Beaujolais has two Old School approaches to winemaking.

The first is the whole-cluster, semi-carbonic method of Lapierre and Foillard. The other uses classic Côte d’Or methods to produce Beaujolais of even greater depth and longevity.

Among the masters of the latter school is Louis Boillot, who practices his art in Chambolle-Musigny alongside his wife Ghislane Barthod. But Louis also wanted to make wine in Beaujolais, where he summered as a child. And so, between 2014 and 2018, he acquired several important parcels of old vines in Moulin-à-Vent and Fleurie.

The first few vintages established him as one of the greats (along with Lafarge) of the Côte d'Or way of making wine in Beaujolais. But Louis wanted more. And so, just in time for the superb 2020 Beaujolais vintage, he acquired two additional old-vine parcels in Moulin-à-Vent: the extraordinary Champ de Cour and Aux Caves, the latter blessed with vines 80+ years old. 

This makes Louis' portfolio of domaine-bottled, old-vine, lieu-dit Beaujolais second to none, especially if you're partial to the Côte d'Or School as we are. And to give you a taste of the brilliance of his work today, we urge you to grab one our very limited 2020 Louis Boillot lieu-dit assortments for an incredible $195 the six pack: 

Moulin-à-Vent Aux Caves
Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour
Moulin-à-Vent Les Brussellions
Moulin-à-Vent Les Rouchaux
Moulin-à-Vent Plantier de Favre
Fleurie Grille-Midi

Back Story
Since its founding in 2002, Louis’ Burgundy domaine has quietly become one of the most admired small estates in the Côte d’Or, crafting pure expressions of an array of ancient vineyards ranging from Gevrey-Chambertin to Volnay. 

His deep experience with Côte d’Or climats has made Louis a shrewd judge of site. And so, when he decided to make wine in Beaujolais, it was inevitable that his first choice would be Moulin-à-Vent, whose pink granite soil, rich in manganese and iron, is best suited to making wines with Burgundian longevity and structure.

The soil also naturally limits yields and concentrates the terroir’s robust character. And so, though they are made from Gamay, the best wines develop like Pinot Noir with age. (The term for this transformation is pinoté.)

While Louis has gained a loyal following for his Moulin-à-Vents, he also wanted to try his hand with elegant Beaujolais. So he ventured into Moulin-à-Vent’s neighbor, Fleurie, the Beaujolais cru renowned for its wines of both firm structure and perfumed finesse. There he acquired vines in a site equal in stature to those he farms in Moulin-a-Vent: Grille-Midi.

Louis’ old-school methods are perfectly suited for producing pinoté Beaujolais. His long, but gentle extractions and use of little new wood have proven ideal for making wines that need two or three years to begin showing their best but will deliver years of fabulous drinking.