Yohan Lardy "Poppy" Gamay Vin de France 2023

If this wine was an emotion, it’d be happy. Full of youth and airy berry aromatics, cranberry and white pepper, the nose is more than welcoming. The palate is fruity though light acidity teeters between notes of strawberry and savory cherry tomato. Red fruit moves into a dense, meaty, earthy core before a finish on tannin and acidity. A touch of sweetness on the end, because, well... it is Beaujolais, afterall.

Yohan Lardy is one of Beaujolais' most vibrant young winemakers. The fifth generation in his family to grow wine in the Beaujolais, he is working organically in his vineyards, plowing in between the rows and vines so herbicides aren’t needed. The balance of biodiversity that he maintains makes using insecticides unnecessary. All of this vineyard work, including harvest, is done manually. In the cellar, whole-cluster fermentation begins spontaneously in concrete or polyethylene tanks and lasts up to three weeks. No SO2 is added during fermentation. He then ages his Cru wines in old Burgundy barrels for 8-10 months. His wines are known for their concentration, vivacious nature and bright acidity.

The grapes for this wine come from on 60-year-old vines in Lancie, which is part of the Beaujolais-Villages appellation. Hand-harvested and fermented via native yeasts and without sulfites. There is a touch of carbonic maceration. Aged in stainless steel tanks, no oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Yohan Lardy’s youthful enthusiasm and charm are practically irresistible. If you subscribe to the notion that the wine matches the winemaker, Yohan’s energy and unguarded good-humor will come as no surprise once you’ve tasted his wines.