Tag Archives: gamay

Expensive wine 164: Albert Bichot Fleurie La Madone 2019

Abert Bichot Fleurie La Madone 2019 bottle
Abert Bichot Fleurie La Madone 2019/$25-$40

Beaujolais offers nuance and subtlety in an age of fruity and alcohol-ixh red wines

There has been a lot of Beaujolais on the blog in the past couple of years, but not just those costing $15 and less. They have been cheap wine staples since the WC’s on-line adventure started.

Rather, there has been more high-end Beaujolais – what the wine geeks call cru Beaujolais. So what’s with their more or less sudden appearance? Because these are among the last French red wines that can still offer value at $25 and more.

Like the Bichot Fleurie La Madone 2019 ($26. purchased, 13.5%). Bichot is a quality Burgundy house, so when I saw this on a store shelf before the holidays, I snapped it up. (And yes, Beaujolais is kind of, sort of, a part of Burgundy). The wine did not disappoint.

This is a delightful, layered, and top-notch red made with gamay from Fleurie in Beaujolais. Fleurie wines tend to be lighter and more delicate, and the La Madone is exactly that. I was even a little surprised at how well made it was; not so much because it didn’t taste like ripe banana $10 Beaujolais, but because it wasn’t simple. Dare I use the descriptor “perfumed,” which typically ends up in snotty-sounding tasting notes?

There is balance, certainly (amazing tannins) and structure to go with the perfectly nuanced red berry fruit. Highly recommended. Pair this with almost any red wine dish that doesn’t seem to lend itself to a pairing. I drank it with roasted pork shoulder, and it was spot on.

Imported by Albert Bichot USA

Wine of the week: Domaine de Bel-Air Beaujolais-Villages Les Granits Bleus 2020

Jean-Marc Lafont Beaujolais-Villages Les Granits Bleus Domaine de Bel-Air 2020
Wine of the week: Domaine de Bel-Air  Beaujolais-Villages Les Granits Bleus 2020/$13-$15

This French red is about as traditional as Beaujolais still gets

Those of us of a certain age, who started drinking wine long before sweet red blends (and even before California zinfandel), drank Beaujolais when we wanted a cheap, well-made red wine.

Those wines are much more difficult to find now, victims of consolidation, premiumization, and the various economic tumults over the past decade or so. Even something that should be dependable, like the Louis Jadot, isn’t.

So it was with particular satisfaction that I drank the Jean-Marc Lafont Beaujolais-Villages Les Granits Bleus Domaine de Bel-Air 2020 ($13, purchased, 13.5%). It’s not an earth-shattering wine or anything that’s going to get 98 points or be featured on a hipster wine list. Rather, it’s a red wine for dinner — and what more do we really need?

In this, it’s very traditional; not soft, with the banana foolishness that passes for winemaking too often these days. Instead, it’s very fruity (raspberries and then even more berries) and with just enough structure to remind you that it’s quality Beaujolais. In other words, the gamay grape made into wine the way it should be.

But why not? The producer, Jean-Marc Lafont, is well-regarded, and his wines include a variety of top-notch Cru Beaujolais. So putting effort into a quality entry-level wine remains important.

It’s also worth noting that I’m seeing lots and lots of Beaujolais-Village on store shelves, much more than usual. My guess is that the wines suffered badly during the Trump tariff and are only now starting to show up in the U.S. again.

Imported by Skurnick Wines

Expensive wine 156: Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent 2018

Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent 2018
Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent 2018/$20-$29

This is Cru Beaujolais to please not only wine geeks, but Mom

Wine geeks love what’s called Cru Beaujoalis – more expensive and better quality red wine from the Beaujolais region of France, which otherwise produces oceans of ordinary $10 wine. In fact, there’s an old joke about young sommeliers and their favorite wine, and the punchline is “Cru Beaujolais.”

So what’s the Chateau des Jacques doing here? Hey, even wine geeks are allowed to be right every once in a while.

The Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent 2018 ($27, purchased, 13.5%) is a terrific example of why Cru Beaujolais is held in such high regard. It’s made with gamay, a simpler grape, but this wine is layered, deep, and interesting. It has many notes where supermarket Beaujolais has just one. Look for some floral aromas, as well as berry fruit (just barely ripe), maybe some black pepper, and a speck of acidity to balance it all. The tannins are pushed all the way to the back, with a long and almost gravelly finish.

And, in one of those ironies that I especially appreciate, the brand is owned by French Big Wine’s Louis Jadot. No, I don’t know what the wine geeks make of that.

Highly recommended. This is a red wine that is light enough for a Mother’s Day brunch (sausage and onion frittata, perhaps), but would also pair with smoked or roast chicken for a Mother’s Day afternoon picnic or barbecue.

Imported by Kobrand

Wine and food pairings 15: Southwestern-style stew with guacamole and pico de gallo

Artus Wolfaerts - Man Cooking Sausages
I’m cooking these sausages because the WC, once again, neglected to take a picture for this blog post.

The Wine Curmudgeon pairs wine with some of his favorite recipes in this occasional feature. This edition: three wines with a Southwestern-style stew, made with odd cuts of beef and pork.

The pandemic left me with some odd meat in the freezer – a package of beef short ribs with just three ribs, and what are you supposed to do with just three short ribs? There were also two of the saddest thinly sliced pork chops on record, maybe one-quarter of an inch thick at the thickest.

In other words, nothing I could make by itself that would actually be worth eating. So why not cook them together?

And the blog’s Southwestern-style stew was born.

Obviously, you can make this with just short ribs or just pork (shoulder, certainly) or even beef chuck, but it turned out exactly as I hoped. What makes this work is turning the pan drippings into a gravy with an immersion blender. You don’t lose any of the flavor and there’s no sauce-making aggravation.

I served the stew over Israeli couscous and topped each serving with a scoop of pico de gallo and guacamole. Store bought is OK, but it’s better and not that much work to make your own.

Click here to download or print a copy of the recipe. What wines to pair? Fruity reds to stand up to the spices, plus rose, because that’s one of the things rose does so well:

• Henry Fessy Gamay Noir 2020 ($12, purchased, 13.5%): I served this with the stew and it was spot on. This vintage is a little spicier and less ripe than the 2019, but still well done and enjoyable, with quality red fruit. Imported by Louis Latour

• Santa Julia Malbec Organica Rose 2020 ($10, purchased, 13.5%): This Argentine pink, a long-time blog favorite, is as it always is — crisp, a bit tart, a bit stony, and with strawberry fruit. Imported by Winesellers Ltd.

• Funckenhausen Red Blend 2020 ($15/1-liter, purchased, 13.9%): Funckenhausen, an Argentine producer, does several 1-liter wines made for everyday drinking. And it’s not damning with faint praise to say this wine, mostly malbec, is not the best; rather, it’s still professional and well made and perfect for this dish. Some berry fruit, a little tart, and not too soft. Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

Blog associate editor Churro contributed to this post.

More about wine and food pairings:
• Wine and food pairings 14: Mom’s chicken parmigiana
• Wine and food pairings 13: Crawfish etouffee
• Wine and food pairings 12: Hot dogs

Photo: “Artus Wolfaerts – Man Cooking Sausages” by irinaraquel is licensed under CC PDM 1.0

Slider photo: “Rome Elite Event: wine, food and nice people” by Yelp.com is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Wine of the week: Henry Fessy Gamay Noir 2019

Henry Fessy Gamay Noir
Henry Fessy Gamay Noir 2019/$10-$12

Not even the Trump tariff and almost surreal availability have stopped this wine from offering quality, terroir, and value

The Henry Fessy wines have a long and odd history on the blog. The 2016 vintage of this Frenvh red was on closeout for about six months at a Dallas retailer and I drank a lot of it.

Then it disappeared, and that was the only time I’ve seen Henry Fessy wines for sale in Dallas – even though the importer and Texas wholesaler have national reach.

