Domaine de Colette, based in the village of Lantignié (west of Villé-Morgon and Régnié-Durette), has traditionally been known best for its Régnié wines, although proprietors Evelyne and Jacky Gauthier have expanded their vineyard holdings to include other cru villages. Most notably, they added a plum site from Fleurie to their total land holdings a few years ago. With its pink granite and alluvial soils, Fleurie is always one of the most sought-after crus in Beaujolais. The combination of floral aromatics, lithe fruit, and mineral tension makes Fleurie a compelling superstar of the area. The parcel in today’s wine contains vines with an average age of fifty years. The south facing site is located at the base of Fleurie’s landmark “Chapelle de la Madone” (“Chapel of our Lady”)—known as the most legendary site in the village. 

Overall, they farm 14 hectares of vineyards, continuing to grow the reputation of the domaine Jacky’s father, René, founded in 1953. This is the archetypal small-scale family affair (the Gauthiers’ son, Pierre Alexandre, studied viticulture and enology and has joined the team). They describe their farming philosophy as “integrated vine-growing,” wherein chemical fertilizers are forbidden and only organic treatments and occasional plowing are utilized to control weeds and pests. Their methods in the cellar are classic, old-school Beaujolais, with a full ‘carbonic’ fermentation followed by aging for six months in cement vats before bottling without filtration. 

The color of this wine immediately shows that you are in for a treat with a deep ruby core, moving to magenta and pink towards the rim. When you stick your nose in the glass, that’s when the real fun begins, with wild raspberry, red currant, blackberry, and Mirabelle plum layered with lavender, rose, and wet pebbles. The palate is invitingly fresh and medium-bodied with ripe, but balanced red fruits and low tannins. This wine is the prototypical example of a red wine that thrives with a touch of chill on it—I recommend serving at around 55-60 degrees in Burgundy stems. Decanting certainly isn’t required but a quick splash in a decanter will only help release more of the explosive aromatics. As refreshing as it is now, this wine should continue to show its stuff for the next 3-5 years (and just get more layered and interesting with more age, if you can wait that long to pop the bottles). One of the wonderful aspects of this wine is its versatility, able to pair well with anything from grilled meats to Asian cuisine or a simple charcuterie plate with fresh bread. Whatever you choose to pair it with, I promise that the bottle will go quickly. Keep at least one backup on hand, because this song never gets old!