Over the last few years especially, Cru Beaujolais has reached a new level of recognition and respect, with the wines of Morgon and neighboring Fleurie rising to the top rank of the region’s 10 cru-designated villages. Morgon, with its granitic soils mixed with some volcanic material, is known for producing some of the most structured, concentrated reds among the Beaujolais crus, and Domaine Calot has long been one of our trusted ‘go-to’ houses in this village—their high-altitude vineyards in the village of Villié-Morgon are rooted in pure granite and boast some incredible old plantings (vieilles vignes) that in some cases exceed 100 years of age. It's one of the most consistent, transparent, and well-structured expressions of old-vine Gamay you’ll find, and it has remained one of the best buys on the market despite the ever-rising fortunes of Morgon.

In the glass, Calot’s 2017 “Vieilles Vignes” is a characteristically deep, nearly opaque ruby with slight hints of pink and purple at the rim. Aromatically, it’s a highly perfumed mix of wild red and blackberries, cherry, and cranberry along with woodsy notes of underbrush, rose petals, and crushed granite. The concentrated palate is both fruit-saturated and refreshingly crunchy, the dark fruit notes and forest-floor woodsiness taking turns at the fore. The real sweet spot for Calot Morgon, in our experience, is at 5-7 years of age, and it will go even longer when you factor in the larger bottle format.