Old vines, sustainable viticulture and classical winemaking are the foundations of Stéphane Aviron's approach… Supple, succulent and expressive, these are immensely drinkable wines that privilege purity of fruit and aromas. WILLIAM KELLEY, Wine Advocate
Made in the Burgundian fashion, Aviron's wines have earned a reputation for ageworthiness and, in my experience, really demand the wait. At the very least, bottles of his Crus that are less than three years old should get a little air time in a decanter before serving. JOSH RAYNOLDS, Vinous
Every year it seems to quality of Stephane Aviron's Beaujolais improves markedly. His simple approach of taking wonderful old vines, caring for them with sustainable viticulture and in the cellar looking towards Burgundian style winemaking as a point of reference, is clearly paying dividends. An yet the silver lining here is the wines have remained remarkably affordable. These are THE best value wines in Beaujolais, it's a bounty that won't last forever so enjoy it now.
More generally speaking we are living in a golden age of Beaujolais. We had the frivolous, party popper era of Beaujolais Noveau, followed by the counter-revolution lead by the "Gang of Four" and now we are blessed with a region filled with brilliant wines still at incredibly affordable prices.
For me these wine from Stephane Aviron represent this axiom at its peak. They are of excellent quality, the village a delight packed with the conviviality you might seek at this level, but with enough energy, detail and freshness. More interesting than the more banal offerings at this level and yet with the polish that's missing in many of its more rustic contemporaries.
Take things up a gear and the cru wines offer better value again. Wonderful delineation, superb expressions of their sites and some serious bones too. Yes, Beaujolais is still affordable as a whole, but top cru wines are creeping up. Jean Foillard's Morgon pushes into triple digits, while Aviron's comes in at $40 in today's offer.
The wines below offer an embarrassment of riches. The village wine will disappear as a weeknight workhorse and the cru wines you can split between the cellar and the rack, keeping a few out for just about any occasion. Beaujolais after all is a wine built for satiating a crowd. These wines come highly recommended for both their quality and excellent value.