The Beaujolais TN thread

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BJ

BJ
Last night I thought it might be nice to have this as an independent thread. If you agree, feel free to post notes here.

I would love also to have some thoughts outlined on vintages. I honestly haven't kept up, and my knowledge more or less ends at '10 (I still pine for the '07). Eric's comments on '20 jolted me and it feels like it's time for me to get my act together...sounds like I need to do a search of '21s? Or was it '22s?

This could also be a great go-to for brett/VA issues, as well as learning about new producers.

My inaugural note is for the '14 JP Brun CdB. I have always adored this cuvee, one of my favorites from my favorite producer. However, this vintage, at release, was shockingly a disjointed green mess, reminding me of the old '04 Burgundy vintage, but even worse. I had come upon a parcel of it at Compass Wines in Anacortes (note - if you are en route to the San Juans, definitely a worthwhile stop), and without tasting, bought it all. After testing the waters again a year or so later with no improvement, I decided to just bury it deep.

Aging into submission can be a solid strategy, as it was here. I just love this wine now. It's unusual - hardly a typical Beaujolais - but as I think we've all learned, the cru B is full of surprises. Here the green had softened, and with diminishment, resolution had increased revealing a lot of vegetal complexity, backed by a vinous frame. Especially notable was the acidic thrust and length - this wine has some staying power. It's a big wine, but 12.5% - big in terms of energy.

This vintage would be interesting in a vertical. Come to think of it, that would be a worthy project...I note I do have the '09 as well.

Come one, come all!
 
A new producer that I tried at a great new wine bar / restaurant in Williamburg called Plus de Vin.

2022 Mai Roblin-Bazin, Juliénas 'Les Soubletons - Excellent in a hipster Burgundy natural type way (I do like a lot of these so not making fun). Incredibly spicey and light. Great juicy open fruit. Complex but also easy to drink young. Admittedly expensive for a first vintage at $65. Given the scarcity, the quality and uniqueness I will buy again if I see it as I really enjoyed.

From Leon and Sons wine:

"Maï owns this 0.25 ha parcel called Les Soubletons, at roughly 480 m. north-east facing, at the top of Juliénas. The parcel is just next to a green field that she also owns that flowers until the end of summer. It is as Zen as it sounds. She works organically and follows the principles of biodynamics and, most importantly, values a healthy, virtuous agronomy for the life of both plant and soil.

Vinification is 100% whole cluster, roughly 10 days maceration and she presses just prior to finishing sugars. Ambient yeasts only, alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel, no SO2 during vinification. 100% malolactic fermentation. Elevage for 9 months in (chardonnay) barrels from 2014, no new wood. SO2 added after FML, roughly a month before bottling. Neither fined nor filtered.

778 bottles and 19 mags produced for the first vintage (2022). She is not selling the mags. Yields are kept under 35 hl/ha."
 
BJ, I’d look for some ‘21s. First “classic” year for me since ‘16. Quality is a bit spotty due to hail damage, but a lot of our favorite producers made excellent low-octane wines that year.

Mark Lipton
 
Funny story: a couple of months ago, I was talking with a bartender (in her 20s) at a wine bar I go to on occasion. I was looking through the menu and noticed they had a '21 Beaujolais by the glass. As we were talking about what was on the list, she said with amazement, "Yeah, I really like these '21 Beaujolais, but they are really unusual. They are so light."
 
originally posted by BJ:

I would love also to have some thoughts outlined on vintages.
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Depends on your buying practices, but I find much to like in 21, 22 and probably 23.

Yes, 21 is the more 'classic' fresh vintage. 22 is rounder and softer but thus far the wines I've had have been accessible and charming and I don't look to stockpile cases of Beaujolais for aging, so it's been fine for me.

23 will be richer than those two, but not as extreme as 18 or 20, so from the limited tasting I've done, there should be some nice wines with an interesting contrast to the previous two vintages.

Of course I'm not a professional comprehensive taster. And, as noted, I'm not looking to strategically buy cases of Beaujolais to age. For my purposes, there are more delicious Beaujolais options than ever before!
 
Feeling negligent about the thread so opened this up to see where it was after Eric's heavy slap down on the '20 vintage, responding to a previous note.

I initially totally fell for this wine, major glou fest, then it shut down uber hard (Dec. '22, when Eric issued his statement).

