating. Saline, mineral, pure. Will age, but honestly, why wait. Fetembulles is party mist of the highest order. Both expressive and varietal. Whilst a fun fizz there is a subtle serious edge too. So fresh, so clean!

A couple of reds from JP’s mind palace too. Le Regard is the lithest P D’A. Fruit forward with a hint of that white pepper spice. Crushable yet complex. Lumière des Sens is seductive, with a touch more brood. Older vines, more concentration, same dangerously high drinkability. Legendary producer, doing legendary things. They never stick around, so go hard or go home.

More good news? We’ve also just received a sweet allocation from Fletcher! The self-confessed Nebbiolo addict who left Australia for its spiritual home of Piedmont. He scored a stage at Ceretto and ended up as their winemaker in 2012. Fast forward a bit and he started his own project now based out of the old train station in Barbaresco.

He does both high end and midweek very well. Dolcetto and Barbera being the later, and are spot-on for autumn. Lighter touch, but still rooted in classic Piedmont tradition. Favorita a relative of Vermentino shows a distinctly Alpine side to this salty, citrusy grape. A Langhe Chardonnay too. A first for our shelves. A little barrel time here and suddenly it’s got those in Burgundy starting to sweat. Like things with an orange hue? This gentle maceration is all fun and a lil' floral. All priced 2 pour!

Nebbiolo is his one true love though. The Langhe is the perfect intro to his ethereal house style. So approachable, subtly structured, very elegant.

The ‘entry’ Barbaresco is a blend of sites that shows off the pedigree of the cellar/station. It’s like a softer style Barolo if you’re not overly familiar. Delicate and often approachable earlier on. If you like fine-boned, fine tannins and fine wine, you’ll feel right at home here. A limited quantity of his baller bottles to shout about too with Ronchi (east-facing, excellent vintage), and Faset (a famed plot doing famed things.

That’s all I can muster, boxes to pack!

ILY
Fionn
xoxo