Article on Beaujolais

Since I used some of the denizens of the WLDG in canvassing suggestions for good Cru Beaujolais, I thought it apropos to post the resulting article here.

If you wish to see it in its entirety

http://www.examiner.com/article/discover-the-delights-of-gamay-with-cru-beaujolais-1

If you want the shorthand version with the salient part:

Snippet:

The fact remains that most of the energy coming out of Beaujolais since the turn of the century is emanating from these small producers in the ten cru designations. If you’d like to experience some of those wines, here are the ten cru with some producers listed for each. For the recommendations, I polled some passionate and knowledgeable fans of Cru Beaujolais on Robin Garr’s Wine Lover’s Discussion Group, one of the best places on the internet to discuss wine matters among fellow travelers with civility and respect.
(Please note these are recommended producers of Cru Beaujolais; each producer could also produce a variety of bottlings, including Beaujolais-Villages, Beaujolais, and Beaujolais Nouveau designations.)
Brouilly
Georges Descombes, Chateau Thivin, Chateau de la Chaize, Alain Coudert
Chiroubles
Damien Coquelet, Chateau Raousset, Domaine Emile Cheysson
Régnié
Domaine Christian Ducroux, Jean-Paul Thevenet
Côte de Brouilly
Georges Descombes, Domaine Chanrion, Chateau Thivin, Daniel Bouland
Fleurie
Alain Coudert/ Clos de la Roillette, Domaine du Visssoux
Saint-Amour
Domaine Pascal Berthier, Domaine de Billards
Chénas
Pascal Granger, Domain Dominique Piron, Domaine Jean-Marc Lafont
Juliénas
Domaine Louis Tete, Pascal Granger
Morgon
Foillard, Lapierre, Burgaud, Jadot Thevenet, Descombes, Breton, Grange, Chamonard
Moulin-à-Vent
Jean-Paul Brun, Louis Jadot, Vissoux

[James Roscoe]

Hoke, that is an excellent and well-written article. Congratulations!

Hoke, that is an excellent and well-written article. Congratulations!

Thank you, James. Enjoyed writing it.

Good article. Are you going to do a follow-up on pairing food with Beaujolais? It is such food friendly wine! I made Beef Stroganoff the other night, knowing that I would be pairing it with Cab Franc, but out of curiosity, I did a search for the proper match for the dish - Gamay.

Good article. Are you going to do a follow-up on pairing food with Beaujolais? It is such food friendly wine! I made Beef Stroganoff the other night, knowing that I would be pairing it with Cab Franc, but out of curiosity, I did a search for the proper match for the dish - Gamay.

No followup planned, Howie, but it sounds like it good be a good base for an article. I think gamay is pretty food-friendly as a low tannin and generally fruity red. The Crus also step up the game a bit with their heartier style. Always thought gamay/Beaujolais was most fitted for lighter summer foods. roasted and grilled white meats and such, but that's because that's usually what I had it with. It's capable of handling some spicier foods and heartier foods too.

I tend to go with lighter foods because for most of my life BoJo has been the lighter style most suited to lighter things, and I didn't want to suppress in any way the exuberant fruit notes of the wine.

A fine article, full of excellent advice, Hoke.

I wonder if it's a great idea for the Beaujolais organization to advocate adding Gamay to their labels, at least for American consumption, but then maybe I'm dating myself. California vintners used to make what they called Gamy Beaujolais and it was generally pretty bad stuff. The memory lingers.

The best advertisement I know of for Cru Beaujolais is the 2009 vintage. I've never enjoyed Beaujolais as much as I have since that vintage came on the market. Lots of wonderful wines. I bought quite a bit but wish I'd bought more.

A fine article, full of excellent advice, Hoke.

I wonder if it's a great idea for the Beaujolais organization to advocate adding Gamay to their labels, at least for American consumption, but then maybe I'm dating myself. California vintners used to make what they called Gamy Beaujolais and it was generally pretty bad stuff. The memory lingers.

The best advertisement I know of for Cru Beaujolais is the 2009 vintage. I've never enjoyed Beaujolais as much as I have since that vintage came on the market. Lots of wonderful wines. I bought quite a bit but wish I'd bought more.

Clint:

Ah, memories of Valdiguie still linger, eh?

Yes, I agree, the 2009s were indeed wonderful stuff, and great for sensuous slurping. But truth told, I was kind of happy to see the 10s come along, a bit leaner and cleaner and more "Euro". And nowadays I don't buy much of anything in quantities; my drinking has shifted to more "of the moment". Except when I go to Lou's house, of course, and raid his larder.

Hoke, I had forgotten. Gamay Beaujolais wasn't even made with Gamay but Valdiguie. Let's hope that grape died a natural death. Or is somebody still growing it?

Hoke, I had forgotten. Gamay Beaujolais wasn't even made with Gamay but Valdiguie. Let's hope that grape died a natural death. Or is somebody still growing it?

Nope. Still around. Now bottled as Valdiguie. Some years ago Hop Kiln was still selling it as a variety. Couple of other people, I think.

Problem was MOST of what was called Gamay was Val, but some of it was actually Gamay. Charles Shaw was a fierce campaigner for Napa Gamay as a legit style, but even he eventually gave up and moved to Chicago and went into software. Thus Fred Franzia/Bronco getting the dormant label rights and coming out with Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck. And so the wine mandala turns.

