Tag Archives: Gamay

A Tasty Beaujolais-Villages

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“The more I sip, the more I like.”

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I think I may have found a new favorite not-quite-everyday wine.

The funny thing is, I looked at this one on the shelf at Westborn Market in Berkley for at least a month before I finally decided to take a chance and give it a try. I’ve enjoyed more than a few Nicolas Potel wines over the years, but they were all red Burgundies, for which this producer is best known. Finally, I reasoned that they would probably treat Gamay in essentially the same manner, with the same “house style,” as they do Pinot Noir, and that is exactly what I found here. What’s more, there’s a goodly amount of this available, so Westborn Beverage Manager Steve Rapson must like it, and I have come to trust his judgment in matters such as this. Continue reading →

A Fleurie For Zinfan

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“I’ll buy a few of these for near term drinking
and a few more to lay down in the cellar.”

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Our old Gang of Pour co-conspirator, Alan Kerr, never used to care much for Gamay, but in the last few years, he’s gotten the Zen of the stuff, and now likes it a lot. He’s in town for a visit, and this is a wine that I will make a point of opening for him, because I think it’s what we’re both looking for in a good Beaujolais.

Fleurie, of course, is the highly-regarded Beaujolais cru appellation. While one bottling I’ve had recently is more in the deep, dark Morgon-like spectrum, most have been a little lighter and more fruit forward, like several of the Coudert Clos de la Roilette offerings we’ve enjoyed. This one falls more in the latter category.
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Three from Château des Jacques

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“This wine could almost be mistaken for Pinot Noir in a blind tasting.”

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Some months ago, a member of a private Facebook wine group I lurk in posted a picture of an old vintage of a Louis Jadot Beaujolais Village. The poster explained that the bottle had recently been gifted to them and wondered if it might still be any good. Most replies rightly stated that this was unlikely, given the wine’s age and provenance, or lack thereof. And, of course, there were a few obligatory knee-jerk declarations that nothing Louis Jadot makes and/or exports is any good, so why even bother. Those comments elicited some quick kickback from more knowledgeable wine drinkers who countered that Jadot does indeed have some worthwhile selections that are more than just forgettable plonk in their portfolio. Take Château des Jacques for instance.

According to the Kobrand Corporation website, “The historic Château des Jacques estate, located in the village of Romanèche-Thorins in the Moulin-à-Vent appellation, is widely recognized as the most prestigious estate in Beaujolais.” Whether or not this is hyperbole or actual fact, I can’t say. I can testify to the fact that I have had some good wines from this producer, starting with the 2012 Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent in 2015. That same wine was a thing of silky beauty when I tasted it about 6 months ago, and I can only rue the fact that I took no notes at the time. My bad.

Last week, I picked up the 2020 bottling at Plum Market, and I found it to be much to my liking, even though it may be more about promise at this early stage of development.
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Two Reds

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“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.
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Love for Le Ronsay

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“We like Brun’s wines a lot. They are totally devoid of guile, pretense or artifice.”

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As I was enjoying this wine a few nights ago, I couldn’t help but recall with some amusement the clique that used to dominate a certain major publication’s wine forums back around the turn of the century. These guys worshiped high-end California Cabs and First Growth Bordeaux. They had more dollars than sense, and were prone to spewing the bloated (not to mention bogus) notion that Gamay is somehow a second-class grape variety not worthy of serious consideration.

Anyone who’s had good Beaujolais, and in particular, the wines of Jean-Paul Brun knows what a ridiculous assertion this is. We’ve had a number of them over the years, ranging from Brun’s Domaine des Terres Dorees Beaujolais l’Ancien Vieilles Vignes to his Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent, and they have never failed to please. The selection reviewed here may be labeled “Beaujolais,” but it drinks like one of the more prestigious crus. As I wrote back in 2009, “We like Brun’s wines a lot. They are totally devoid of guile, pretense or artifice.”
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