Daniel Bouland, Morgon, Bellevue Cailloux 2022 - 75cl

This is the Beaujolais that converts the sceptics. Daniel Bouland farms old vines in Morgon, and the Bellevue “Cailloux” parcel takes its name from the stones — vines planted between the 1930s and 1960s, rooted straight into stony, granitic soil with barely any topsoil to soften the struggle. That hardship shows up as concentration and grip, which is why serious drinkers treat Bouland's Morgon less like a picnic wine and more like a cru worth cellaring.

Whole-bunch fermentation gives it lift and a savoury edge: dark berries and black cherry on the nose, then woodsmoke, black tea, dried thyme and a distinct mineral snap that comes straight off the granite. The palate is full-bodied and firmly built for Gamay, with a solid core of dark fruit, ripe but genuinely gripping tannins, and an undertow of stony freshness that keeps the weight in check. The 2022 is pure and vibrant, drinking well now with an hour's air, though it has the structure to hold and deepen over five years or more.

How to Serve

Serve at 15°C — a touch cooler than a Burgundy — in a large glass. Decant young bottles for an hour; the tannin needs it.

Where to Drink It

Brat: the wood-fired cooking loves a granitic Morgon.
Dandy Maltby St: exactly the kind of low-intervention list this wine suits.
Noble Rot Soho: cru Beaujolais taken as seriously as it deserves.

Food Pairings

Roast pigeon with lentils — the wine's smoke and minerality lock straight onto the bird.