“What helped a lot was wine,” he said. “As food grew scarcer, we drank more and more of it. Occasionally on Saturday evenings, we would buy ten or twelve bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Hermitage, Mercury, Moulin-a-Vent, Julienas, Chambertin, Bonnes Mares or Musigny and have an evening of drinking and singing.” – Varian Fry, quoted in Wine & War, p. 115

It has been some time since Beaujolais was mentioned in the same company as Burgundy grands crus such as Bonnes Mares, Chambertin and Musigny . . . But over little more than the last decade, there has been rise to a number of profound producers in Beaujolais. Among the very best, is Pierre-Marie Chermette of Domaine du Vissoux.
“I search out wines as naturally made as possible; but only if this contributes to the wine being better. Domaine du Vissoux may just be the most perfect expression in my whole portfolio of what I seek, for this very ability to be natural and great, at once.” – Peter Weygandt

“Pierre Chermette has successfully expanded from his base in southern Beaujolais without quality in any way suffering; on the contrary his mastery of the northern Beaujolais crus is now also a fait accompli. . . . Prices have crept upward, but given the quality – not to mention the labors needed to achieve it – one can hardly complain. Yields were very low in 2008, a condition, Chermette opines, for achieving genuine and complete ripeness.” – David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate

On Saturday, May 22, 2010, from 1PM – 4PM, Weygandt Wines welcomes you to a free tasting of the Domaine du Vissoux range of wines. And as a plus . . . we’re offering special pricing on Vissoux wines through that Saturday! Come, taste and enjoy, and stock up for summer and beyond! The Vissoux Lineup:

Beaujolais Blanc Cépage Chardonnay 2008, Regularly $21.99, On Sale $18.69/bottle – Beaujolais, France – 100% Chardonnay – 12.5% abv – Organic

Beaujolias Cuvée Traditionnelle Vieilles Vignes 2008, Regularly $17.99, On Sale $15.29/bottle – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 12% abv – Organic - “Chermette’s 2008 Beaujolais Vieilles Vignes Cuvee Traditionelle – vinified, like his other estate wines, without chaptalization or yeasting and with a minimum of added sulfur – is as usual light in body (at 11.5% alcohol) but full of flavor and underlying extract, this year displaying a darker fruit shading than usual. Underlying nut oils, chalk dust, and strong pit fruit notes give the finish a more serious and slightly less exuberant tone than in some years, but make no mistake about this being a wine of class, complexity, and generosity. Enjoy this over the next 2-3 years.” – Rated 89 Points, The Wine Advocate

Brouilly Pierreux 2007, Regularly $25.99, On Sale $22.09/bottle – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 12.5% abv – Organic - “There are fascinating mineral nuances and a striking degree of lift in the finish. In its third year now, Chermette’s 2008 Brouilly Pierreux brims with cassis and blueberry, underlain by nutty richness and hints of wet stone. Medium-bodied, it nevertheless evinces a good sense of lift and refreshment, tart fruit skin and almost horseradish like pungency lending striking invigoration to the finish. Enjoy this over the next 2-3 years.” – Rated 90 Points, The Wine Advocate

Fleurie Poncié 2008, Regularly $26.99, On Sale $22.94/bottle – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 12.5% abv – Organic - “The Vissoux 2008 Fleurie Poncie offers palate-staining black fruits and serious grip, with iodine and peat, rose hip and cherry pit; and as usual for this site, salt and stone lending intriguing complexity. The sheer lip-smacking juiciness on display here can draw your attention from its complexity. Cellar it for at least 4-5 years.” – Rated 91 Points, The Wine Advocate

Fleurie Les Garants 2008, Regularly $27.99, On Sale $23.79/bottle – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 12.5% abv – Organic - “From similarly middle-aged vines on decomposed granite, Chermette’s 2008 Fleurie Les Garants – from some of the highest elevations in its appellation, and like the Couderts’ Clos de la Roilette, classified as Moulin-a-Vent until 1927 – evinces a smoky, alkaline overlay to its panoply of ripe yet tart fruits. Reflecting its late harvest, there is a spicy intensity and abundance of inner-mouth esters yet as always from this site, an energy and brightness – in this instance of cherry and rhubarb – but this year an especially serious sense of grip, and a less treble, high-toned personality than the Poncie. Here too, 4-5 years’ bottle potential seems a conservative estimate.” – Rated 91 Points, The Wine Advocate

Moulin-a-Vent Les Trois Roches 2008, Regularly $28.99, On Sale $24.64/bottle  – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 12.5% abv – Organic - “The Vissoux 2007 Moulin-a-Vent Les Trois Roches was assembled in tank when I tasted it. Aromas of cedar and cinnamon accent its blackberry fruit, which comes onto the palate with a tart leading edge, making for a saliva-inducing brightness even as the wine displays profound depth of fruit, meat and mineral matter, palpable extract, and sheer grip. Fine-grained tannins reinforce the impression of a wine that will relish a half dozen years in the cellar.” – Rated 91-92 Points, The Wine Advocate

Above Wines On Sale Through Saturday, May 22, 2010.