Though Ferraud’s wines have been in the U.S. market in the past, they currently have no importer, which is a shame because they consistently make distinctive Beaujolais. (The prices I quote come from a world-wide averages.) My experience with their wines comes from decades ago when they were imported and, more recently, drinking them in Paris bistros. A tasting earlier this year in New York showed that they haven’t lost their touch. La Dynastie des Ferraud originally was a barrel selection of their best wine, from any off the Beaujolais crus. For the last seven years it has come from Moulin-à-Vent and has been made in conjunction with a Burgundy producer who supplies 3-year old oak barrels where the wine ages for six months on its fine lees. Mineral-y and suave, it conveys a Syrah-like peppery quality that adds allure. It is a powerful wine reflective of the superb and ripe 2015 vintage, yet it is not overblown or jam-y. On the contrary, it’s refined and elegant despite its power. Long and graceful, it shows the heights to which Beaujolais can rise.
P. Ferraud et Fils, Moulin-à-Vent (Beaujolais, France) 2015
By Michael Apstein