Beaujolais superstar Jean-Paul Brun occupies a class of his own. Since the 1970s, Brun has quietly farmed a complex mosaic of small vineyard parcels in and around the “cru” villages of Brouilly, Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon, and Fleurie. Since the 2000s, his wines—while remarkably never increasing in price—have become objects of obsession for the world’s hippest sommeliers and collectors.
Furthermore, Jean-Paul’s red cuveés are also among the only Beaujolais you will see gushed over by the world’s top Burgundy critics. The explanation is simple: Since day one, Brun has rejected the conventional cellar technique and soft style of mainstream Beaujolais in favor of an approach that is terroir-driven and ‘Burgundian’ to the core. Each wine is a refined, detailed expression of Beaujolais’ most important terroirs. Now we present an explosively aromatic and brilliant red culled from the vines that surround the house in which Jean-Paul grew up and still lives. It’s not always easy to acquire Brun’s wines, but this bottle that has literally never been available in the US before now. The combination of quality, scarcity, and rock-bottom price is undeniable; this is a wine to hoard in case quantities, and we’ve got enough for you to do just that.
Jean-Paul Brun is a tall, imposing, yet whisper-quiet man who lives in a rural, cobblestone medieval village just Northwest of Lyon, within southern Burgundy. The village, Charnay, sits dead center in the so called “Terres Dorées,” an area named after the golden calcareous stones lining its rolling hillside vineyards (Brun’s wines are often labeled not just with his name but with the ‘brand’ name Terres Dorées, and are often listed under ‘Terres Dorées’ on wine lists). Brun has built a devoted and passionate following for his wines by sidestepping the Beaujolais trend of producing soft, carbonic-macerated, whole-berry “Beaujolais style” reds. Instead, he pursues a Burgundian approach by ruthlessly hand sorting and destemming all fruit at harvest. His wines are often aged (and sometimes fermented) in neutral Burgundian oak barrels. The result is a pantheon of wines that are thirst-quenching, aromatic, and terroir-driven as all great Beaujolais must be, but that are never marred by the heavy hand of carbonic fermentation or vinification “style.” Each wine is a transparent and unique expression of its vintage, vineyard and village of origin. So, perhaps it is unsurprising, then, that in the last decade the global wine world has elevated Jean-Paul from a quiet farmer into one of the most celebrated names in this region. Whether it’s Gault & Millau, The New York Times, Wine Advocate, Jancis Robinson MS—or the tattooed bartender at your local hipster wine bar— Jean-Paul’s wines are some of the most consistently and lavishly praised wines in the Beaujolais.
The 2016 Jean-Paul Brun “Le Ronsay” has a translucent ruby core with pink and garnet tones at the rim. Aromas of wild strawberry, tart cherry, raspberry leaf, fresh-cut flowers and atomized white stone explode as soon as the first glass is poured. In its current youthful state, it’s an endlessly energizing and refreshingly thirst-quenching red that will fill your evening (or afternoon) with joy and optimism. As this bottle ages over the next 3-5 years, it will develop a deeper and more savory mushroom/forest aromatic bouquet. Cellar-aged Beaujolais is one of the best-kept secrets in wine. While collectors often rush to stash away punishingly expensive bottles of Gevrey and Volnay, they often overlook that just one hour south, the wines of Beaujolais offer a compelling cellar opportunity at an extremely fair price. I’ve enjoyed aged bottles of Brun over the years and they never disappoint. The wine's structure becomes more integrated, aromas become more expressive and exotic, and the overall drinking experience is undeniably more pleasurable. So, in addition to enjoying a bottle or two in the near term, do “2021 you” a favor and set aside a few bottles of this beauty. It’s wonderful today, and an airtight investment for tomorrow. Roast up a chicken
à la San Francisco’s great Zuni Café and have a few bottles at the ready. Cheers!
