Cru Beaujolais is one of a handful of wines I’d consider essential to SommSelect’s identity as a company. It’s not merely that the wines of Fleurie, Morgon, and the other eight cru villages of Southern Burgundy are “hot” commodities: it’s that they are such convincing, complete wines that also happen to be affordable. Exhibit A to kick off 2022 is Grégoire Hoppenot, who packs everything a serious Burgundy lover could want into a $35 bottle—a complex, cellar-worthy red from a single vineyard, farmed organically and vinified with the deftest of touches. Hoppenot was named La Revue du Vin de France’s “Discovery of the Year” in 2021, and he’s right atop the SommSelect rankings as well—so it was a no-brainer when it came time to pick a Cru Beaujolais to lead off 2022.
“Les Moriers” is one of Fleurie’s most prestigious, high-elevation vineyards, and Hoppenot’s expression reminds us that it’s not a big leap to go from Pinot Noir from the limestone-heavy Côte d’Or to Gamay from the granitic soils of Fleurie. The grapes are genetically related, the terroirs are part of the same region, and when you add in the talent of a producer like Hoppenot, you get a $35 bottle of Gamay that exceeds even the highest expectations. Much like his famous neighbor, Clos de la Roilette, Hoppenot produces Fleurie of uncommon cellar potential, and you can rest assured that the 2019 edition of “Les Moriers” will be delivering the fireworks for at least 5-7 years to come. The detail and dimension here is simply exceptional—it must not be missed!
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[But wait, that’s not all: Before we dig into the finer points of “Les Moriers” below, the most die-hard Hoppenot/Beaujolais fans out there need to be apprised of our minuscule allocation of Hoppenot’s rarest wine—his bottling from his ‘monopole’ (solely owned) “Clos de l’Amandier” vineyard, in his home-base hamlet of Poncié. Those wishing to experience this rarely seen masterpiece can take up to six bottles here. Otherwise, keep reading…]
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And while we’ve told Hoppenot’s story repeatedly over the past year-plus, here’s a quick refresher: Before he returned to his Beaujolais birthplace and set up shop in Fleurie—right across the road from one of my all-time favorites, Clos de la Roilette—Grégoire was a well-known consultant for Jaboulet in the Rhône Valley and several top estates in Burgundy. When it came to the raw material for his Cru Beaujolais wines, he assembled a small but enviable collection of vineyard parcels, including the two prime sites highlighted in this offer. Hoppenot’s farming is Certified Organic, and, in the cellar, he prefers the more “semi-carbonic” approach: there’s no sealing up of the fermentation vessels and pumping in CO2, but instead an ambient yeast fermentation/maceration in 60-hectoliter concrete vats, followed by aging in a combination of large oak foudres and used pièces bourguignonnes (228-liter Burgundy barrels). No sulfur is added at bottling.
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The climat (vineyard area) known as Les Moriers looks east towards Moulin-à-Vent, whose iconic windmill is less than a kilometer away. Hoppenot describes the soils in his 2.86-hectare plot as a mix of granitic sand and clay over granite “mother” rock, with expositions ranging from east to northeast (and vines ranging in age from 35-90 years!). It’s a steeply-sloped site climbing to about 300 meters of altitude, and Hoppenot’s expression has a firm structure, generous fruit, and loads of soil character. Even in the ultra-ripe conditions of 2019, it is balanced—restrained, even—and full of energy.
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In the glass, the 2019 “Les Moriers” is a bright, deep ruby-purple moving to magenta at the rim, with a wonderfully complex nose of black raspberry, red and black cherry, Damson plum, damp violets, dried herbs, black pepper, and crushed stones. It is deeply flavored and medium-plus in body, with a persistent mineral/floral finish and lots of focus—the juicy fruit is framed nicely by freshness and a pinch of fine-grained tannin. Right now, the wine is in a youthful, “primary” phase and will benefit from 30+ minutes in a decanter, after which it starts to really sing at 60 degrees in a Burgundy glass. Meanwhile, it is going to really hit its stride in 3-5 years’ time, so do yourself a favor and hoard some quantity today. Among other things, this will be the most versatile red wine in your entertaining arsenal, pairing beautifully with everything from skirt steak or burgers to coq au vin and roast pork. As we like to say around here, this is a “pantry staple,” albeit one with uncommon class. Enjoy!