This has reemerged...I like it. It does remind me of an '03 made by a very good producer - some merged over/under ripe flavors make things interesting, but this is not overheavy. Licorice, anise, wine sap, medicinal, suggestably Fleurieish. A bit sweaty. Underripe seeds like '03? Quite a bit of length and energy riding the sappy core. It's unusual and atypical, but I'm happy.
 
originally posted by BJ:
'00 Hoppenot Fleurie OriginesFeeling negligent about the thread so opened this up to see where it was after Eric's heavy slap down on the '20 vintage, responding to a previous note.

I initially totally fell for this wine, major glou fest, then it shut down uber hard (Dec. '22, when Eric issued his statement).

This has reemerged...I like it. It does remind me of an '03 made by a very good producer - some merged over/under ripe flavors make things interesting, but this is not overheavy. Licorice, anise, wine sap, medicinal, suggestably Fleurieish. A bit sweaty. Underripe seeds like '03? Quite a bit of length and energy riding the sappy core. It's unusual and atypical, but I'm happy.
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are you talking about the '00 or the '20?
 
originally posted by robert ames:
originally posted by BJ:
'00 Hoppenot Fleurie OriginesFeeling negligent about the thread so opened this up to see where it was after Eric's heavy slap down on the '20 vintage, responding to a previous note.

I initially totally fell for this wine, major glou fest, then it shut down uber hard (Dec. '22, when Eric issued his statement).

This has reemerged...I like it. It does remind me of an '03 made by a very good producer - some merged over/under ripe flavors make things interesting, but this is not overheavy. Licorice, anise, wine sap, medicinal, suggestably Fleurieish. A bit sweaty. Underripe seeds like '03? Quite a bit of length and energy riding the sappy core. It's unusual and atypical, but I'm happy.
Click to expand...

are you talking about the '00 or the '20?
Click to expand...

oops too much Hoppenot...'20.
 
Not the Tardive. Boy, quite underwhelming. This is the second one. Monolithic, two dimensional.

I wonder if the magnum does funny things with aging, but this doesn't seem to have much going on regardless.

Come on, I know some of you have had some Beaujolais you can post.
 
Weird. Don't own this wine, but love '10 Tardive, both 750s and magnums.

And we have certainly established the "not the tardive" ages magnificently for 20+ years.
 
originally posted by BJ:
'10 Roilette en magnumNot the Tardive. Boy, quite underwhelming. This is the second one. Monolithic, two dimensional.

I wonder if the magnum does funny things with aging, but this doesn't seem to have much going on regardless.

Come on, I know some of you have had some Beaujolais you can post.
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I only have Tardive and one vintage of Griffe.
 
Beaujolais in Red Hook

2022 Jean-Claude LAPALU VV - 12% abv. Light, great acidity and energy. Bright clean uplifting cherry / red type fruit. Wonderful food wine. This is just what I want from Beaujolais.

We enjoyed this at Cafe Kestrel a small new restaurant in Red Hook that is getting a lot of deserving buzz from the food cognoscenti. It only has 20 or seats and on this Sunday was filled with Chefs, restaurant industry folk and serious food people.

After dinner we headed over to 360 Records for live music.

We stopped at a wineshop and picked up a 2016 Nicole et Romain CHANRION Cote-de-Brouilly, a recent release from the domain via Kermit Lynch. The wine seems serious and we were not that focused on it because of the music performances. First impressions were a very ripe, heavier, meaty wine, with dark fruits that definitely needed some time to open and the right food. I am intrigued enough to try another bottle.
 
Thanks Robert...

Was the Lapalu clean? IE Brett or VA?

I will admit, I have always wanted to love Chanrion, but it has seemed dense and heavy. I think "right food" is a good description. I do recall an fairly ancient bottle years ago that was lovely rose petals and strawberries...so maybe aging it a long time is a good way to go.
 
originally posted by BJ:
I will admit, I have always wanted to love Chanrion, but it has seemed dense and heavy..
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is this a recent development?

I am mostly familiar with 2005-2012 range, and have nothing but great things to report.
 
No, that's been since I got into it. The one I loved was from the '90s.

I'm not saying I don't like it, I just don't love it. I don't love Thivin either. Jean Paul's, I love.
 
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