August Wine Focus: Gamay - Beaujolais and beyond

[Robin Garr]

We're midway in summer up here in the Northern Hemisphere as sizzling July turns into steamy August. Why not turn to a red wine that can be served chilled? Or cool, anyway; I wouldn't freeze it. Beaujolais gets a reputation as a frivolous wine, but that's not necessarily so. The Cru villages from Morgon to Fleurie to Moulin-a-Vent and beyond can definitely reward serious tasting, and even possibly gain with a few years in the cellar. Uncork a bottle or a few as we explore Beaujolais for August Wine Focus. (Gamay-based wines, and the related Valdiguié, are on the table for discussion, and I wouldn't even rule out an excursion into similarly styled reds - Austrian Zweigelt or Loire Pinot Noir or Pineau d'Aunis, anyone?)
(
Because July's Focus on Riesling got so much attention, we're also going to hold it over for another month, making this WLDG's first-ever Month Of Two Foci!

[Jenise]

I will DEFINITELY be opening some Bojo's this month. In fact we just had a '13 Lapierre. I am such a fan of these wines, and am now even more so after a too-brief visit to the region a few months ago. Notes soon....

My first of the month is a very nice entry level red Mâcon. AFAIK both Pinot Noir and Gamy may be ingredients of reds in the Mâcon appellation but I am confident from the taste of this as well as the absence of reference to the more prestigious PN that it is made from Gamay. I would never have picked this off the shelf at our local Intermarché without our neighbour's recommendation. Once again he has proved reliable. At this price point, it competes with Gamay from Touraine

2013 Expert Club Mâcon Cuvée des Saints-Pères - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon (8/3/2016)
A supermarket's own label is not the most plausible source for deliciously quaffable Gamay but this one belied its origin. Medium/light body bursting with savoury tinged red and dark fruit, earthy minerals and tangy acidity, at cellar temperature it went down a treat with a pizza but its finish showed a touch of coarseness as it warmed towards room temperature. Good wine and good QPR at c.€6.

PS: I attach a photo of the back label which seems to me a model of what a casual drinker needs to know about a wine, other than its origin, producer and grape variety, the last of which is lacking .

Posted from CellarTracker

[David M. Bueker]

What's the last line on the chart Tim? It's too blurry to read.

It's "non boisé" to "très boisé", meaning "not wooded" to "very woody".

[Jenise]

I like the bar that decides between spicy and fruity. I had never looked at those two as different sides of the same coin, but it makes sense.

[Robin Garr]

I want a bar that slides from AFWE to Spoofulated.

[Jenise]

Okay...I want a bar that serves Leflaive Batard Montrachet for the price of Kendall Jackson. [She said, pretending to misunderstand.]

[David M. Bueker]

Sipping on a 2011 Chateau Thivin Côte de Brouilly right now, and while it is not as enchanting as it was on release, it has unclenched from the stern period it entered a year post release. Some of that mouth coating fruit is back, though it is still showing quite a bit of back end acidity. Interesting wine that I wish I had bought a case of, as it is following an intriguing trajectory.

Lidl is a supermarket chain in Europe with a resolutely down-market image, rather like that of its close rival Aldi, which I believe has shops in the USA. (In London, a certain class of people jokes that it is bad form to acknowledge a friend if one unexpectedly bumps into him/her in a Lidl branch.) However, I have learned that occasionally there is good value to be found there. I looked into the Lisieux branch earlier this week in the hope of picking up some more Chäteau de Reyne Cahors 2013 at <€6, but it was no longer on offer. I picked up this instead -

2014 Domaine des Jean-Loron Chénas - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chénas (8/4/2016)
Bought at a knock-down price from a supermarket with a down-market reputation, this is the second time I've been surprised by the good quality on offer. Rather more complex and serious than yesterday's Mâcon, it was medium bodied with a sweeter tinge to its savoury fruit, lively acidity and slightly more firmness on its finish. Good wine and I'll be back for more bottles if the price of €5 (or even a bit more) is still available.

Posted from CellarTracker

Good buy Tim! Tonite going to open a Gamay from Cave Springs Ontario to go with my rabbit .

A 2011 Pierre-Marie Chermette (Dom. de Vissoux) Moulin-à-Vent we tried the other day was grumpy at being being woken early. There is obviously plenty of fruit there, and no concessions to fashion. I'm confident the next bottle will be much better several years from now, and if I had to pick a Beaujolais to go fifteen years, this would be one I'd nominate.

2013 Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Griffe du Marquis was tough going for several hours. Mid-weight tart and bright and not leaning on the fruit at all until many hours later when the gentle almost-silky waves began to show themselves. Cellartracker says some people have really been enjoying their bottles recently, and who knows what randomness may occur from bottle to bottle, but I'm inclined to sit on the rest of mine for a while.

Hi Rahsaan, I have always heard good reports on this domaine and under the impression that wines from there would be accessible in their youth. Seems like I was wrong .

Hi Rahsaan, I have always heard good reports on this domaine and under the impression that wines from there would be accessible in their youth. Seems like I was wrong .

I wouldn't pick them as the most accessible of all Beaujolais in youth, because they do have a nice bit of structure, but the 'basic' cuvee is usually the best bet for immediate drinking. The Cuvée Tardive usually requires more age, and then this Griffe du Marquis (same old vines as the Tardive, but smaller (yet still old) oak barrels) requires even more age. That said, vintage also plays a role, and the fruit in 2013 was not the most generous. Depending on the year, I've enjoyed all 3 cuvees upon release.

