Tonight this wine feels very front of mind after taking a bottle of Yohan Lardy 1903 to friends for dinner. 

Not just my favourite because it’s delicious, but because Yohan was really the winemaker who started Vintrepid for us. Chris found him years ago while researching small French producers, and we ended up visiting him in Beaujolais on our first buying trip. We met his wife and children, saw the cellar underneath their house, had the most amazing lunch and made a friend. 

At one point we even popped a tyre and Yohan stopped and changed it for us on the side of the road.

That’s what I think about whenever I open this wine. Not scores or fancy tasting notes — although the 1903 is highly rated and loved by Beaujolais fans. It’s more the fact you’re buying wine from a real family, farming the same vineyards since 1903. Yohan still ploughs parts of them by horse.

It’s a good reminder that behind every bottle is usually just a farmer, a family and a lot of hard work. 

Jess (Chris's wife and unpaid blogger) 

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