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Beaujolais Renaissance |
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Thursday, 25 September 2008 |
Reported by Jim Gallivan
Beaujolais, a region seemingly best known for Beaujolais Nouveau, is undergoing a renaissance as winemakers and wine drinkers discover the value and drinkability of properly made Beaujolais. To provide an introduction to the Beaujolais renaissance, guild member Yohanna Loucheur collected several wines from the 2005 and 2006 vintages for a tasting for Guild members.
 The evening opened with a Saint Veran Beajolais blanc from J.P. Brun, a Chardonnay made in the Burgundy style with wild yeast fermentation and lees contact. This was a delicate wine with melon, peach, and nutty aromas, and an acid minerality on the finish. The other two wines in the first flight were a 2006 Beaujolais (L’Ancien Terres Dorées, J.P. Brun) and 2006 Beaujolais Villages (Clos du Fief , Michel Téte). The wild fermented Beaujolais was light and fruity with aromas of cherry, raspberry, and earth. It had surprisingly high tannin and good acid. The Beaujolais Village had aromas of cherry, cranberry, and candy, with light tannins and good acid.
The second flight featured the five lighter Beaujolais Cru. All were light bodied with good acidity making them great food wines. The first wine was a 2005 Chiroubles, Château de Javernand from Duboeuf. The wine was a dark purple with a ripe cherry nose. It was surprisingly light on the palate given the ripe flavours. The second wine, a 2006 Brouilly from Château de la Chaize was light, fruity, and aromatic with some initial smoke, then floral and cherry notes. The third wine, a 2005 Chénas, Domaine des Darroux from Duboeuf was initially closed, but opened up with floral and cherry notes. The fourth wine, a 2006 Régnié from Château de la Pierre was somewhat earthy, while the fifth wine, a 2006 Fleurie from Château Poncié was fruity (cherry, strawberry) with peppery notes.
The third flight featured the heavier Beaujolais Cru, although the first wine, a 2005 Saint-Amour, Mommessin 3 Terroirs, with its aromas of dark cherry, spice, and tea, had the light body and high acidity typical of the second flight. However, this was a wine that would develop with age. The second wine, a 2005 Julienas from Clos du Fief, had aromas of black cherry and currants with graphite and earthy notes, and an acid backbone. Theoretically it is at its peak, but could probably last a few more years. The third wine, a 2005 Côte de Brouilly, Terres Dorées from J.P. Brun was opaque and closed initially, but opened up with aromas of cherry, strawberry, and herbal tea. It was balanced by a bracing acid and minerality, again suggesting a wine for the cellar. The fourth wine, a 2005 Morgon (Les Charmes) from Trichard was the most “typical” Beaujolais of the evening from the “least typical” Cru. It was opaque and closed initially before opening up to candied dark cherry with peppery/spicy overtones. On the palate, it oozed ripe fruit (perhaps why it is a Parker favourite), but had good acid. The final wine was a 2006 Moulin-à-Vent (Terres Dorées) from J.P. Brun. It was dark red with aromas of black cherry, currant, spice, and herbs. On the palate there was a good core of fruit balanced by acid and tannin. Although Wine Spectator suggested that this wine be drunk now, it could probably age for a few years.
 To demonstrate the versatility of Beaujolais, Yohanna also provided a range of delicacies; two sausages, a Rosette de Lyon and a sausage made with prosciutto, chicken liver, and leek paté; baked olives; an onion compote; and three cheeses, a raw milk Gruyère, a 5-year-old cheddar, and a triple-crème cheese (camembert type) baked in puff pastry with blueberry jam. The basic Beaujolais and the wines of the second flight complemented the sausages and olives, but tasted tart and astringent against the fattier dishes. The wines of the third flight, particularly the Côte de Brouilly and Moulin-à-Vent, were the most versatile as they had the weight and core of fruit to match the fattier dishes, but still had the acid and minerality to complement the sausages and olives.
Yohanna is to be commended for organizing an interesting tasting with some fine wines. Over the past year I have seen various articles describing the Beaujolais renaissance with the arrival of large Burgundy producers and the rise of smaller artisanal producers. The wines tasted suggested that Beaujolais is regaining stature and will be a region to consider when searching for food friendly wines in the coming years.
The winesFlight 1
- Beaujolais blanc, Terres Dorées (JP Brun)*, 2005, 12.5% alc., $21.40
- Beaujolais, L'Ancien Terres Dorées (JP Brun)*, 2006, 12.5% alc., $16.75
- Beaujolais villages, Clos du Fief (Michel Tête)*, 2006, 12.5% alc., $18.00
Flight 2
- Chiroubles, Duboeuf Château de Javernand, 2005, 12.8% alc., $17.05
- Brouilly, Château de la Chaize, 2006, 12.5% alc., $20.95
- Chénas, Duboeuf Domaine des Darroux, 2005, 12.8% alc., $16.80
- Régnié, Château de la Pierre (Loron & fils), 2006, 12.5% alc., $16.50
- Fleurie, Château Poncié (Dom du Vissoux*), 2006, 13% alc., $21.75
Flight 3
- Saint-Amour, Mommessin 3 Terroirs, 2005, 13% alc., $25.95
- Juliénas, Clos du Fief (Michel Tête)*, 2005, 13% alc., $19.95
- Côte de Brouilly, Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun)*, 2005, 12.5% alc., $18.60
- Morgon, Les Charmes (Jacques Trichard), 2005, 13% alc., $18.55
- Moulin-à-vent, Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun)*, 2006, 12.5% alc., $21.20
*Among Jancis Robinson's favourite Beaujolais producers |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 15 November 2008 )
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