Guy Breton P'tit Max Morgon, Beaujolais, France

As one of the original Gang of Four vignerons, along with Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard and Jean Paul Thevenet, Guy Breton is credited with launching the French natural winemaking movement in Beaujolais in the 1980s. The Gang of Four, as dubbed by US importer Kermit Lynch, were the first to adopt the techniques and principles of oenologist Jules Chauvet for producing gamay on granite without sulphur.

Of all the gang of four, Guy Breton (aka Le P'tit Max) is perhaps the least well known in the UK. His estate comprises just 4ha of vineyards, the majority of which lies in the Morgon cru. He practices organic viticulture in the vineyard, and adopts a natural, minimalist approach in the winery. His wines offer a rare purity, perfume, minerality and drinkability, and are generally considered classics of the genre.

P'tit Max, is the top wine from Guy Breton, with fruit sourced from 1ha of organically farmed vines of 90 to 120 years old planted on granite. Grapes are harvested early to retain freshness, and undergo carbonic maceration in whole clusters, with a cool fermentation using only indigenous yeast. Unlike other winemakers in the area, Guy moves any juice that settles at the bottom of the tank during fermentation to another tank. The idea is to prevent it from obtaining too much colour, tannin and concentration from the skins, in favour of a lighter, fresher, more fragrant style. The wine is then aged for 12 months; 40 % in tank, and 60% in old barrels from Domaine de la Romanee Conti of Burgundy fame.