Domaine Chignard Les Moriers Fleurie 2022

Domaine Chignard Les Moriers Fleurie 2022

Given the similarity in sound, it might seem cliché or contrived to describe reds from Fleurie as among the most floral of Beaujolais, but they truly are! This is one of Fleurie’s signatures, a main way its wines stand out from those of Beaujolais’s nine other crus. Chignard Les Moriers Fleurie cuvée is not just irresistibly floral, though.

Domaine Chignard Les Moriers Fleurie is an exceptional vineyard in the cru of Fleurie; not only is it steep and stony, with a granite core, but a portion of it reaches into Moulin-à-Vent, a cru known for its structural depth and Rhône-like aromatics. Fleurie, by contrast, is thought to be more delicate, pretty and floral, as its name suggests.

In Chignard’s “Les Moriers” we have elements of both crus coming together as one, resulting in a harmonious balance of heft and gravitas, laced with violet and a fresh-cut, blossoming bouquet. If there were only one Beaujolais to call “versatile,” this would be it.

Despite being light on its feet, it bears a soupçon of savory smoke as well as a spine of minerality and staying power more commonly associated with Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie’s neighbor.

That makes sense in this bottling, since the Moriers parcel—a historic lieu-dit that ranked as a first growth in an 1874 classification of the region’s vineyards—is directly next door to Moulin-à-Vent. A bottle of Beaujolais that bears mesmerizing finesse, depth, stamp of terroir, and also happens to stand tall as one of the region’s great values? Put me down for a case!

Blend: Gamay

Appellation: Fleurie

Country: France

Region: Beaujolais

Winemaker: Michel & Cédric Chignard

Vineyard: 60 years, 8 ha

Soil: Granite

Aging: Aged in old foudres (large oak barrels) for 13 months

Alcohol: 12.5%