TN: Older Beaujolais II (Jun 25, 2022)

J

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
attendees: Brad, Cathleen, Craig, Dale, Jeff, John, Sasha

Welcome to the Second Sitting!

At the first sitting -- which I could not attend -- they drank Coudert and Desvignes. You know, the good stuff. Oh, no, not at all, of course there is more, many others make excellent and long-lived wine.

Ba voyons.

Anyway, Sasha made a kettle of beef stew so the rest of us simply filled out the table: miche and baguette, half a dozen kinds of cheese (cheddar, goat camembert, parm regg, etc.), half a dozen kinds of saucissons (goose, beef, truffled, fennel, etc.), and a delicious apricot tart for the finish.

So, what is left for us, eh?

AT Roca 2018 Rosat Resevera - fizzy from Penedes so cava (if perhaps not Cava), there's some nice fresh fruit here but overall nothing to write home about
Lapierre 2012 Morgon "S" - a little bit... lifeless, ho-hum acidity, fruit subsiding slowly into stew, should have been drunk a few years ago, John just hates it
Foillard 2011 Cote du Py - corked.
Chamonard 2011 Morgon "Le Clos de Lys" - tangy and rather red-fruited, John thinks it's "chewy" and wonders whether they used new oak? (Google sez elevage in foudres but they pick late)
Lapierre 2011 Morgon "MMXI" "S" - bright but hot, "bitter at the end" -Brad, not showing typique at all... we chortle that this could be wine from anywhere, perhaps CH9?
Metras 2011 Fleurie "Cuvee l'Ultime" - dark-fruited but kinda funky, losing its acids, drink soon if not already
Foillard 2010 Cote du Py - comfortably plush, decent drink, John's been sensing VA all afternoon but I get it here too
Lapierre 2010 Morgon "S" - "Vomit" -Cathleen, er um maybe not quite but it is odd, good acids but faint on the palate, no
Jadot 2000 Beaujolais-Villages - seriously stinky sulfury nose, bleh
Foillard 2010 Morgon "Cuvee Corcelette" - OK, this one is interesting, big fruity nose, heavyweight texture shows the warm year, even so starting on its decline but happy to drink now
Metras 2009 Fleurie - 14% but doesn't show it, great presence, makes you stop and pay attention
Lapierre 2009 Morgon - 13% and it shows, wheaty, funky, drinkable but nobody's first choice
Dom. des Billards 2009 Saint-Amour - blind, rather lightweight but moves like a boxer in the early rounds, Brad eventually nails it
Thevenet 2009 Morgon VV - this is a good one: flavor profile rather like the Metras '09 but purer and more focused, this and the Chamonard are the best so far
Foillard 2009 Cote du Py - "VA and raw Taransaud oak" -John, I found it a little muddy in the mid-palate but not so offensive as that, fair to middling
Metras 2009 Morgon "Cuvee l'Ultime" - an enticing nose, quite sweet... roundly condemned as over-oaked
Gatinois 2012 Champagne Brut GC - a palate refresher; anyway, I like BdN (this is 80% PN, three years on the lees) and this is a big bold one so good by me
Lapierre 2009 Morgon "MMIX" "S" - lactic nose, palate offers red wine tinged with a bit of milk and blueberry), feh
Brun 2009 Fleurie - here's another good one: shapely acids, darker fruit flavors, dry, trim package
Brun 2009 Moulin-a-Vent - dead.
Foillard 2009 Morgon "Cuvee 3.14" - a good, straightforward Morgon: black cherry, earth, velvet (of course, it was a super-cuvee)
Savoye 2007 Morgon - I used to drink this a lot and it was really good, why did I stop? anyway, this is quite a savory specimen, in good shape ('07 was an excellent year)
Foillard 2006 Cote du Py - "Bronxville miasma" -John, another in the long line of ho-hum pours tonight from the two big names
Dom. du Vissoux (P-M Chermette) 2005 Fleurie "Poncie" - no note?
Brundlmayer 2015 Ried Heiligenstein 1er Lyra Riesling - this is totally delicious
Brun 2005 Fleurie - no note?
Lapierre 2005 Morgon - a bit of menthol in this one, still some life in the old girl, might be the best Lapierre on the table
Ch. Haut-Marbuzet 1988 St-Estephe - no note?
Ch. Gloria 1986 St-Julie - "offensively maderized" -Sasha.
Ch. Haut-Bailly 1975 Graves - corked.
Ch. Haut-Bailly 1979 Graves - Take 2: this one is gorgeous, round and rich and full, a bit of chicken broth and stones
Huet 2008 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Le Mont" - young wine and in fine form
Huet 1970 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Clos du Bourg" - blind, starts off rather tart and dry, but this blossoms with about 15 mins of air, who needs notes
Huet 1946 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Le Haut Lieu" - "outstanding" is all I need
Donnhoff 1997 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese - 775301001798, this is tart, taut, and full of zing, great bottle of wine

Whew.

