Domaine Les Gryphées, Beaujolais “Cuvée Les Balmes”

If the Jeopardy category was “pricing” and the clue was “Burgundy real estate, century-old vines, hand-farming, and barrel aging,” one could safely assume the answer to be “what are wines over $40.” Normally, that would be correct, but “Cuvée des Balmes” is no normal wine. This highly addictive Beaujolais hails from ancient wooden beasts that yield a few clusters of Gamay per year. These delicate grapes are gently harvested by hand, fermented in the winery without any manipulation, and matured in old French barrels before bottling without any fining or filtration. All this, mind you, for a price that defies any sort of logic. So, if this $20 chart-busting Burgundy value doesn’t already have you lurching towards checkout, I’m at a loss for words. For all those still sleeping on this region, we have two words for you: wake up!!! Beaujolais is a magnet for winemaking talent, a treasure trove of heirloom vineyards, and one of the world’s epicenters for red wine value. And by “value” I mea