Gamay, Georges Descombes 'Brouilly'

Georges Descombes is one of the premier producers of Beaujolais. His Brouilly is just brilliant in its youth: a tempting delight of juniper, racy cherries, and mineraled fresh acidity, cool and medium-bodied. This wine isn't lacking fruit, with perfect black cherries hitting your palate first thing, enjoyed while standing in a field of wild violets. It has the lightness and silkiness of great Beaujolais but a bit more ripeness, and character that brings to mind some of the more elegant wines from the Northern Rhône. The Brouilly appellation surrounds the extinct volcano Mont Brouilly, and Descombes' holdings there are planted on granite soils. He uses semi-carbonic fermentation with indigenous yeast and miniscule sulfur at bottling, then ages in a combination of cement and old barrels.