Maison Paul Janin et Fils - Chénas Les Blémonts 2018

It has gained body since 2017. A more refined style. A good wine.

Since 1937, the Paul Janin et Fils estate has been producing Moulin-à-Vent and red and white Beaujolais-Villages wines. Eric Janin, the current owner, represents the fourth generation. He inherited a series of investments that are the foundation of the estate’s success today. In 1937, his grandfather purchased the famous vineyard known as Le Tremblay, and in 1967, his father acquired what is now the estate’s flagship cuvée: the century-old vines of Les Greneriers. Éric Janin is also the father of young Perrine, who is studying oenology and is, in turn, continuing the investments necessary to ensure the estate’s long-term viability. This involves, in particular, massal selections to gradually renew the estate’s stock of old vines. Difficult years have piled up for this cru, and Éric Janin has not escaped the violence of the hailstorms that have devastated the vineyard over the past three years. To preserve what has built the estate’s reputation, wines purchased from other producers now round out the lineup. More classic in style, these wines are well-crafted. As for the estate’s star wines, they are limited in quantity but never disappoint in quality. In 2018, the Vignes-du-Tremblay and Greneriers were magnificent successes.

The harsh weather conditions of recent years (hail, frost) have led Eric Janin to expand his lineup, while maintaining the same high standards. A prime example is this colorful, aromatic (violets, black cherries…), rich, indulgent, velvety, and well-balanced Chénas.

The 2018 Les Chénas Les Blémonts is bursting with enticing aromas of rose petals, raspberries, cherries, and spices. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, rich and enveloping, with succulent acidity and youthful, velvety tannins, this is a classic wine with character that will benefit from a year or two of bottle aging.

The location and age of the vines aren’t everything. It also takes the farmer’s intuition and analytical finesse of someone like Éric Janin to produce great Gamays that are concentrated and fresh. Since his first harvest in 1983, he has maintained a winemaking style that showcases vineyards located primarily within the Moulin-à-Vent appellation. Some vines, such as Les Greneriers, have lived through both world wars. In 2017, Éric Janin launched a wine trading business in partnership with other winemakers. Chénas, Brouilly, and Beaujolais-Villages round out his portfolio.