Keeping Up With Beaujolais!
By Kerry Winslow
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2009 Dupeuble, Beaujolais, Gamay.
Smooth and silky Gamay with bright and lush flavors, the Dupeuble, has more than expected depth and richness, making for a rewarding wine. 2009 has done wonders for Beaujolais and brought world attention to this underrated region and to the Gamay grape itself. This vintage shows strawberry, black currants and pecan shells with a plummy body and fine tannins. Even the most jaded of wine enthusiast is thrilled by these wines from Beaujolais and most f the Crus are selling out as fast as they come in! ($14.95 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive
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2009 Coquelet, Chiroubles Cru Beaujolais, Gamay.
This ripe and intense Cru is raw and shockingly gripping with dark fruit and impressive structure. Tightly knit and firm, you might even want to lay this one down for a year, but it does open up after a few minutes in the glass, and who wants to wait for a Beaujolais anyway! Not your grandmas Beaujolais that is for sure, but one to be taken seriously and at its best with food.
($24 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive
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2008 Chignard, Fleurie, Moriers, Cru Beaujolais, Gamay.
A much more classic Gamay, and one that shows the lighter side of the grape and region, making for a good contrast to the richer and more interesting 2009’s. Not that there is anything wrong or bad here at all, and in fact this wine is very lovely and soft, perfect for holiday turkey and party drinking. The palate is delicate with strawberry and cran-apple flavors mixed with touches of brown sugar, red citrus and hay.
($26.95) 86 Points, grapelive
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2009 Colette, Regnie Cru Beaujolais, Gamay.
Domaine de Colette is located in the small village of Lantignié, the top village within the “cru” of Régnié. The soils at Colette are worked organically in an effort to promote healthy and vigorous root systems and yields are kept low in an effort to produce concentrated wines. This is without a doubt the finest effort to date from this tiny family-owned estate. Lively and full of body this wine rocks and is a stunning value for the quality and richness found here, the nee is deep and floral toned with a juicy palate of dark fruits, plum, cherry, strawberry lead the way with touches of baking spices and pie crust. ($13 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
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2009 Piron, Chenas “Quartz”Cru Beaujolais, Gamay.
This wine is not shy or in anyway close to typical of Gamay, in fact it tastes like young Nuits-St.-Georges with earthy intensity and powerful and mineral laced tannins. If you want a stoney and strong Gamay, this is your wine, as it takes a good long time for it to open up. While this wine has depth and power, it is not very giving and more old world in style with more acidity and chunky mineral notes than lush fruit at this stage, though it should develop nicely into a more Premier Cru Burgundy like wine over the next year or so in bottle. The palate has tangy cherry, cranberry, strawberry and sour plum with a steely grip of stoney mineral and earthy spices. ($21.95 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive
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Still available at pre-sale pricing at www.sfwtc.com