2018 Yvon Metras Beaujolais Madame Placard

Yvon Métras was put in charge of his family’s small Fleurie domaine in the 1980s and during his first years at the helm he followed the family tradition of selling grapes to the local cooperative. But he soon adopted what was then the radical idea of “natural” winemaking, and by 1988 he had dropped out of the cooperative and was producing and selling his own wine. Natural winemaking essentially means a minimalist approach, and winemakers who practice natural winemaking keep organic vineyards, allow for natural fermentation and use minimal sulfur, among other non-interventionist practices. Métras has only 12 acres of vineyards and he has said he has little interest in marketing, meaning that his wines are made in small quantities and are not well known outside of France. Nevertheless, he has a cult following among Gamay aficionados. Reviewers who can get their hands on a bottle generally compliment the wines. Vinous calls Métras “a somewhat mythical and enigmatic vigneron,” and has rated his wines in the low 90s Wine Advocate’s reviewer noted that although the wines are hard to find, the “quality is such that I feel this report should include his wines.” Wine Advocate has also rated the wines in the low to mid 90s.

Beaujolais is the Côte d’Or’s big, boisterous neighbor to the south. At 34 miles in length and nine miles across, it is twice the size of Rhode Island. Though it is technically a part of Burgundy, Beaujolais’ wines are quite different from the northern Burgundies. A big reason is that 99% of the grapes grown in Beaujolais are Gamay, a relative of Pinot Noir but with a lighter skin, less tannin, and lower acidity. Gamay is easier to grow and ripens before Pinot Noir, and though it is often dismissed by wine connoisseurs, it can make outstanding wines. Beaujolais is also distinctive in that most winemakers there use a process called carbonic maceration, which means that grapes are not crushed but dumped into large vats where the weight of the grapes eventually crushes those at the bottom. Unbroken grapes begin fermenting inside their skins, helping give the wines of this region their intensely perfumed, fruity character. There are numerous appellations within Beaujolais, but the most prestigious are the ten Cru Beaujolais. Each of those ten Crus has its own village or vineyard appellation. Beaujolais’ reputation suffered in the late 20th century when French wine marketers created a demand for Beaujolais Nouveau, two-month old wine made from the recent harvest and released the third weekend in November. The wines are thin and meant to be drunk immediately, and though made from Gamay, they have little else in common with the more serious Beaujolais wines.