Cru Vineyard Beaujolais

If you like French Burgundy, and I'm talking Pinot Noir, but can't afford the good stuff, look south to where the Gamay grape is king.  It's still Burgundy (geographically speaking) but without the pretense and pricing of the great wines to the north.  

Further to the south is Beaujolais proper where oceans of light fruity quaffing wine originates.  What we're talking about is the area in between where the qualitatively better Gamay comes from, the stuff that approximates the pinots to the north at that more comfortable price point.

There are ten crus in the region, ten vineyards that have historically produced wine of superior quality.  About halfway down this north-to-south list the terroir changes.  The first five crus resemble Pinot Noir country climate-wise while the last five to the south, with one outlier, resemble the Mediterranean Cotes du Rhone climate to the south.  This is a generalization but the bigger reds come from the north and the softer reds come from the south.

All Beaujolais show berry flavors in abundance and our northernmost cru, Julienas, is all about strawberries and lingonberries.  St. Amour is difficult to peg down flavor-wise.  It's sort of all over the map.  Chenas is big age-worthy red wine.  Moulin a Vent is decidedly full-bodied and tannic.  It's big red wine that turns more pinot-ish with age.  Fleuries are floral, as the name implies, but still capable of aging well.

The five crus to the south start with Chiroubles, a soft, lighter-styled, delicate red.  Morgon is the outlier mentioned above.  It is a full-bodied, rich and powerful, meaty, age-worthy cherry bomb that also turns pinot-ish with age.  The last three; Regnie, Cotes de Brouilly and Brouilly; are all soft and rich fruit bombs.  They are more like the Beaujolais to the south but still qualitatively better. 

So, to summarize: The big reds are Morgon, Moulin a Vent and Chenas.  All three are capable of aging up to ten years.  In a good vintage any cru should hold/improve for three to five years.  And the lighter ones you can enjoy anytime. 

So why this post now?  Because these wines are selling better than ever.  Maybe they've been discovered.  You should try one. 

Coffee, Wine and Tea

Coffee, wine and tea have historically consumed the beverage category in my life.  I used to tell people I drink a pot of coffee every morning, a pot of tea in the afternoon and a pot of wine in the evening...and that's not far from the truth!  But things change when you get older and tastes have to be tempered.

What I find fascinating in life is how our tastes change over time and relatedly, how we think about what we consume.  I have never been a coffee connoisseur, but at the same time, I'll pass on a bad cup any time.  My cup of coffee has to be just good enough, as I define that term, to pass muster with me. 

I always thought tea was tea, whether hot or cold.  Why waste time considering the merits of a product that is so basic; that is, until I recently picked up a couple jugs of the pre-made stuff from the grocery store.  I had forgotten my home brewed tea from bulk leaves that day and figured the jugs would suffice.  That's when I learned there is a difference.  I know now that my appreciation for tea has evolved.

So what's my point with this vacuous post? It's simply that it's all so personal what we like in our beverages.  Me?  I like good enough coffee and tea that others may not.  And I'm admittedly not a connoisseur of either.  Wine is different.  I am a connoisseur of fine wine but I'm also realistic.  I can't afford the great wines so I look for value.  And if that's got you curious, you should stop in the store.

And forget what others say.  Especially the experts.  Like what you like.  And remember, whether you think you know your stuff about coffee, tea and wine; it's always subject to change.