WTN: Georgia, Chianti, CdP of the Morgon type

Askaneli Brothers "Askaneli" Saperavi 2007 - dry red wine from Kvareli in eastern Georgia; 100% Saperavi; 13,5% abv; 10,04€
We haven't seen many Saperavis or other Georgian wines, but the few unspoofulated ones that I have tried have been very enjoyable wines in a rustic style. This Askaneli gladly doesn't use new oak, but neither is it very rustic.

This is a wine with much dark fruit, quite savoury, a little bit lifted (but not full blown VA by any means) - it is a clean and pure scent. Quite full bodied, wonderfully tannic and rugged palate with bright fruit - the palate-cleansing tannins remind me of Nebbiolo's. A "small" wine, perhaps, but one that I found very enjoyable.

Casa Emma Chianti Classico 2007
13,5% abv. Much more interesting to me than the supposedly better previous vintage. This has some rather nice sandalwood aromas and a pleasant lift to the dark fruit. Medium-full body, good crunchy structure. It doesn't have the brightness of precision of the best Chiantis but it was enjoyable.

Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côte du Py 2008
A lighter style, less fruity and more red-toned, than the previous years, spicy aromas to the Gamayness. A bit plasticy (reductive?) at first but clears with air - but it does need much air to be enjoyable now. As with most Burgauds I have had, this is tannic for Gamay. Nice stuff but needs some age.

[David M. Bueker]

Morgon is robust, more so than to my taste. I prefer Beaujolais from places like Moulin-a-Vent.

Morgon is robust, more so than to my taste. I prefer Beaujolais from places like Moulin-a-Vent.

Isn't Moulin a Vent also pretty robust and tannic for Beaujolais? I always think of Morgon as fullish and deepish but less structured than Moulin a Vent. I think of Chiroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Régnié, as places to go for lighter Beaujolais.

Of course even with all the great Beaujolais producers exported to the States my conception of these villages is still shaped by relatively few producers (i.e. <10) so their styles could also come into play.

Of course even with all the great Beaujolais producers exported to the States my conception of these villages is still shaped by relatively few producers (i.e. <10) so their styles could also come into play.

The even smaller sample size over here has led me to the opposite conclusion. But I guess we can safely say that they are among the more structured Crus.

The even smaller sample size over here has led me to the opposite conclusion. But I guess we can safely say that they are among the more structured Crus.

By opposite do you mean that Morgon gives more tannic wines than Moulin a Vent?

I find that hard to believe!