Top-notch Beaujolais, courtesy of Mr Wheeler

Hurrah! It’s May and time for our annual offer of top-notch Beaujolais from family-owned Maison Jean Loron (est: 1711), courtesy of Mr Wheeler.

All the wines are 100 per cent Gamay, of course, but they’re very different, each with their own subtle characteristics and quirks and Mrs Ray and I had quite an evening delving into the range. And, gosh, we came up smiling every time – beaming, even – and just that little bit squiffy.

The 2022 Brouilly, Ch. de la Pierre (1) comes from a 12-hectare domaine with a 12th-century château (complete with whizz-bang, high-tech winery) at its heart, surrounded by fields of wild grass, grazing horses and ancient woodland. It’s all very bourgeons chéris du mois de mai. The vines are more than 50 years old and there’s an intensity and concentration to the juicy bramble fruit. If any red could be called thirst-quenching, this is it. £15.95 down from £17.45.

The 2021 Saint-Amour, Domaine des Billards (2) from a trad yet modern estate (old vines/space-age tech) is engagingly fresh, light, soft, silky and succulent and, at its best, served lightly chilled. ‘Summer here we come!’ exclaimed Mrs Ray as she dived straight in. We both loved it, not just for its lusciousness but for its savoury tickle on the finish and sheer drinkability, a crucial characteristic that all too often gets overlooked. £16.45 down from £17.95.

Coming as it does from one of the most highly regarded domaines in the most highly regarded of Morgon’s six climats, the 2019 Morgon ‘Côte du Py’, Ch. Bellevue (3) boasts a fine pedigree. And with dynamic young winemaker, Elodie Rousselot, in post, these are exciting times as she experiments with concrete eggs, steel tanks, steel barrels and amphorae. The wine itself is a joy, with a meaty heart, rich cherry fruit and a long, long finish.