Pierre Marie Chermette

From his base in southern Beaujolais, Pierre Chermette has become one of the beacons of Beaujolais quality. DAVID SCHILDKNECHT, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

Few Beaujolais growers are in a position to pronounce on the region’s different terroirs with the authority of the affable Pierre Chermette. ANDREW JEFFORD, The New France

Jean-Étienne Chermette and his father Pierre-Marie reported that 2018 was an especially long harvest for them, due to the lag in maturity between the northern and southern Beaujolais, so they had to retain a team of pickers for fully five weeks. But that's the sort of dedication one expects from this family that renders wines from the southern Beaujolais that embarrass most of the supposedly nobler crus and whose renditions of the crus can compete with the best. Old vines, diligent but traditional vinification and élevage in foudre are the rudiments of the approach. The younger Chermette—who is launching a label of his own, reviewed in this issue—told me the the domaine has attained "terra vitis" certification since 2018, which is definitely a step in the right direction. To my palate, some of the cuvées reviewed here number among the finest values that can be found in French wine, and I warmly recommend any readers who haven't yet accentuated themselves with this estate to try a few bottles. WILLIAM KELLY