Gamay Beaujolais is a Pinot Noir clone (not a very good one), and entirely different from Valdiguie. Both inferior grapes, and not related to Gamay in any way except that they grow on grapevines.

I remember, forever, a scene in the film "A Shot In The Dark" where the police commissioner (chief? whatever) who is Clouseau's (Peter Sellers') boss,is on the phone to his mistress, finalizing details of their impending tryst, and says to her, as a sign of his preparedness: " I have the cheese, and the Beaujolais..." The high acidity of Gamay acts so beautifully as a foil for cheese, fish, charcuterie, and fatty meats. The best have their tannin, too, but it's melting tannin, and invites foods of nearly all kinds.

I am, at the moment, the only producer of Gamay (REAL Gamay) in California, but I believe that that is about to change, and, Hallelujah! I say.

also, Shaw planted real Gamay, but in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Gamay ripens really early, and St Helena, where he planted it, is way too warm. And he planted it when the diversity that had been the hallmark of California wineries for such a long time, was evaporating in the wake of the rush to turn all our vineyards into Cabernet and Chardonnnay.
I planted Gamay above 3,000 feet elevation in the Sierra foothills, so that when the grapes showed flavor ripeness, the alcohol in the resulting wines would be modest; Gamay gets weird if the alcohol is too high (above 13.5%).

Steve has it right (of course)...he's Calif's expert on Gamay.
Actually, both Ridge and JoeSwan made some Gamay back in the early '70's that were mighty fine.
I would presume the Ridge was NapaGamay/PinotNoir. The Swan was probably Valdiguie. Just guessin'.

That's a very nice article on Beaujolais, Hoke. You write pretty good for an old guy!!! Makes me want to go
out and buy me a Beaujolais GrandCru. Nope...think I'll settle for a BoneJolly instead.
Tom

Tom; Napa Gamay is another name for Valdiguie. Not related to Pinot Noir.

Tom; Napa Gamay is another name for Valdiguie. Not related to Pinot Noir.

You're right. NapaGamay=Valdiguie. So was it GamayBeaujolais that was a feeble PinotNoir...or was some of that Valdiguie as well??
It's all so very confusing....if everybody just made NapaVlly Cabernet....this world would be a whole lot simpler!!!
Tom

In answer, both Pinot Noir and Napa Gamay were entitled to the name "Gamay Beaujolais". Mine was Pinot Noir, and not that inferior of a clone at that. But the law went both ways- any Pinot Noir (and there was a time in the mid 1980s when it was easier to sell Pinot as Gamay Beaujolais than it was Pinot Noir) or Napa Gamay (Valdigue) could be sold as such.

Tom wrote;
You're right. NapaGamay=Valdiguie. So was it GamayBeaujolais that was a feeble PinotNoir...or was some of that Valdiguie as well??
It's all so very confusing.... if everybody just made NapaVlly Cabernet.... this world would be a whole lot simpler!!!

Just blame it on Paul Masson. (I believe the Valdiguie was “mislabeled” as “Gamay 13”).

BTW Hoke-Great article, well done!

Salute

Victor; that's fascinating! What's the source of that snippet of info?

Leon Adams blames Paul Masson.
I could see the Beaujolains placing “Gamay” on the label (but including their term for “of” – (similar to the Italian Barbera wines-Barbera d’Asti and Barbera d’Alba; Gamay de _______ (fill in the blank).

Salute

which Leon Adams text? Was it just Leon opining, or was there some evidence? (I'm curious, because I helped him edit the second edition of his first book, and he was a fascinating guy, and quite sure of himself.)

which Leon Adams text? Was it just Leon opining, or was there some evidence? (I'm curious, because I helped him edit the second edition of his first book, and he was a fascinating guy, and quite sure of himself.)

HolyCow, Steve. You knew LeonAdams way back then??? I'm impressed.
If you helped edit that 2'nd Edition; you probably noted the name TomHill in the acknowledgements. The name prolly didn't ring a bell then
because that was before I was famous. I provided Lee w/ a lot of information on the NewMexico wine industry. When I was
running the NewMexico StateFair wine judging, he came one year to help judge with us. I remember it well because that was
the year they set up a blacksmithing demo/exhibit right across the (outside) courtyard where we held the judging. We all reeked
of coal smoke when we finished. Nonetheless...the judging was, of course, flawlessly accurate.
Tom

Funny story, Tom. Reminds me, I was a judge at the home winemaking competition at the Marin County Fair with Leon back in around '87 or '88, and his sense of smell must have been pretty shot. There were wines that were obnoxiously vinegary-smelling, and he just couldn't detect it at all.
He sure had a boatload of stories to tell, though, and that was pretty fun.

(Please note these are recommended producers of Cru Beaujolais

Hoo boy. What does it take to shut you up, Hoke?

You'll have every Tom, Dick, and Harry buying Beaujolais soon. And how will we get ours, huh?

Like what a certain Southern Stated "James" did to the Overnoy supply.

Dayum.

Jeff: Next up Loire Chenin and Cab Francs, Cour-Cheverny, and Vin Doux Naturels. Then we'll see about what we can with Vin Jaune.

I appreciated the links in the article Hoke. Looked up several of the producers.