As everyone knows im not a big aged Burg fan but i keep on hearing about how good recent Beaujolais vintages have been and even complaints about 14-15 ABV !! if this is true then maybe there are some younger wines that might be appealing to a big wine drinker after all. The one thing that im thinking i might be able to find is a bigger flavour than old burgs but with some minerality and acid to provide freshness, im thinking good pizza or burger wines, not ribeye stuff.
Please feel free to correct me if im way off base, but if there is anything at local Binnys list that jumps out i would appreciate recommendations, im using Binnys just because im not driving accross Chicago or doing shipping on a $30 bottle to try, Binnys will bring anything they sell to my local store.
Alan, after reading how these threads usually turn out- I really don’t think you are going to like these even in a hot year. You have a pretty specific palate POV & these don’t have the density & concentration that you tend to like.
That said, I would follow Matt’s lead & go to a tasting rather than trying to find bottles to buy. Just my .02
No prob, although I agree with Anthony that Beaujolais probably isn’t your wheelhouse.
That said, if you must try a bottle, it’s hard to go wrong with Lapierre–whose wines are quintessentially Beaujolais and always delicious–from a good vintage like 2014.
If I may, I will suggest a slightly different direction.
You just might find that a California Gamay Noir such as that from RPM may suit your palate a little more. The RPM is unquestionably Gamay (and in my humble opinion quite a lovely expression of the grape), but showcases the fruit-forward characteristics of California more so than old-world Beaujolais, some of which may veer a little more towards the AFWE camp. It certainly has brightness and acid, although I would not claim a lot of minerality.
In any case the RPM Gamay Noir is a tasty example of the breed and perfectly fits the concept of a bright, fun summer red perfectly suited for pizza, burgers, or other informal occasions.
Well, not at Binny’s and not within your budget, but this would not be WB.com if somebody did not drift beyond. Having read many of your posts, I would be shocked if you enjoyed classic Beaujolais, with one possible exception, the Lapierre “Cuvée Marcel Lapierre” Morgon from a ripe year like 2009 or 2015. The 2009 certainly had its fans, including Parker, personally I found it drank more like a ripe Cali Pinot. A special cuvée of 100+ year old vines, who knows, perhaps you will like it. You should be able to find the new releases for about $40. The base cuvée recommended in prior posts is a perennial winner, a great Beaujolais almost in every year.
Wow. Not sure where you find anything like that, certainly not any of the dozen+ different 2014s that I’ve tried so far. Southern Rhone, Provence, Languedoc and the Roussillon would be a much better bet, especially if you stick with more fruit and less terroir driven options. Honestly, for the price, I can’t imagine doing better in France for 15%+ than the Roussillon.
Hey Alan, just curious but where are you seeing this? I can’t recall reading anything about “new bigger 15% ripe styles” of Beaujolais.
Also, much agreed with Robert on the “Cuveé Marcel Lapierre” from Lapierre, which is about as massive a style of Bojo as I’ve ever tasted. That said, it’s not easy to find and it usually costs around $40-$50 (if memory serves).
Not sure if you are near a Whole Foods, but I was at the Evanston store last week and they had the 2014 Thivin Cote de Brouilly, a wine I liked so much I bought a case back home in California.
Breton and Foillard are also very nice, but on the more expensive side.
Brun (Terres Dorees) L’Ancien is terrific, especially for the money.
Roilette Christal is super pretty and also great value.
The quality can be very good in the $15-20 range. I get as much satisfaction from Brun and Roilette as I do Lapierre, Foillard, and Breton.
I’m really not trying to pee in anyone’s cereal here. Just because 2015 was a warm year and some importers & producers have been transparent about abv levels does not change the effects of Carbonic Maceration, some Brett & often reductive character in the wines which make them as far from a Paso Syrah as a red can be. No amount of pizza is going to bring them into the same conversation as Saxum or any wines along that line.