£9.75, Oddbins
The 2015 vintage was brilliant for Beaujolais, from straight Beaujolais to the ten appellations in their own right at the top, the so-called crus such as Fleurie and Morgon. Henry Fessy is the only producer to make wine in nine out of the ten, but the 2015 cru wines won’t be ready for shipping until next year. In the meantime, the generous, strawberry-perfumed Beaujolais-Villages (a step up from straight Beaujolais) is here and ready to drink, although even this benefits from a bit of air-time in the glass because of the extra ripeness and concentration in 2015. A good Beaujolais is the sort of wine that people who normally only drink white often enjoy, which makes it useful when catering for the usual mix of Christmas guests. It can handle turkey and all the trimmings, is ideal with Boxing Day ham and is a good partner for salmon. And if you’re down to a few crisps and chipolatas, they’ll be fine with that too. Serve it cool, but not chilled to death.
Henry Fessy Beaujolais-Villages 2015, Beaujolais, France
£9.75, Oddbins, oddbins.com