2019 Chiroubles, Lafarge-Vial, Beaujolais

Bursting with aromas of sweet red berry fruit, rose petals and raw cocoa, the 2019 Chiroubles is medium-bodied, bright and tangy, with a lively spine of acidity and fine, powdery tannins. It's a lovely wine.The 2019s have turned out beautifully at Domaine Lafarge-Vial, bursting with fragrant fruit, finer boned and more ethereal in style than the 2018s at the same stage. Acquired in 2014 by Volnay's Frédéric Lafarge and his wife Chantal, née Vial, this four-hectare domaine is biodynamically farmed. The grapes are partially destemmed and fermented with punch-downs and pump-overs during the maceration, followed by pressing in a vertical press. Maturation is in well-used cooperage from the Domaine Lafarge in Volnay. The result is old-school cru Beaujolais, built to age. Any readers looking for Gamay that will, with time in bottle, converge with great Pinot Noir should look no further.Drink 2021 - 2029William Kelley, Wine Advocate (August 2021)