Coudert-Appert “Domaine de la Chapelle des Bois” 2007 Fleurie (Beaujolais) – There was a time when this Fleurie would have pleased me greatly, and that time was back when I realized just how indifferent Dubœuf’s Beaujolais are. And while I couldn’t in any way say that I’m displeased, especially as the soft multi-berried fruit and gentle soil elements are nicely crisped by acidity, there really isn’t much comparison except in the broadest strokes between this and more exciting Fleuries, like Chermette, Métras, Coudert (the latter is a bit of a special case, granted), and so forth. Still, one can do a lot worse. (6/11)
Browse Tag
beaujolais
Rum, tea
Cheveau 2007 Saint-Amour “En Rontey” (Beaujolais) – Every bottle of this wine is more textural than the last, and I think to the wine’s benefit. The texture is sort of suede-like, maybe a little lighter than that, which nicely compliments magenta-tinged alpine berries and a levitatingly light body. (6/11)
Leynes change
Boissieu “Château de Lavernette” 2009 Beaujolais-Leynes “Le Clos” (Beaujolais) – I admit that I am a shameless collector of appellations, and this one was unfamiliar to me, which pretty much guaranteed its purchase. Though I can’t say that, poking around the INAO’s site, I’m overwhelmed with the urgency of this particular designation. Well, appellations don’t matter as much as the wine, right? And the wine’s very good. Sharper than most 2009s, marrying the crisp, sprightly fruit of “basic” Beaujolais to the more intense insistence of 2009 Beaujolais, this manages a savvy balancing act of fruit and transparency, intensity and anti-gravity, blitheness and earnestness. Crispy red berries, a little granitic dust, a lot of acidity, and the chlorophyllic bite of freshly-cut leaves. What one drinks Beaujolais (no cru) for. (2/11)
Vissoux Storm
Chermette “Domaine du Vissoux” 2009 Beaujolais “Cuvée traditionnelle vieilles vignes” (Beaujolais) – Would I guess this was Beaujolais, blind? Quite possibly not. Gamay? Maybe, but I bet I’d guess New World. Neither Q/A is meant to be an indictment of the wine, by the way, which is big, muscular, a bit heavy, but not too over-anything. At least, that’s my hope. The future may prove me wrong. Fruit remains decidedly red and of the berry variety, there’s acidity (though less than usual), and despite the gravity there’s still some zip and zing to be found. But now we need to age our basic Beaujolais? I guess we do. (2/11)
Dupeuble, Colorado
Dupeuble 2009 Beaujolais (Beaujolais) – A reduction sauce as much as a wine, so incredibly concentrated and markedly thick that it’s almost hard to swallow. It’s not, I feel I must add, out of balance as a result. There’s acidity, there’s a little brushstroke of tannin, and while the fruit is massive it’s not overbearing beyond the usual fruit-burst quality of Beaujolais in more normal years. But while this might appeal to those who’ve always found Beaujolais too thin for their tastes, I suspect it will be many years before it appeals to fans of the region. Or, at least, that’s true for this particular fan. Will it last that long? Let’s hope. (1/11)
Rontey Barber
Cheveau 2007 Saint-Amour “En Rontey” (Beaujolais) – Light and shade on a floral still life. Red, pink, lavender, magenta. Brittle. Not engaging, but un-ignorable. (1/11)
Stanley
Thévenet 2001 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes” (Beaujolais) – Corked. (12/10)
Thévenet 2001 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes” (Beaujolais) – Very light and soft, a slow-flowing river of memories. Minerals and earth are to the fore, with wood ear mushrooms lingering. Gentle and entirely lovely. (1/11)
Appert a tiff
Coudert-Appert “Domaine de la Chapelle des Bois” 2009 Chiroubles (Beaujolais) – Big, brawny, and very 2009-ish (to the extent that generalization means anything), but retaining a red-berry sharpness that redeems it. At the moment, it’s pretty disjointed despite being packed and stuffed with flavor. Will time help? It couldn’t hurt. (12/10)
The Villa of the piece
Villa Ponciago 2009 Fleurie “la Réserve” (Beaujolais) – I don’t even know where to start with the name, so let’s do the wine instead. Where the hell is all this mint (peppermint, mostly) coming from? And why is it in my Fleurie? There’s a little sweet violet fruit lurking way in the background, looking like it was jacked in the playground by mint bullies and left to cower behind the jungle gym until just before the next bell rings, after which it will sprint to class and hope to avoid further violence. There’s plenty of tannin, and were this wine at all pleasant, I’d say it’s a candidate for aging. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but I sure don’t care for how it tastes now. (11/10)
Bouland Bouland, Bouland Bouland (give it a try, Yale)
Bouland 2009 Chiroubles (Beaujolais) – Really, really, really good. In fact, you math geeks put a bar over that “really.” It does, however, bear marks of its birth year; the fruit tastes perfectly in-form, all rolling cherries with a hefty contribution of violet-tinged fruit, but it’s big. No, “big” isn’t quite the right word. Lush? Expansive? Microbursting? Fractal? Oh, I don’t know. It’s a serious mouthful of simultaneously serious and unserious wine, though, with the texture of rough suede and powerful vibrancy. I’ll take a foudre of this, please. (11/10)