Daniel Bouland® Daniel Bouland Cote de Brouilly Cuvee Melanie Beaujolais 2022 – 8217887113456

“Daniel Bouland sits squarely in the upper tier of Beaujolais producers. Bouland has steadily developed a dedicated following that makes his wines difficult to track down. They’re more than worth the effort given their consistent quality, which is about as high as it gets in Beaujolais. Even with increasing demand, the wines still deliver superb value, assuming you can find them. For the money, these are simply some of the greatest values in French wine today.” Josh Reynolds, Vinous 

Named after Daniel Bouland’s daughter, Cuvée Mélanie is drawn from a small, steep, half-hectare plot on the slopes of Mont Brouilly. The 70-year-old vines are rooted on the area’s famous terres bleu (blue-tinted volcanic soils) within the lieu-dit of Tête Noire, directly above Château Thivin. 

As you would expect from this terroir, it’s more baritone than Chiroubles, sporting darker, plusher fruit and deeper spice notes. Regardless, it’s super fine; that core of lip-smacking mineralised blue fruit is perfectly framed by refreshing chalky tannin.