So we found this wine covered in dust on a wine rack hidden out of site behind a clunky old and fairly ginormous computer CPU, which I said to Neil 'had to go'.
A Beaujolais
A 1997!!!!!!.
Don't you have to drink Beaujolais young?
I don't know.
Let's open it tonight, then.
In the glass Chateau de Grandmont Beaujolais 1997 showed a translucent tawny red colour with a touch of pinky orange. On the nose - faint vinous scents - no fruit / no oak / just the distant smell of savoury old wine. But in the palate it was surprisingly sweet - sweet yet savoury with macerated strawberry and a touch of cherry, a silky tannin structure, a slightly herbal woody note to the backbone and a long savoury and delicately floral finish. A touch of acidity adds a tingling nuance too. It is actually quite nice and reminiscent of old pinot noir from the old days. 12% alcohol and a tight fitting natural cork.
We had no idea how we came across this AOC Beaujolais Villages wine because it is not recorded in our catalogue but on the label the proprietor's names, Georges Michel and Jean Brac de la Perriere, were a huge clue. Georges Michel owns the Domaine Georges Michel winery in Marlborough and Jean was his consultant winemaker from the early days of making wine here. Georges sold his share in Chateau de Grandmont to establish his Marlborough winery.
While we were discussing the origin of this wine, Neil remembered a Beaujolais he had been given as a present. He was pretty sure the Ch. de Grandmont looked too grand and he was right because he found the Compagnie Beaujolaise Rouge 1996, a generic Beaujolais (AOC) wine in a clear embossed bottle with a group of people in front of a Compagnie Beaujolaise truck. We opened it the next night, which was Bastille Day.
A little more tawny to the ruby red and surprisingly drinkable on first tasting, thanks once again to a tight fitting but this time agglomerate cork. It has that earthy pinot noir quality, a hardness to the backbone and while there's plenty of acidity holding the wine together, it has no other discernible fruit. Also 12% alcohol and while nowhere near as stunning as the previous day's wine, it is drinkable; it is definitely wine. We thought we wouldn't drink more than one glass of the wine but you know what, it came into its own with a potato, leek and blue cheese casserole. A match that was quite sublime.
Aged Beaujolais. Who would have thought?
I learnt several lessons with these wines, that being - don't believe everything you were taught in wine class, don't judge a wine before you have tasted it yourself and, as always, be prepared to be more than pleasantly surprised.
Cheers,
Sue Courtney