The Estate... There are many cool things about Domaine de la Voute des Crozes. For a non-native French speaker, the name is not one of those things: hard to wrap my tongue around. But the wine is easy on the palate, and shows to my mind the correct balance of tradition and modernity for a wine. Nicole Chanrion went to university to study her craft, and has a level of understanding of oenology that would have been rare in the sepia-toned past. But her estate is a happy throwback: earthen cellar, very much a small family domaine, one that Chanrion took over from her father and operates with focus to make tasty old-school Cru Beaujolais.

The Land... Rocky and steep, the Cote de Brouilly is an emphatic southern endpoint to the better part of Beaujolais. In spite of a checkered recent past (too much commercial junk wine) and a long plebeian history (read up on Phillip the Bold for more details) the region of Beaujolais gets a lot of respect at 3CUPS. Top-notch Beaujolais is superb with innumerable French bistro classics. To understand the impressive range of foods this wine can match, #1 try it with salmon and lentils and then #2 have a bottle (or two) of Chanrion Cote de Brouilly with a lardon-laden macaroni and cheese dinner. This red is fresh enough for the former, and cleanses the palate between fatty bites of the latter.

The Grape... 98% of this region's wine is red made from one grape variety: Gamay grown in this part of France has an unmistakable aroma, color, and flavor. Refreshing lightness, lower alcohol, bright acidity, and red-fruit juiciness make Beaujolais a perennially satisfying red wine to keep around the house.