May I recommend a winter afternoon accompaniment for one of these bottles? "Taste" by Roald Dahl, to be found in The New Yorker online archives from 1951. Wonderfully dark snapshot of the foolish snobbery Mr. Asimov works so hard to purge from our enjoyment, knowledge and appreciation of wine.
I've always loved Beaujolais but, lets face it, for the money, there are so many wine values that are superior, so one must ask, why spend the $. Italy, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Argentina, all produce similar styles as well as more interesting wines for way less $. The average wine buyer does not spend $20 - 30. per bottle, but the Times doe not seem to cherish that fact and instead mostly profiles more expensive wines. Would you pay $20 or $10 for a 90 point wine? If money is no object, you would, but for most of us, stretching our $ and still drinking well is important. To me, expensive Beaujolais is not something I'd splurge for when I can buy Bogle Pinot Noir (90 points) for $11.
2
I do wish you'd include where in the NYC metro region we can find these wines. After reading column, I will hit all the obvious options, and more often than not, come up empty. So the column ends up being worthless, except to those few who hold onto them for months or years while they search.
2
Too bad the prices are creeping up so high on some of these producers.. especially as the dollar was at a high when these wines were being purchased
This is mostly because Importers and Wholesalers is shamelessly making huge profits of the fact that small amounts of these wines that comes to the states compared to demand. They Allocate it and then drive up the price. If you go to France you will find they cost less there in a restaurant then retail here. My point is remember that most of these winemakers still sell their wines for great prices comparably to quality.
Yeah, but were they all redolent of raspberry blossoms and Ghanaian chocolate?
No? Ah, mais ou sont les vignobles d'antan?
No? Ah, mais ou sont les vignobles d'antan?
Cru Beaujolais wines (and Beaujolais/Beaujolais-Villages from good producers such as these) are a favorite of mine for their vibrancy and sheer drinkability. I count them among my go-tos year-round, and now is a great time to buy---the 2014 vintage is being described as classic by many critics.
It never fails to impress me how the greatest examples of Beaujolais show a beguiling depth when you look past their bright, zippy fruit aromas and flavors (all of which I love). And best of all is the fact that you can still get your hands on the top wines at every-day, real world prices.
There is undeniably an ocean (or at least a small sea's worth) of mediocre to poor Beaujolais out there, created in a storm of careless over-commercialization and short-term thinking. And that's done a lot to dim many wine drinkers' views of the region over the past decade or two. I sometimes get looks when I mention that I think Beaujolais is criminally underrated, and convincing people to give them another look can be a challenge. But the truth is that when thoughtfully cultivated and crafted, the region's wines are among the most purely enjoyable to be had. A good bottle of Beaujolais is as much at home at a picnic as it is tableside at a fine dining establishment. And if that doesn't speak to its quality and versatility, I don't know what will.
Thank you for doing the hard "work" of tasting these wines---and for adding to my list of bottles to track down! Cheers.
It never fails to impress me how the greatest examples of Beaujolais show a beguiling depth when you look past their bright, zippy fruit aromas and flavors (all of which I love). And best of all is the fact that you can still get your hands on the top wines at every-day, real world prices.
There is undeniably an ocean (or at least a small sea's worth) of mediocre to poor Beaujolais out there, created in a storm of careless over-commercialization and short-term thinking. And that's done a lot to dim many wine drinkers' views of the region over the past decade or two. I sometimes get looks when I mention that I think Beaujolais is criminally underrated, and convincing people to give them another look can be a challenge. But the truth is that when thoughtfully cultivated and crafted, the region's wines are among the most purely enjoyable to be had. A good bottle of Beaujolais is as much at home at a picnic as it is tableside at a fine dining establishment. And if that doesn't speak to its quality and versatility, I don't know what will.
Thank you for doing the hard "work" of tasting these wines---and for adding to my list of bottles to track down! Cheers.
5
Ah, Fleurie! A love for the past decade and too hard to find. Maybe your coverage will drive up demand and get this gem on a few more shelves.
4
Haven't tasted the 2014 yet, but Brunet's Domaine de Robert is one of my house wines. To mix things up, I also enjoy Coudert's Clos de la Roilette.
Are you going to taste and report on other crus?
Are you going to taste and report on other crus?
1
I always wince a bit when reading reviews that praise Cru Beaujolais - not because it's undeserving, but simply because I still enjoy its relative obscurity and attendant affordability. A few years ago my wife and I were privileged to spend an afternoon in Morgon tasting with Marcel and Mathieu Lapierre and their wines remain among our favorites. Nice to know that fils is following in père's influential footsteps.
4
Try pairing the '14 Clos de la Roilette with a chunk of salty feta. Puckery, night-dark French wine meets puckery, sun-bright Greek cheese. Together, creamy and ridiculously delicious. And gotta love that goofy cross-eyed horse on the Roilette bottle!
1
Surprised to hear no mention of Jean-Paul Thevenet! Having recently tasted the 2011's of Thevenet, Lapierre and Foillard, side-by-side, I found Thevenet's stood out the most for me. The balance he strikes between juicy/fruity and minerality is outstanding; his wines seem to really sing, with great tension and precision.
1