One minute, Jonathan was making the definitive Riesling in Marin County.

The next, he’s churning out the best Oakville reds money could buy from a vineyard next to Screaming Eagle under the TEXTBOOK label. A wine we proudly featured way back when.

Soon after, he’s across the pond and working in Beaujolais - of all places - pumping out Cru-level single vineyard Morgon from 70-year-old vines. And pulling in a massive 95 points for the inaugural vintage.

Go figure!

But why Beaujolais? A just-published Forbes article explains that “there is very little in common between that Beaujolais Nouveau and the more serious, oak-aged versions, especially from the 10 Crus of Beaujolais. And if you’ve only experienced the former, we’re here to convince you to drink the latter… the eponymous Domaine Jonathan Pey has just released its first bottling, 2022 Morgon ‘Bellevue.’ Pey, the cofounder of Textbook in Napa Valley, explained to us that he was drawn to Beaujolais’s Morgon and Fleurie crus because of their pink-granite and schist soils, steep slopes, altitude, rich winemaking histories, and abundant rainfall.”

And that, dear Operatives, has resulted in a gorgeous Beaujolais that in a blind tasting could give many a fine red Burgundy a run for the money. This is Gamay at its best. Fruit comes from a vineyard planted in 1953, where the pink granite lends a most unique terroir to the wines.

Decidedly complex and layered, with Pinot-esque bold red fruits at its core, complex layers of dried herbs, dizzying blossoms, graphite minerality, and firm but fine tannins that coat the palate like a silk robe. As reviewed by Master of Wine Bob Paulinski below, it’s a “sensational wine” and truly deserves every one of the 95 points. It’s that good, with an intangible “it factor” and then some!

According to the San Francisco Chronicle “When Pey first visited the vineyard that he ended up purchasing, it felt like fate. The seller was Maison Louis Jadot - one of the largest players in Burgundy and Beaujolais, and, incidentally, Pey’s first employer in the wine industry. That, coupled with the extraordinary physical features of the site, made it seem like this was meant to be. He could hardly believe that he was able to afford it.”

And we could hardly believe what we can bring it to you for with 55% OFF?!

Chill this stunner a bit and fire up that grill, long, sweet summer nights ahead.

95 Points – The Tasting Panel

“A sensational wine! A textbook example of a Cru that displays a strong sense of place. Medium deep, violet color, wonderful purity and intensity with the aroma. Red fruit galore: dark cherry, red raspberry, savory spice, and ample weight on the palate. Beautifully ripe, seamlessly smooth, layered, nuanced, lifted acidity, impeccably balanced with some taunt, yet ripe tannins on the back palate. With about an hour of aeration, the range and intensity of the wine is magnified. It’ll age gracefully for another decade. Produced from low yield, high density, seventy-year-old vines from a raised elevation vineyard site. Not fined or filtered. A wine with the ‘it factor’!”