£14.99–£15.49, Hennings Wine, Vineyards of Sherborne
Beaujolais is on a roll, as the fashion for big, ripe, oaky blockbusters is replaced by a demand for fresher, brighter reds that are more versatile with food. The ten Beaujolais crus, the wines from the ten best areas of the region – named according to their own individual appellations, such as Fleurie, Brouilly and Moulin-à-Vent – are doing especially well. The quality of the 2015 vintage, one of the best for decades, is another reason for Beaujolais’ rise and rise. That said, I’ve deliberately chosen a 2014, because most of the 2015 cru wines deserve to be left longer – none more so than Moulin-à-Vent, the longest lived of the crus. This 2014 could be aged further, but it’s a charmer already and opens up in the glass, going from hedgerow berries and undergrowth to sweeter black fruit, fresh herbs and earthy sweetness. As I say, Beaujolais is versatile, but duck, pork, lamb, prosciutto or cheese are all good thoughts, as is flavoursome fish (but not oily fish) or a flavoursome vegan dish.
Xavier & Nicolas Barbet Moulin-à-Vent 2014, Séléction Jean Loron, Moulin-à-Vent, Beaujolais, France
£14.99, Hennings Wines; £15.49, Vineyards of Sherborne