Xavier Benier Pur Jus Beaujolais-Villages 2023

Xavier Benier has championed natural wine in Beaujolais since the early 1990s, working with little or no added sulphur and without fining or filtering. Pur Jus, meaning pure juice, is his Beaujolais-Villages from Gamay, the grape of the region. Beaujolais sits south of Burgundy, and its Villages vineyards run across granite and schist soils that suit Gamay and give the wine its lift and freshness. The semi-continental climate brings warm summers and cool nights, holding the natural acidity that defines the style. The wine is made by carbonic maceration, where whole bunches ferment in a sealed, carbon-dioxide-rich vat and fermentation begins inside each intact berry. This gentle method extracts colour and bright fruit with very little tannin and gives the supple, juicy texture and the lifted aromatics typical of good Beaujolais. The colour is a bright, vivid red. The nose is fresh and floral, with cherry, red berries and redcurrant and the characteristic Gamay perfume. The palate is light and round, with juicy red fruit, very soft tannin and crisp acidity. Serve at 13 to 14 degrees, lightly chilled. It is a versatile wine for charcuterie, roast pork and poultry.