Dedalus Wine Shop » Beaujolais

Jean-Paul Thévenet’s Primordial Cru

Tim — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:21:10 +0000

Jean-Paul Thévenet Morgon 2007 “Vieilles Vignes.” Imagine the great slope of eastern French wines running from Burgundy down along the river systems of the Saône and the Rhône into the steep, dry hills of the south. From north to south, the style and flavor change from the highly mannered, clarion fruit of the pinot noir, bright and deep by turn, to the big, unbridled wines of the Rhône valley. In the middle, in a niche all of their own, lie the blessed villages of Beaujolais. Of these, Villié-Morgon is the primordial cru.

Thévenet “Vieilles Vignes” is a frankly beautiful and simple expression of the Morgon style. The nose is soft and heavy with fruit, but fleeting. Evanescent. You will want to be quick. The taste is smooth and plummy, and it darkens towards the end. There is almost no tannic bite. There is sweetness without sugar. The taste is clear, never candied, uninhibited and rich.

The gamay noir vines of M. Thëvent are very old and produce small quantities of fruit. Gamay is more often known for riotous abundance. The grape was once banned from Burgundy because it was thought to be too common. But raised with the goal of intensity of flavor, gamay produces a wine of full, dark intensity and great joy.

You will find “Vieilles Vignes” at Dedalus for $34.25.

Tuta 8/5/09

Marcel Lapierre’s ‘06 Morgon – A Holiday Dinner in a Glass

Jason — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:06:36 +0000

The ’06 Lapierre Morgon is a holiday dinner in a glass. It has the aromatics of a fruitcake – candied dates, plum, raspberry, spice and a bit of black cherry. It’s a rich, well-balanced wine that will be at home with just about any meal you plan for the holidays. Give it a whirl, and you’ll be one bottle closer to extolling the virtues of Beaujolais to all your friends.

Marcel Lapierre Morgon, 2006

$19.50

Cru Beaujolais – You Too Will Be Converted!

Jason — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:01:10 +0000

I love to toss a bottle of Beaujolais into a crowd of hard-core wine drinkers. The reaction is always a mix of total disdain and knowing approval. The disdain comes from those whose only contact with the wines of Beaujolais is the plonky Nouveau. Approval comes from those who know the secret: Cru Beaujolais is serious, sleek wine. It’s built for food and friends. This Juliénas is intense, rich and complex; showing off cinnamon, clove, ripe raspberry and black currant. Drink it, age it (3 to 5 years), either way, you’re going to be converted.

Georges Duboeuf Juliénas, Château des Capitans, 2007

$17.75