2015 Georges Duboeuf Jean-Ernest Descombes Cote du Py Morgon 750 ml

Georges Duboeuf is, without a doubt, the most famous name in Beaujolais, responsible for revolutionizing the region’s wines and bringing them to American wine lovers, and as Wine Advocate puts it Georges DuBoeuf “the world's highest scoring French wine brand under $20.” 

We love this bottling because it offers a side of Georges Duboeuf that you’ve never seen before: enticing, layered cru Beaujolais from a small grower located in one of the region’s top sites. From the first pour, the 2015 exudes warm, generous notes of herbs de  Provence, wild blackberry and violets in this soft, medium-bodied red that make it too easy to reach for glass after glass of this value red.

The 2015 Georges Duboeuf Jean-Ernest Descombes Côte du Py Morgon offers serious value without sacrificing quality.

The first grower that Duboeuf ever worked with was the late Jean-Ernest Descombes, a local legend for his old vines and concentrated wines made in the Morgon region of Beaujolais, a cru prized for its intensity, structure, and longevity. With a mere handshake in 1968, the agreement was made: Jean-Ernest would sell his harvest exclusively to Duboeuf. More than 50 years later, the agreement stands.

When we met with Jean-Ernest’s daughter, Nicole, who now runs the estate, in the grower’s bottle-lined cellar, she emphasized the heart and heritage that goes into each bottle of Duboeuf Jean-Ernest Descombes Côte du Py Morgon, as she poured a ten-year-old bottle into glasses. “We are small farmers,” she said. “Wine is our life.” (And in case you were wondering, yes, Descombes’ wines were still singing after a decade of age.)

This particular wine comes from one of Beaujolais’ most famous vineyard sites: Côte du Py in Morgon, an ancient volcano known for creating showstopping wines. “Old vines on the slope of the Côte du Py have given a cru wine that certainly has structure,” says Roger Voss in his review for Wine Enthusiast.

Decomposed schist soils, a south-facing slope, and vines with more than 50 years of age combine to create impressively concentrated Gamay, with surprising structure and layers of flavor. Some even say that, over time, Côte du Py wines can start to taste like the contemplative red Burgundies made just north of here.

At first whiff, it’s clear that the Duboeuf Descombes Côte du Py is something special. Notes of dried flowers, fresh herbs, wild fruit, and exotic spice dance off one another on the nose before folding into a generous, mouthwatering palate. Savory tones meet dark fruit, the layers of flavor unfolding amidst firm tannins on the long finish and proving that Beaujolais wines certainly can be serious.

There will be plenty of Beaujolais on dinner tables in November, and much of that will probably even come from the cellars of Georges Duboeuf. But this is a big name Beaujolais with a small grower soul—and even more importantly, small grower quality and character.