Burgaud 2008 Régnié Vallières (Beaujolais) – Burly, as is more or less the Burgaud house style, with its darkish minerality really showing amidst a violet-hued brew of moderately spiky fruit. As much about structure as forwardness, which is a combination of Burgaud and of age-since-release; normally I’d say this is just closing a bit, but my longer-term experiences with this bottling in other vintages lead me to think it’s just going to sit on this spot for a good number of years, then fade, scowling, into the sunset. So I’m drinking mine. (12/11)

JM Burgaud 2007 Régnié Vallières (Beaujolais) – Tart strawberry, vivid and crisp. There’s some salty ferric stuff, as well, but mostly this is about incisive – or perhaps incising – fruit. (7/09)

JM Burgaud 2006 Régnié Vallières (Beaujolais) – Straightforward gamayness, light and red-pink-purple-fruited, with an engaging appeal. There’s not really much more to say. It’s good. It’s tasty. It’s highly drinkable. It’s no more than that, though. (1/09)