Jules Metras Bijou Beaujolais Villages 2017

The young Jules Metras, son of the legendary Yvon, has just released the second vintage of his own wine, a Beaujolais-Villages, from two parcels of vines - one formerly belonging to Jules Chauvet, the merchant, winemaker, scientist and godfather of natural wine. These wines have serious pedigree..

Jules makes the wine in much the same way his father does - the fruit, harvested relatively late, is cooled down before gentle, long, cool carbonic fermentation with natural yeasts in sealed concrete vats. The attention to detal meticulous, just like his father. And no sulfur, like his father.

Jules studied winemaking at the Beaune Lycée Viticole and then worked abroad for two years to undetstand different concepts and apporaches, notably in New Zealand and Chile. Whilst this was happening, Yvon moved the cellar to Vauxrenard, about ten kilometers from Fleurie.

Behind the cellar was an old vineyard, poorly maintained but with vines that were 80 years old. Yvon began refurbishing it, with the intention that Jules could start there which he gladly did. Two more vineyards followed: one in the village Lancié, the other in the village of La Chappelle de Guinchay, this is the one owned by Jules Chauvet.

Jules is good freinds with the sons of two other legendary winemakers in his region; Alex Foillard (Jean Foillard) and Kewin Descombes (Georges Descombes) the future of fine, natural wines from the Beaujolais is very secure.