Louis Tête, Côte de Brouilly (Beaujolais, France) 2018

 Côte de Brouilly, one of the 10 crus, or named villages of Beaujolais, is really a small mountain that emerges from Brouilly, another of the named villages.  It has many lieux-dits (place names) on its slope.  More and more, Beaujolais producers are identifying specific sites within the cru because they believe the wines are distinctive and reflect the site, just as in the rest of Burgundy.  In Louis Tête’s version, lovely ripeness, emblematic of the 2018 vintage, balances the firmness that characterizes the wines from the Côte de Brouilly.  Firm, without being hard, it delivers the energy and upbeat personality of the top wines from Beaujolais. It’s another good choice for summer grilling.