The fact that this best-of-the-year jewel costs less than $30 makes it a red-wine value almost without equal.

From the start, this had all the makings of a rock-star bottling: Dominique Piron is one of the canonical producers of Beaujolais, and Cte du Py is widely recognized as the greatest terroir in the revered Morgon cru.

Factor in the 2020 vintagesmall in volume, terrific in concentrationand you get a wine that earns rhapsodic reviews like the one that appeared on JancisRobinson.com: The only word I could find was magnificent. It tasted, felt, like black-purple silk. Like midnight. Like pewter by candlelightA Beaujolais channeling the soul of Marrakech.

Favoring single-vineyard expressions honed by long vinifications, Piron is often grouped with other classically-minded producers like Domaine Paul Janin et Fils and Chteau Thivin, all of whom employ the same methods the Cte dOrs best producers use for Pinot Noir. The goal, as Piron told Wine Advocate, is a photocopy of the soil.

This 2020 release accomplishes that feat beautifully. If youre unfamiliar with world-class bottlings off Morgons Cte du Py hillside, imagine the granitic verve of Cte-Rotie combined with the heady aromatics of a fabulous Chinon. A jolt of minerality bursts through the palates dense, dark fruit, while the nose offers a supple bouquet of black cherry, spice, and crushed ash.

As in Burgundy, vinification is slow and gentle: partial destemming, a lengthy fermentation to pull out the finest tannins from the grape skins, and aging in barrels and foudres to lend roundness. This is an attention-grabbing, serious wine, offering the best of what Beaujolais can beand at an unbelievable price, given its pedigree. Down to $25 per bottle on case-buys, red deals dont come better than this one.