2013 Gilles Gelin Fleurie 750 ml

Parker’s Wine Advocate: “This should turn into a GREAT wine.”

Gilles Gelin is one of the brightest young stars of the region, crafting deep, dark, vinous Gamays that seem far more at home in the Côte de Nuits than Fleurie or Morgon. In a 2013 growing season that gave birth to some of the more intensely concentrated and extraordinarily complex Beaujolais of the last decade, Gelin postponed the call to harvest until the last days of September, and then crafted one of the more luscious and structured Fleuries of the last decade. Here’s why.

When the clusters arrived at the winery, even Gilles Gelin was stunned. Beaujolais had just witnessed a topsy-turvy growing season. The spring was one of the coolest in years, filled with chilly, overcast days and damp nights. The poor weather delayed bud-break until April 21st in Fleurie. “May and June were pretty much the same,” the barrel-chested vigneron told us at the tasting table in Lancié. “Flowering didn’t begin until the fourth week of June! I felt like I hadn’t seen the sun since Christmas Day!”

Then, in July, the weather shifted. “We went from the coldest spring in memory to one of the warmest months of July. August was hot as well. In fact, in speaking to the enologists at the laboratoire, I was told that we had more hours of sun in August 2013 than any year since 1992. In mid-June, I recall thinking we might have delay harvest until October. Instead, while we made the call to pick late, we began on September 24th. The weather was perfect. In many ways, 2013 was a miracle harvest. ”

What so shocked Gelin when the clusters hit the sorting table? Often, when berries are as tiny as they were in 2013, bunches are irregular. On the same cluster, one finds grapes that are shriveled, ripe, and a bit underripe. Not so in 2013. “The harvest was small, but immaculate,” Gilles said. “Tiny berries, loaded with sugar. Thick skins and ripe seeds. We had it all — terrific concentration, excellent acidity, and great structure.”

Forget the modest price tag. Robert Parker’s 91-point 2013 Fleurie is a SERIOUS bottle of red Burgundy! Dark ruby to the edge. Explosive aromas of crushed raspberry, black cherry, and wild strawberry. Rich, juicy, and sturdy on the attack, surprisingly dense and fleshy, filled with crushed-red-fruit preserves. In great vintages like 2013, Gelin’s Fleurie ages gracefully for 10-15 years. Decant for 45 minutes and drink now — or far better, do as we’re doing, and lay this one down until sometime in the early 2020s.

91 points from The Wine Advocate. $25 on release. $18 today, via Direct Import. All orders placed today will ship next week — shipping included on 6 bottles or more.