Tasting in Beaujolais 2010

[SFJoe]

originally posted by Jeff Connell:

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Gleaned from various sites
Apparently not: Brun, Desvignes

Thanks to Jeff, Terra Firma is firm once again.

I was puzzled by the following sentence: "A temperature of 35°C will kill the berry after about eight days and this stretches to about two weeks at 15°C."

Ian, if you think of a berry as yeast habitat, it makes sense. A temperature of 35°C will kill off the yeast, and at a temperature of 15°C, the yeast (and bacteria) will take their own sweet time consuming what material the berry has to offer.

Although, I think in this case she refers to the berry as an autonomous biochemical unit for the carbonic (non-yeast) fermentation. It is probably a question of consumption of nutrients, which happens quickly at higher temperatures.

Or so I construe.

 

[Jeff Connell]

Well, it may be coincidental, but yeast will multiply faster and consume more as temperature goes up, until it gets up to 35°C, then you start to lose them en masse, and you're not going to have a native alcoholic fermentation. But if the temperature comes down, and you you were then to inoculate with selected yeast, I expect there is still grape sugar there to feed them.

 

[Ian Fitzsimmons]

Sharp turn, but I've just read somewhere that Desvignes's Impénitents is made from a section of the 'best' Javernieres vines. Won't segregating this material necessarily lower the quality of the regular Javernieres? I recall reading an uncharacteristically deprecating note here on the 09 Javernieres, the first year Impénitents was made.

Barely related, is Griffe du Marquis made from former Cuvee Tardive vine product?

I wonder if the region is entering a premium cuvee arms race, as it were, considering also Lapierre's CML and Foillard's 3.14.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Sharp turn, but I've just read somewhere that Desvignes's Impénitents is made from a section of the 'best' Javernieres vines. Won't segregating this material necessarily lower the quality of the regular Javernieres? I recall reading an uncharacteristically deprecating note here on the 09 Javernieres, the first years Impénitents was made.

Barely related, is Griffe du Marquis made from former Cuvee Tardive vine product?

I wonder if the region is entering a premium cuvee arms race, as it were, considering also Lapierre's CML and Foillard's 3.14.

Yes.

 

[SFJoe]

Though not from the example of the Griffe, which is not a selection of Tardive grapes or juice AFAIK. That Impénitents is one tough SOB.

 

[Oswaldo Costa]

originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Awesome, Joe, thank you. Last year I drank Desvignes's 2006 Cote du Py and Javernieres and found them both disappointingly austere, not surprising now that I read you. Around the same time, the 2007 generic Morgon from Descombes was just lovely, pure and focused.

Last night another bottle of 2006 Desvignes Côte du Py was no longer austere, but disappointing just the same. Aroma dominated by licorice, showing mild tannins, soft texture, just enough acidity, and ending a tad sweet. Blind, would never have pegged as Beaujolais.

 

[Ian Fitzsimmons]

I'm always still a bit shocked when I see an SFJoe initial post thread at the head of the queue.

Any recent experiences with Desvignes's Impenitents hereabouts?