Pauline Passot Chiroubles Grille-Midi 2023

When most people think of Beaujolais, they think of Fleurie and Morgon. Winemaker Pauline will tell you that Chiroubles is one for the purists. It’s all about altitude here. Chiroubles is the highest of the Beaujolais crus - so the wines are bright, fresh and pure, with that crunchy lift that makes Gamay so delicious. Pauline is the third generation to take over the family domaine - I was tipped off on her talents by fellow hotshot Romain Cornin at a recent wine fair in Paris. When someone like Romain points you in a direction, you follow. This wine comes from a vineyard called Grille-Midi, which was the first vineyard that Pauline made her own. It had been in the family for years, but it sits a little further from the domaine, and as her parents were beginning to slow down it was the perfect plot for her to take on in 2016. Grille-Midi sits at around 400m, right on the border with Fleurie, on pink granite soils. It’s west-facing and gets the late afternoon sun, so you get ripeness and intensity, but always with that classic Chiroubles freshness. The wine is fermented whole-bunch and matured in concrete eggs and small oak barrels (from Romain!) for 12 months, with a further 6 months in stainless steel to keep everything lifted and precise. It has bright red fruit and a subtle smokiness on the nose, with a vivid and juicy palate and peppery, spicy finish. It’s already delicious but has great ageing potential - Pauline reckons it will go ten years no problem.