Cru Beaujolais is no longer a secret among wine lovers. For about a decade now names like Lapierre, Foillard and Metras have been among the most sought after by collectors and everyday wine drinkers alike.... Read More

Cru Beaujolais is no longer a secret among wine lovers. For about a decade now names like Lapierre, Foillard and Metras have been among the most sought after by collectors and everyday wine drinkers alike. We have long believed that the wines of Daniel Bouland were deserving of the same attention and devotion, and in the last couple of years that has become a reality.

Bouland's wines come from very old vines and seem to operate on three well-delineated layers: An airy top register of flowers and flint-smoke, the middle layer flush with refined (and sometimes powerful) red fruits, and precise, vividly mineral structures at the low register. It's this near- visualizable depth and detail that sets them apart. Bouland would probably make a great photographer.

The wines can age. Ten years is not asking too much. But most also drink wonderfully on release - especially the Chiroubles, Melanie, and Corcelette. They have brains and brawn. And, most importantly, beauty.