Morgon les charmes 2020 (Albert Bichot)

Enjoy it now, or cellar for a few more years. Decanting is optional, up to 30 minutes before serving. Les Charmes is a vibrant, medium-bodied red wine, from the world-famous Beaujolais appellation. Made from 100% Gamay, it is packed with scents of blackberry and cranberry jam, violet, tilled earth, and a mélange of spice and smoke.

The fruits were sourced from green sloping hills, just west of the village of Morgon. The name Albert Bichot almost speaks for itself. Inheriting the family winery in 1996, he comes from a long line of winemaking Bichots (and Alberts), dating back to the early 20th century.

In 1912, another Albert Bichot founded a cellar in the town of Beaune, changing the family’s fortunes, and the fortunes of Burgundy, for that matter, forever. These days, the Bichot family owns six estates, comprising some of the finest vineyards in the region.

This wine exhibits a classic Beaujolais fleshiness on the palate, along with rich notes of blackcurrant jam, spice, and juicy hedgerow fruits. The Les Charmes vines grow about 400 metres above sea level on sparse, stony soils, allowing for incredibly concentrated fruit flavours.

If you are new to Beaujolais, Albert Bichot is a fantastic place to start. This wine is best enjoyed in its youth, alongside grilled meats, pungent cheese, or herby chicken.