Follow along on my wine journey.
I thought it would be a tough move, venturing out to explore other reds since my Sangiovese deep-dive, but then inspiration struck one evening as I was sitting in a wine bar being presented another Sangiovese with Gamay-like characteristics. I was intrigued. And as Zürich teased us with spring and a hint of summer, I noticed people visiting Studio Wino were drawn to lighter reds, even sparkling ones, and how Putsze Libre had become a new go-to during my nights at Freddy. So I thought, why not have a closer look at those famous lighter reds from Beaujolais?
Nice to meet you
David Large, Zombi. A curious-looking label and name for a wine bottle. Noticeably one that’s been hanging out on the shelf at Studio Wino and hasn’t been given much attention, so I wondered why. I poured it earlier yesterday after lunch, which was a mistake (I ate curry, which probably overshadowed my taste buds and didn’t give me quite the clear picture that I needed). Light and fresh, good for a mid-week kind of drink. So, I left it on the table, knowing that my wine buddies were coming to visit for dinner and I could give it another fair shot. Sorry to have met you on the wrong foot.
And so we met again later in the evening, with a clean palate and a nose that wasn’t caught up in the smell of curry. The nose shows a narrow but deep character, with subtle perfumed top notes and darker fruit hints (think blueberries and blackberries).
Tasting notes
Mmm… surprising, considering its colour I didn’t expect quite the freshness that I was met with. And even my friend exclaimed, “YUM! Grape juice?” Now you may think that grape juice perhaps isn’t quite the compliment you were hoping for, but for a casual midweek dinner catch-up with the girlfriends, it did exactly what it was supposed to. Extremely juicy, extremely drinkable, intense darker fruits as expressed on the nose too. Lovely texture and a finish that lingers. According to experts, this could even be an age-worthy option. How about that?
I’d even go so far as to say blackcurrants and a slight sweetness with a kick of tartness, that reminds me of Ribena if you want to go down the juice direction.
David Large
David Large is based in Montmelas, in the southwest of Beaujolais, and his family has been making wine here since 1840. Which makes it slightly funny that his approach feels so deliberately unlearned (so they say).
He trained at the elite schools, worked with some of the greats, and then spent years quietly questioning most of what he had been taught. His five hectares of vines are spread across small plots in the surrounding villages, farmed organically and biodynamically, and he vinifies almost every plot separately. That gives him as many as eighteen different cuvées from just five hectares, which tells you something about how seriously he thinks about place.
He also does everything himself, including driving the delivery truck and writing the rap verses printed on the sides of his labels. He is into music, film, and comics, and it shows. The Toxic Gamay’nger, Gamayhameha, Nelson (named after his one-eyed cat). The names are personal and playful, and the wines are not messing around. Zombi is his Beaujolais Nouveau, whole bunch, semi-carbonic maceration, black wax on top. A serious wine wearing a fun outfit.
Perhaps this edge is why my friends and I were subconsciously drawn to him, after all they are fashion girlies.
Getting to know Gamay
So what is Gamay, beyond being the grape everyone associates with Beaujolais Nouveau and the third Thursday of November?
It is an old Burgundian variety that was not particularly welcome in Burgundy for a long time. Pinot Noir was considered the serious grape of the region, and Gamay, productive and a little too easy-going, got pushed south into Beaujolais, where it found its footing in the granite and volcanic soils and never really looked back.
In the glass it tends to give you bright red fruit, high acidity, very low tannins, and a freshness that makes it genuinely easy to drink. At its most basic it is the bottle you open without thinking too hard. At its best, in the hands of someone paying close attention to where the vines are, it starts to taste like a specific hillside, and that is when it gets interesting.
The technique behind most Beaujolais is carbonic maceration, fermenting whole bunches in a carbon dioxide environment before pressing, which keeps things juicy and soft and the tannins minimal. It is a gentle process. For someone like me who is still warming up to reds, it feels like a good place to start.
And in true fashion, Rico also shared his notes on Beaujolais back in November for the Wino Forever members, where the honourable mentions were Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau AOP Besson 2025 and Selene Beaujolais 2020. Both currently out of stock, thanks for fellow Beaujolais fans.
A simple history of Beaujolais reds
Beaujolais sits just south of Burgundy, stretching between Mâcon and Lyon, and has been growing wine for a very long time, well before it became famous (and arguably before it became a little too famous for its own good).
The region has ten classified crus at the top: Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Morgon, and others, each with its own character and some real ageing potential. Below that are Beaujolais Villages and straight Beaujolais, and then Beaujolais Nouveau, the one that arrives every year on the third Thursday of November and became the thing most people outside France associate with the region.
That association has not always been kind. At its worst, Beaujolais Nouveau became a shorthand for thin, commercial, drink-it-fast wine. At its best, which is what the more thoughtful producers are showing, it is something else. A wine made from a specific place, harvested, fermented, and bottled in a matter of weeks, arriving in your glass still tasting of the year it came from.
The natural wine world has been quietly making the case for Beaujolais for a while now. A generation of producers started farming better and intervening less, and a younger wave has picked that up and kept going. David Large is part of that story.
Beaujolais in three ideas: granite, crunch, and joy
If I had to picture Beaujolais in wine terms, it would be rolling granite hills, crunchy fresh acidity, and pure drinking joy. Most vineyards sit on those mineral-rich soils rather than flat land, and that makes a big difference. Grapes ripen with sunny days, but the rocky terroir and cool nights keep the wines vibrant and far from jammy. For natural growers, this granite magic shines through unadorned: bright fruit, spice hints, and a lively bounce that pairs with everything from charcuterie to chilled glasses on a Zürich apero.
Three names to keep an eye on
As I piece together this lighter-red puzzle from Zürich, here are three producers currently in our selection at Studio Wino. Each brings a fresh spin on Gamay or its playful cousins, highlighting Beaujolais’s natural revival (ideal for spring sipping and beyond).
Séléné — If you are a Wino Forever member, you would have been introduced to Séléné back in November with their Beaujolais 2020. From the cru of Fleurie, these organic Gamays burst with red berries, violet perfume, and silky texture from old vines and minimal sulphur. Perfect for those seeking elegant, hillside-specific freshness without the Nouveau hype.
Domaine Marcel Lapierre — An easy win from Tour de Wino last season. A pioneer of natural Beaujolais from Morgon, Raisins Gaulois Bio is their more playful, carefree cuvée, full of bright red fruit, juicy freshness, and a touch of lift. Made from young Gamay vines with a light hand in the cellar, it is the kind of wine that feels immediately welcoming, but still carries the clarity and energy that make Lapierre so respected. A bottle to reach for when you want something pure, vibrant, and very drinkable.
Georges Descombes - Is where you start if Beaujolais is your gateway into natural wine. His Brouilly Vieilles Vignes comes from old vines that have had decades to figure out what they're doing, and you can taste it. Dark cherries, a little floral, with something earthy underneath that's hard to put your finger on but impossible to ignore. No added sulphur, no fussing around. Just really good Gamay from someone who clearly loves what he does. One of those bottles that makes you want to learn more.
