92 pts Wine Advocate
Opening in the glass with aromas of raspberries, plums, spices and smoke, the 2021 Cte de Brouilly Cuve Melanie is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and succulent, with a sweet core of fruit, tangy acids, powdery tannins and penetrating finish. It’s one example of a 2021 that I prefer to its riper, more powerful 2020 counterpart.

Daniel Bouland has turned out another very successful set of wines in this challenging vintage, which has delivered a cooler, brighter, lower-alcohol style, rendered with all the concentration and plenitude one has come to expect from this address. Bouland reported that fermentations went quickly, so macerations were a touch shorter than in recent years. As usual, maturation was in foudre and tank, and several cuves had only been bottled a few weeks before my visit. This estate continues to represent a reference point for the Beaujolais, and everything reviewed here comes warmly recommended.