Domaine Chasselay is the natural winery of your dreams. The family has lived in Châtillon d'Azergues, about 15 miles north of Lyon and in the heart of Beaujolais, for more than 600 years. Their vineyards are farmed organically, with no chemical or synthetic treatments; flowers and hedgerows grow between plots; and weeds are still tilled mechanically. Jean-Gilles and Christiane Chasselay got organic certification in 2006, and their children Claire and Fabien (the 14th generation) have introduced biodynamic techniques. That delicate touch continues in the cellar. Fermentations take place naturally, wines are unfiltered and unfined, and only a trace amount of sulfur is added before bottling for safe shipping.

In the glass, it is a nearly opaque dark ruby, while on the nose it is a beguiling mix of black and red fruits: black raspberry, black currant, fresh red and black cherries and wild flowers with faint hints of white pepper and crushed granite. For the Beaujolais whisperers out there, we get some of the inky depth of Foillard and quite a bit of the clarity of Lapierre (if this means nothing to you, let your takeaway be that it is very elegant, even Pinot Noir-esque, with a backbone that isn’t always a given with the Gamay grape, regardless of the “Cru” village).