Rising star Beaujolais from a Burgundy favorite.

Above, from left to right: Vineyard manager Benjamin Rousset, owner Philippe Pascal, and winemaker and co-owner Guillaume Marko at Mont Bessay.

Many consider it to be the greatest wine trade marketing coup of all time: The Beaujolais Nouveau “races” where, beginning in the 1960s, thrill-seeking drivers competed to see who could get the new vintage to Paris first. By the 1980s, Beaujolais was FedExing the new vintage to New York City every year for Beaujolais Nouveau events. Today, Beaujolais Nouveau is a household word.

But Beaujolais Nouveau is just one expression of this great wine appellation. Arguably its most humble — the new wine, not the evolved and mature wine.

Back during the fine wine renaissance of the early 2000s, New York sommeliers began pouring single-vineyard Beaujolais from some of the appellation’s most soulful growers. These “cru” expressions captivated the enohip crowd of that era with their balance of mineral character and rich fruit. Organic farming practices and cellar-worthiness made the new trend all the more exciting (the French term cru means literally growth and it is used to designate single-parcel, i.e., single-vineyard wines).

Here at Boulder Wine Merchant we are thrilled to present one of Beaujolais’ rising stars, the Domaine Mont Bessay, owned by Burgundy producer Philippe Pascal, who grows wine at Cellier aux Moines in Givry. You may remember that Cellier aux Moines and Philippe’s daughter Margot were the featured producer and speaker at Boulder Burgundy Festival a few years ago. We love the family and we love the wines (as do many of you). And we jumped at the chance to be among the first to offer them to our clients.

Domaine Mont Bessay “En Bessay” Juliénas 2021 ($61.98)
Domaine Mont Bessay “Le Vieux Bourg” Moulin-à-Vent 2021 ($61.98)

Read a Wine Spectator profile of Mont Bessay here.

And here’s the best news: You can taste both wines next Wednesday, 1/24, 5-7pm, at our weekly complimentary Wine Wednesday tasting. We will pouring them together with two other cru Beaujolais wines that we love:

Château de Corcelles Brouilly Vieilles Vignes 2022 ($16.99)
Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côte du Py 2021 ($31.98)
Domaine Mont Bessay “En Bessay” Juliénas 2021 ($61.98)
Domaine Mont Bessay “Le Vieux Bourg” Moulin-à-Vent 2021 ($61.98)

Click here to see other Beaujolais currently in stock.