You’ve likely heard some version of this admonition: “If you’d like to make a small fortune in the wine business, start with a large fortune from something else.” This is especially true in California, and in the classic regions of France, whatever vineyard land that hasn’t passed down through generations of the same family has escalated in price past the reach of anyone who isn’t independently wealthy.
Beaujolais is one of the big exceptions. In Beaujolais, an upstart
vigneron like Anne-Sophie Dubois can manage to not only make serious wine, but own some land. She is not alone, of course: Beaujolais is probably the most dynamic incubator of young wine talent in the world right now. The best part is that wines such as Dubois’ impeccable Fleurie “l’Alchimiste” are still available in the low-$30s; at some point, particularly as more people catch on to the level of sophistication Cru Beaujolais can deliver, these prices are going to creep upward. But right now, we are awash in genuinely great red Burgundy (yes, Beaujolais is Burgundy) at giveaway prices. As I’ve noted previously, we offer a lot of these wines because they demand to be noticed—and consumed. People always ask me where to find the best value-for-dollar, and if I’m referring to the “old world,” Beaujolais is it. This wine is the exact one I’d use to make my point: Anne-Sophie Dubois is making some of the best Cru Beaujolais on the market right now. You simply must try it. It is a wine to buy by the case and revisit periodically over the next 5-7 years—though I doubt it will last that long once you try it!
One thing you’ll notice in almost anything you read about Anne-Sophie is how her Fleuries are some of the most ‘Burgundian’ of any Cru Beaujolais. She was born and raised in the Champagne region and received most of her wine training in Burgundy (Volnay), where she eventually found herself gravitating southward to Beaujolais, where Pinot Noir gives way in earnest to Gamay. Of course, Gamay is the genetic spawn of Pinot Noir, and the two varieties are commingled in vineyards throughout Burgundy, so there are times when the two can be confused for one another. In Anne-Sophie’s case, the ‘Burgundian’ moniker has tended to stick more because she has avoided the use of carbonic maceration—the predominant methodology in Beaujolais in which whole grape bunches are fermented in a CO2-rich environment, usually in a closed vessel. Instead, Anne-Sophie has employed a more ‘standard’ fermentation, fueled by native yeasts, using de-stemmed grapes. Whereas carbonic maceration lends Beaujolais wines their trademark deep, grapey fruitiness (sometimes laced with scents of banana), the more standard approach tends to allow for more earthy flavor/aroma components to show through. Anne-Sophie’s wines have plenty of the soft, juicy fruit that distinguishes Gamay, but also some of the woodsy, black tea notes (and slightly more structured backbone) of Pinot Noir. If ever you were going to get flummoxed deciding between the two varieties, these wines are likely to do it!
Sourced from 40+-year-old vines in the granite-rich soils of Fleurie, Anne-Sophie’s “L’Alchimiste” did in fact incorporate a small percentage of whole clusters in 2016, lending an intensity of pristine young fruit to the equation, but it is perfectly poised with floral aromatics and earthy savor. Its elegance and ‘high notes’ may also owe to the fact that Anne-Sophie’s vineyards are some of the highest-elevation sites in Fleurie, which itself is one of the highest-elevation cru villages in Beaujolais. Aged for 15 months in a combination of cement vats and larger, used oak barrels, this is a wine of crystalline purity—no ‘makeup’ whatsoever here.
In the glass, it’s a concentrated dark ruby red moving to garnet and pink at the rim, with an evocative nose of fresh-picked blackberries, cherry blossoms, wild strawberry, underbrush, black tea, crushed stones and accents of delicate spice. Medium-plus in body with lots of freshness lending lift and persistence to the aromas/flavors, this has real breed to it—it’s a long way from being a ‘quaffer’ and in fact greatly benefits with some time open. Decant it at least 30-60 minutes before consuming in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. Another option would to be to pull the cork in the morning and keep in in a cool place while it slowly opens up in the bottle (you can simply rest the cork on top, not inserted, to allow air flow and prevent any random fruit flies from getting inside). Lastly, this wine epitomizes versatility with food—freshness, low alcohol, profound minerality…it has it all! The attached recipe is of the more ambitious sort, but worth the effort when a wine like this is on the table. Check it out!
