“Fairly rich in fruit, yet decidedly dry from entry through finish…”
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In a previous life in retail wine sales, customers would regularly ask me if I could meet or beat Costco pricing for specific wines, and my stock reply was always that, while I couldn’t match their prices, I had so many more selections to offer that the bulk store didn’t even carry. It was true, and most of my clients got the message. Conversely, however, Costco has always (and still does) carried some very worthwhile selections at very good prices.
I happened upon a couple of those good red wines in the last week. One is a Cru Beaujolais and the other, a Zin from California, and, yes, I found them both at our friendly neighborhood Costco.
We’ve been fans of the wines from Kermit Lynch’s Morgon producers such as Jean Foillard and Guy Breton for many years, but this is my first encounter with Domaine Fagolet, and although I tend to be a bit suspicious of bottles sporting a high rating on the front label, I am pleased with what I found when I poured a glass of this one.
2020 Domaine Le Fagolet Morgon Le Janin, 13% alc., $19.97: This is a nice bottle of wine for a decent price. It registers on the darker side of Gamay, with good weight and an earthy black cherry cranberry character, shaded with hints of something resembling rhubarb. It has the stuffing to cellar for at least a couple of years, but already drinks well with just a little bit of air. Fairly rich in fruit, yet decidedly dry from entry through finish; I like this so well, I couldn’t help but pour myself a second, and then a third glass. Find this wine
Domaine Le Fagolet is a family farm of 10 hectares on the granite slopes of Beaujolais in constant search of quality and traceability. Plot selections, drastic reduction in inputs, return to ancestral winemaking methods, sulphur-free cuvées, long macerations, careful aging will surprise lovers of good wine made by an Artisan Winemaker.
Imported by Aquitaine Wine USA, LLC, Berkeley, CA
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It’s been quite a while since I last had anything from Seghesio Family Vineyards, mainly because I haven’t seen any of their higher-end Zinfandels such as Cortina or Home Ranch Vineyard around here, and the entry level Sonoma Zin is sometimes just too damned oaky. Still, I have fond memories of the Sonoma bottling’s solid core of fruit, so I figured it might be time to try one again.
2021 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel, 15% alc., $17.99: This wine is a pure expression of the Zinfandel variety, dosed with a little more oak than I usually care for. It’s a bit rough when first poured straight from the bottle, but it opens quickly to reveal spicy blackberry and black raspberry flavors and aromas, and the oakiness recedes to a level I can tolerate. It’s a little higher in alcohol than I like, but other than that, it’s already good to drink right now and it will likely improve with a year or two in the bottle. $17.99 is a fair price for what’s in the bottle, and I have no doubt that my colleague in St. Catherines, Canadian Zinfan, would agree.
It used to be better, but it’s still pretty good. Find this wine
Our Sonoma Zinfandel is crafted from an average selection of 172 lots each vintage. Each of these hundreds of small lot wines are individually assessed and tasted for character and quality. From there, our winemaking team thoughtfully assembles a blend that is always consistent in its representation of place and quality.
Reporting from Day-twah,
Bastardo
