2023 Fleurie Clos de l'Amandier, Domaine Grégoire Hoppenot

• Style: Violet-scented, perfumed Gamay with bright acidity
• Taste: Ripe strawberry, stone minerality, tensile tannins, weightless and alive
• Food: Charcuterie, roasted chicken, soft cheese, bistro fare
• Occasion: Sunday lunch, date night, everyday drinking
• Serve: Now through 2028; serve cool; organic, vegan friendly

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Violet perfume announces itself instantly, followed by ripe strawberry compote and whispered stone minerality. The palate reveals genuine depth held in check by keen acidity and tensile, mineral tannins rather than soft ones. At 12.5% ABV, this site-driven Beaujolais feels weightless and alive—grown-up Gamay that makes you reach for the bottle again before your glass empties.

The Winery — Domaine Grégoire Hoppenot

Among Beaujolais's most exciting producers, Grégoire Hoppenot earned 'Discovery of the Year' recognition in 2021 after directing Maison Trénel under Chapoutier. He struck out independently in 2019, farming nine prime parcels with organic methods and meticulous attention in vineyard and cellar alike. The Clos de l'Amandier sits on a south-facing slope in Poncié, planted with 15–30 year-old vines in granite and clay at 280–395 metres elevation. For the 2023 vintage, hand-harvested bunches underwent ten days of whole-bunch fermentation below 25°C, then spent eight months in concrete tanks before bottling. This minimal-intervention approach—indigenous yeasts, low sulphur, no showiness—lets terroir shine through with complete transparency.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Drink this now through the next four or five years alongside charcuterie, roasted poultry, mushroom dishes, soft goat cheese, or relaxed bistro fare that doesn't demand the wine announce itself loudly. It's one of the finest expressions of France's most versatile grape, a reminder that light-bodied doesn't mean lightweight. Organic, vegan and vegetarian friendly, it rewards cool service and pairs beautifully with Sunday lunch or intimate dates alike.