We had been importing Laurent Martay’s Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly for many years before they joined the ranks of the SAQ’s specialty products. Today, Martray’s Brouilly is a flagship product in its category at the SAQ, showing to those who are sceptical that the appellation can yield far-from-commonplace wines. The Brouilly has been a huge success, as has the exceptional Côte de Brouilly “Les Feuillées.” It is faithful to appellation as it offers up more structure, with a striking minerality and surprising length.

There’s no doubt that the wines of Laurent Martray helped generate interest among Quebecers for Cru Beaujolais. If northern Burgundy is the global standard of pinot noir, the same applies for gamay in Beaujolais, as the region’s recent renaissance testifies. We can only add that Laurent Martray is a charming, welcoming host. Have the urge to visit? You’ll definitely need a GPS, like many wineries in the labyrinthian of backroads of Beaujolais.

Pierre-Marie Chermette is as much a hard worker as he is talented. Along with his wife, Martine, they own vineyards throughout Beaujolais. They have a parcel adjacent to the winery in southern Beaujolais but most of the vineyards are scattered throughout the appellations of Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent and Brouilly. Pierre-Marie spends his days travelling hours between all his vineyards. The man is unrelenting and seemingly tireless in his pursuit of growing great grapes.

The end result of all that hard work are exceptional wines. France’s top wine guides are unanimous in placing Pierre-Marie Chermette amongst the headliners of Beaujolais. Their wines always show great density and a smooth texture, all built on a solid core of fruit. Most importantly, you can always taste the terroir in each cuvée, which makes Chermette an important ambassador for Beaujolais.