TN: 2014 Cave Springs Gamay VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ont Canada.

$22 Cdn, SC, 13% alc. Big anticipation as I cooked my rabbit in a pancetta, mushroom onion red wine sauce. Polenta served on the side with carrots and parsnips.

Very light ruby red color, not a lot of depth at all. Enticing nose of strawberry, cherry, spice and pepper.
Medium bodied, more strawberry, integrated tannins here. "Blackberry..too much pepper" from across the patio. Overkill heat in my opinion but wine went well with bunny! Acidity was OK, not too much oak treatment here. Thought might be a softer style, more supple maybe. Think in a Beaujolais tasting, this would be a great ringer and fool many.

2011 Moulin-a-Vent, Vielles Vignes, Xavier & Nicholas Barbet:
Nice deep color, clean but restrained nose. Pretty simple at first, thought maybe too cool, but warming and air doesn't bring forth much more. OK structure, but pretty nondescript. Some tannins, but nothing raw. Sort of generic red wine. I really want to like this more, but it just isn't doing it for me, despite some good notes on cellartracker and by the pros. Closed down? Maybe, but a bottle taste about 1.5 years ago left a similar impression.

2013 LES FRERES PERROUD BROUILLY AMETHYSTE. Labeled 12.5% abv. Information on label: [Brouilly is] southernmost of the [10 Crus of Beaujolais] it is named for Mont Brouilly, a single volcanic hill that comprises the entire Cru. (This was something I didn't know before.) From a tiny 2-acre plot of 80-year-old vines planted on an amethyst-rich soil. Harvesting is done by hand.

Dark purple color (like a dark amethyst?), opaque. The nose suggests dark fruits. This needed 25 or 30 minutes to begin to show well. I discovered flavors of tart plum and black cherry with a touch of spice on the back end. The second evening it was even more eminently drinkable--really delicious. I paired it with a baked chicken dish. The wine faded some by the third evening and was probably best on the second evening.

Rob, the gourmets’ temple in Brussels, is the only place where I have found this estate’s wines and AFAIK they are not mentioned in any guides. However I have tasted them several times in the grower’s presence and have always found them good. When passing through a couple of weeks ago, I took the opportunity of picking up a bottle alongside an Etna red which I can’t find in France. Here is an interesting comparison of the same cuvée in two different vinatges; I think that my preference goes for the brighter and more tense 2013.

2013 Michel Guignier Morgon Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (6/16/2015)
A tasty medium bodied Morgon full of bright fruit, fine minerals, lively acidity and some saline backbone. Will it age well and veer in the PN direction? I won't keep the remaining bottle long enough to find out. Good+.

2015 Michel Guignier Morgon Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (8/12/2016)
Fuller, fruitier with a slightly sweet edge and less mineral than in most vintages but still full of Beaujolais verve, lively acidity and sheer drinkability. Good.

Posted from CellarTracker

WARNING: there are two different Michel Guignier estates, run by different people having the same name. This one confuses matters further by showing the address les Améthystes, 69430 Regnié-Durette on some labels and 69910 Villié-Morgon on others. The second Michel Guignier comes from Vauxrenard near Fleurie; I have no knowledge of his wines.

PS: I've just noticed the above post about BROUILLY AMETHYSTE, which appears to be nothing to do with Michel Guignier. I mention this because "Les Améthystes" appears quite prominently on some of Michel Guignier's labels. More confusion .

Rob, the gourmets’ temple in Brussels, is the only place where I have found this estate’s wines and AFAIK they are not mentioned in any guides. However I have tasted them several times in the grower’s presence and have always found them good.

2013 Michel Guignier Morgon Vieilles Vignes[/url] - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (6/16/2015)
A tasty medium bodied Morgon full of bright fruit, fine minerals, lively acidity and some saline backbone. Will it age well and veer in the PN direction? I won't keep the remaining bottle long enough to find out. Good+.

2015 Michel Guignier Morgon Vieilles Vignes[/url] - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (8/12/2016)
Fuller, fruitier with a slightly sweet edge and less mineral than in most vintages but still full of Beaujolais verve, lively acidity and sheer drinkability. Good.

Sounds nice. It looks like they are imported to the US by Polaner, so maybe I'll run across them one day! (So much delicious and affordable Beaujolais out there, we are truly spoiled)

2011 Foillard Fleurie
I've had a few bottles of Foillard Fleurie from 2010 and 2011 (I think), and have never really understood the appeal. They always seemed polished and composed, which is all well and good. But they lacked the depth, precision and complexity of great Burgundy and they lacked the energy of great Beaujolais.

This was my most convincing bottle to date of the Fleurie, because after a bit of air the dark ripe suave mineral fruits were joined by a delicate lacy ethereal texture that combined to make something special. I'm still not sure I prefer this to the Côte du Py (which is of course cheaper), but I have more experience with the latter, so that could also play a role. Regardless of the analysis, it was fun and delicious to drink the wine.

Rahsaan, I have tried to find said producer here but no luck yet!!

Rahsaan, I have tried to find said producer here but no luck yet!!

Wow. Sorry to hear that. He's been on my short list of favorite Beaujolais producers for a long time, although the growing popularity has led to some crazy dynamics like allocations. Allocations for Beaujolais! (I could only buy 4 bottles of the 2014 Côte du Py)

[David M. Bueker]

2009 Marcel Lapierre Morgon - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (8/13/2016)
Exactly what I expected out of this wine-red fruit, a crisp balance and a touch of aged complexity with herbs, a hint of licorice and a clean finishing minerality. Not much else to say other than yum.