So on-line retailers, where I got this and the 2019 Fessy old vines Beaujolais — which was undrinkable. That’s what 14.5 percent alcohol, to get around the Trump tariff, did for the wine.

So when I bought the Fessy Gamay Noir 2019 ($12, purchased, 13.5%), I didn’t expect much. That’s the way of the wine world these days, isn’t it?

Turns out that I had no reason to worry. The Gamay Noir is made from the gamay grape that’s used in Beaujolais But the gamay in this wine comes from throughout France. In this, all was as it should be. That means a bright, fresh wine with berry fruit that wasn’t especially ripe, plus soft tannins and refreshing acidity. Yes, it was a touch thin in the back, but after the Beaujolais, who’s complaining?

Chill this ever so slightly and drink it on its own or with anything that used to be called bistro cuisine – steak frites, roast chicken, or even pizza.

Imported by Louis Latour

Mini-reviews 129: Beaujolais, El Circo, El Terrano, gewurtztraminer

BeaujolaisReviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month.

• Domaine Pierre Labet Beaujolais-Villages 2017 ($11, purchased, 12.5%): French red made with gamay that mostly tastes like it should, though I’m surprised it’s not fruitier. It’s not the best example of a Village, but it’s not the worst, either.

• El Circo Volatinero 2018 ($10, purchased, 13.5%): Spanish red made with tempranillo that doesn’t taste especially Spanish or much like tempranillo. It’s bland and boring – dare I say, “Smooth?” Imported by Seaview Imports

• El Terrano Verdejo 2017 ($8, purchased, 13.5%): Another cheap white wine from Whole Foods that isn’t worth even the little it costs. Spanish, but thin and watery lemon fruit, and not much else. Imported by Pacific Highway Wines & Spirits

• Flora & Stone Gewürztraminer NV ($5, purchased, 12%): Aldi private label California white that tastes like gewurtzraminer, but also tastes like it has been sweetened to please a focus group. It mostly tastes like wine, but it could have been so much more enjoyable.

Photo: “Empty wine bottles” by WineCoMN is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 

Holiday wine gift guide 2019

holiday wine gift guide 2019
No, the Wine Curmudgeon is not suggesting anyone buy this wine workout Christmas tree ornament.

The Wine Curmudgeon holiday wine gift guide 2019 — great wine and even a wine coloring book

• Holiday wine trends 2019

The Wine Curmudgeon’s holiday wine gift guide 2019 offers practical, value-oriented, yet still fun gifts. What else would you expect after all these years?

Consider:

• This year’s collection of wine books was, sadly, a bit pretentious for the blog. But never fear: How about a wine coloring book? When Life Gets Complicated, I Wine ($13), with 12 colored pencils. Take that, wine snobs.

• The Edmunds St. John Bone-Jolly Gamay Noir 2018 ($29) is the current vintage of one of the best wines I have tasted in almost three decades of doing this. It’s a California wine made with the gamay grape in a region far, far off the tourist track. There usually isn’t much of it, so when I saw it on wine.com, it moved to the top of the holiday wish list. Highly recommended, and marvel at how this wine reflects the berry fruit of the gamay, as well as its terroir.

• Italy’s white wines are too often overlooked, and especially those made with the arneis grape. The Vetti Roero Arneis 2018 ($22) is one such example — almost nutty, with wonderful floral aromas and the soft, citrusy flavors. Drink it on its own, or with holiday seafood or poultry. Highly recommended.

• The Repour Wine Saver ($9 for a 4-pack) is a single-use stopper that preserves leftover wine one bottle at a time. In this, I was surprised at how well it works, and it’s not as expensive as more complicated systems like the VacuVin.

• Wine-Opoly ($21), because why shouldn’t we try to take over the wine world just like Big Wine? No dog or iron playing pieces in this wine-centric version of Monopolyl rather, they are wine bottles.

More holiday wine gift guides:
• Holiday wine gift guide 2018
• Holiday wine gift guide 2017
• Holiday wine gift guide 2016