I often underrate Beaujolais. The area lives in the shadows of the revered Burgundy, lying to the north. However, besides the juicy succulent “Beaujolais Villages”, there are a number of  ”crus”, the premier league of wine growing areas within Beaujolais.

The grape throughout is generally Gamay and the method of production is “carbonic maceration”, where fermentation happens inside the grapes, rather than in the pressed juice with the skins on top.

Fleurie is one my favourite “crus” or villages within Beaujolais and 2009 is arguably one of the best vintages they’ve ever had.

What this means for you is that you’re in for a real treat, particularly with the featured wine of the week, Château de Fleurie 2009.

It’s abundantly fruity, medium bodied (not too heavy, not too light) and has amazing freshness you wouldn’t normally associate with red wine. I defy anyone not to fall in love with this wine instantly.

With regards to provenance an l’histoire, the Château de Fleurie is a family estate close to the centre to the centre of the village of Fleurie. The Château has 32 acres of vineyards and there’s a strong emphasis on traditional techniques. After fermentation, the wine is stored in large oak foudres. Just to give you a sense of scale, these foudres are the size of the average small Dublin apartment bedroom. That’s a lot of wine. What it means is that the oak has a small bit of influence, but by no means dominates the wine.

The  understated Château building dates back to the 18th century while the Loron wine family have been making wine since 1821.

Perfect illustration of just how good Beaujolais can be. Underrated, underpriced and available at around €16 from Nash wines in Limerick.