2018 Fleurie, L'Ultime, Yvon Metras, Beaujolais

Yvon Métras' 2018 Fleurie is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with a delicate bouquet of red berries, rose petals, violets and subtle hints of smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, fine-boned and charming, it's delicately fleshy, with a perfumed core of fruit, powdery tannins and succulent acids. It isn't as deep or concentrated as the 2017, but it's more elegant.

One of the godfathers of the natural wine movement in the Beaujolais, the elusive Yvon Métras shuns the press, but when his wines show well, they're some of the region's most captivating, and since I began covering this region, I've made a point of tasting them from my own cellar. With the exception of one rather high-toned cuvée, 2018 has turned out very nicely at this address, and I'm certainly looking forward to my remaining bottles and magnums.

Drink 2020 - 2030

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (May 2020)