2019 Louis-Claude Desvignes Morgon Côte du Py Javernières

Wine Advocate/William Kelley 94+ – “Unfurling in the glass with a youthfully reserved nose of raspberries, wild plums, spices, white tea and rose petals, the 2019 Morgon Côte du Py Javernières is medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with real concentration, lively acids and powdery structuring tannins. Still quite tightly wound after its recent bottling—a matter of weeks before I tasted it—this will, as ever, merit several years in the cellar. At maturity, I suspect the 2019 will be more dynamic than the 2018 rendition, and it will delight admirers of serious cru Beaujolais.

As I wrote last year, this 13-hectare domaine produces some of the longest-lived and most serious wines in the Beaujolais. Old vines, cultivated soils, a late harvest and traditional winemaking with whole clusters, long macerations and a submerged cap are the rudiments of the approach. These are inky, saturated reds with plenty of character and structure, and the top cuvées will have no trouble evolving for two decades. Anyone looking to experience the glories of aged Beaujolais shouldn’t hesitate to tuck a couple of cases away in the cellar.”