Sasha offered a brief follow-up, two days later: "Corcelette was pretty good last night, with beef stew leftovers, as was Thevenet, Billards, and 09 Brun Fleurie. 05 Brun Fleurie was beginning to lose freshness."

All kidding aside, many thanks to Sasha for hosting and cooking, and thanks to Dale and Brad who did chauffeur duty, and thanks to the providers of the wine (mostly Sasha and John, I think).

Parting thoughts...
Cathleen: The wine journey was an adventure - enough said!
Dale: I had fun, even with some disappointing wines.
Brad: It was a slog, but still a fun time.

I suppose someone had to do it.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

Jadot 2000 Beaujolais-Villages - seriously stinky sulfury nose, bleh
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Dale posted on WLDG and it does seem like a letdown, as you might have expected more from all those wines. Something to do with the weather?

Dale liked the Jadot a lot more than you. His note: 2000 Jadot Beaujolais-Villages..I thought it was optimistic of Cathleen to open,but ended up being one of my favorites. If very mature. Dead leaves when first opened, but cleans up, , cigarbox and forest floor, some cherry fruit hanging on.Fun.B/B+
 
I've found that Beaujolais, like Muscadet, changes with aging, but really doesn't improve from the fresh, exuberant wines one can find (now only in the right vintages, due to global warming) when young. As for wines that Pinotte, I can't say that any of the older vintages I've tried (back to 1961) reminds me of Burgundy, even though they had remarkable longevity and attractiveness.
 
I've found that Beaujolais, like Muscadet, changes with aging, but really doesn't improve from the fresh, exuberant wines one can find (now only in the right vintages, due to global warming) when young. As for wines that Pinotte, I can't say that any of the older vintages I've tried (back to 1961) reminds me of Burgundy, even though they had remarkable longevity and attractiveness.
 
Claude, would love your input here.

I thought we don't generally don't post notes from events that are explicitly designed to be published behind a paywall. Unless the paywall is controlled by an autocratic government guilty of human rights violations. WLDG as well, you say? Hmm.
 
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
Claude, would love your input here.

I thought we don't generally don't post notes from events that are explicitly designed to be published behind a paywall. Unless the paywall is controlled by an autocratic government guilty of human rights violations. WLDG as well, you say? Hmm.
Click to expand...
Can you rephrase what you are saying? It doesn't make sense to me. In particular, what does a paywall have to do with it?
 
I believe he is referring to the fact that notes from this tasting were apparently going to be posted behind a paywall by one of the Professional Critics in their crew. So the second paragraph was aimed at Jeff, not you.
 
Is Metras 2009 Fleurie - 14% but doesn't show it, great presence, makes you stop and pay attention the one Pavel refers to in the other thread as a lactic mess?
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
I believe he is referring to the fact that notes from this tasting were apparently going to be posted behind a paywall by one of the Professional Critics in their crew. So the second paragraph was aimed at Jeff, not you.
Click to expand...

This.

Undoubtedly, Claude has found himself in similar situations, and may or may not have a differing opinion.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Is Metras 2009 Fleurie - 14% but doesn't show it, great presence, makes you stop and pay attention the one Pavel refers to in the other thread as a lactic mess?
Click to expand...

Yes, but I was re-tasting it at the 72 hour mark. Still, no excuse.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
TN: Older Beaujolais II (Jun 25, 2022)attendees: Brad, Cathleen, Craig, Dale, Jeff, John, Sasha

Welcome to the Second Sitting!

Jadot 2000 Beaujolais-Villages - seriously stinky sulfury nose, bleh
Click to expand...

OK, Claude's point notwithstanding, I have to question the motivation for aging a B-V for over a decade. These wines aren't made for the long haul, so what's the point beyond simple curiosity?

Metras 2009 Fleurie - 14% but doesn't show it, great presence, makes you stop and pay attention
Click to expand...

Interesting to contrast your take with that of others.

Lapierre 2009 Morgon - 13% and it shows, wheaty, funky, drinkable but nobody's first choice
Click to expand...

But, but, but... it's the best evah! I read it on teh Interwebz.

Lapierre 2009 Morgon "MMIX" "S" - lactic nose, palate offers red wine tinged with a bit of milk and blueberry), feh
Click to expand...

And yet another lactic note. I guess I don't drink enough aged Gamay or sumfin.

Brun 2009 Fleurie - here's another good one: shapely acids, darker fruit flavors, dry, trim package
Brun 2009 Moulin-a-Vent - dead.
Click to expand...

And I've had in recent memory the '09 Cote de Brouilly (lovely) and Morgon (seqage-y) from Brun. He was all over the map in '09, it seems.

Thanks for the detailed reportage, Jeff.

Mark Lipton
 
I'm not surprised most of the Lapierre didn't show so well. As has been noted here, the domaine dipped in the years after Marcel's passing. In my experience the Lapierre style doesn't generally benefit from much aging, but 2011 and the few years after were not strong.

I am a surprised at the reception to the Foillard with modest age. These have typically performed better for me. I understand Claude's position that to some palates the wines don't improve. But it's been pretty rare for a Foillard to fall apart or take a big step back over 10-15 years in my experience.

Also surprised that a 2009 Brun MaV would be dead. Doesn't ring true to me and suspect this was a weird bottle. I haven't had one in a while, but Keith Levenberg has a positive note from last year, reporting that the wine had "barely budged since release."
 
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
originally posted by Rahsaan:
I believe he is referring to the fact that notes from this tasting were apparently going to be posted behind a paywall by one of the Professional Critics in their crew. So the second paragraph was aimed at Jeff, not you.
Click to expand...

This.

Undoubtedly, Claude has found himself in similar situations, and may or may not have a differing opinion.
Click to expand...
Uh, no, not really. The closest I have come is having lunch with a restaurant critic who made it explicit at the start of the meal that I could post nothing on the internet about our lunch until he posted his review that very same evening -- not a big embargo.

If the PC didn't want anyone to post, I think (1) s/he should have made it clear to all in attendance, and (2) the rebuke could have been handled by e-mail rather than a public calling out (especially one that in the context confusingly seemed aimed at me).
 
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
Claude, would love your input here.

I thought we don't generally don't post notes from events that are explicitly designed to be published behind a paywall. Unless the paywall is controlled by an autocratic government guilty of human rights violations. WLDG as well, you say? Hmm.
Click to expand...
You may address me, Pavel.

No instructions were offered to me and, apparently, not to Dale.

Also, there is precedent.

And what I say doesn't sell papers so peu importe.
 
Seriously, no one is going to unsubscribe from View from the Cellar because of this post. And if Gilman disagrees with some of these notes, then so be it. That's a big part of why people subscribe to his newsletter anyway!
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
the rebuke could have been handled by e-mail rather than a public calling out
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that it was handled publicly is a sign of camaraderie that permeates this close-knit community

(especially one that in the context seemed aimed at me).
Click to expand...

we are so thrilled to have you contribute here that we could not resist a proper fraternity initiation ceremony

although in hindsight it appears we could have just gotten away with serving you a 20-year old bottle of Alain Coudert
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

You may address me, Pavel.

No instructions were offered to me and, apparently, not to Dale.
Click to expand...

ah the joys of the politburo -- in which teh cadres who spilled teh beans on which old bojo was not quite as shit as another are hauled out for a gentle knee-capping.

remember friends, this remains the friendliest place to discuss wine, talk about wines, and to contemplate the appropriate retributional punishments required to keep teh cadres on track on teh interbewz.

long may it continue and love to all.

fb.
 
originally posted by fatboy:
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

You may address me, Pavel.

No instructions were offered to me and, apparently, not to Dale.
Click to expand...

ah the joys of the politburo -- in which teh cadres who spilled teh beans on which old bojo was not quite as shit as another are hauled out for a gentle knee-capping.

remember friends, this remains the friendliest place to discuss wine, talk about wines, and to contemplate the appropriate retributional punishments required to keep teh cadres on track on teh interbewz.

long may it continue and love to all.

fb.
Click to expand...

A corpulent peacemaker. Are pigs flying? Overnoy sitting on shelves? What's going on?

Of course the fat one is right. I only wish I lived nearby, so I could try to get invited to such tasting and kneecapped.
 
originally posted by MLipton:

OK, Claude's point notwithstanding, I have to question the motivation for aging a B-V for over a decade. These wines aren't made for the long haul, so what's the point beyond simple curiosity?
Click to expand...
There are terroirs in Beaujolais-Villages that can age, I believe (it wasn't all that long ago that Regnié was BV), but I don't think they are anywhere dominant in Jadot's version.

But that also recalls a column long ago by Frank Prial or Eric Asimov about coming across an old, long-forgotten bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau that had aged remarkably well.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
originally posted by MLipton:

OK, Claude's point notwithstanding, I have to question the motivation for aging a B-V for over a decade. These wines aren't made for the long haul, so what's the point beyond simple curiosity?
Click to expand...
There are terroirs in Beaujolais-Villages that can age, I believe (it wasn't all that long ago that Regnié was BV), but I don't think they are anywhere dominant in Jadot's version.

But that also recalls a column long ago by Frank Prial or Eric Asimov about coming across an old, long-forgotten bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau that had aged remarkably well.
Click to expand...

Yes, if this were a Brun L’Ancien, I wouldn’t have opened my claptrap. But Jadot’s B-V, a wine I opened on my first date with my future wife, is well known to me (lessee: that would likely have been an ‘85) and on many occasions since, is no Cuvée L’Ancien.

Mark Lipton
 
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