Making a fuss about the wines of Beaujolais (From Bicester Advertiser)

Making a fuss about the wines of Beaujolais

3:20pm Wednesday 8th July 2009

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Readers of this column will be familiar with my Beaujolais love affair. This humble, hard-working and welcoming region deserves our attention.

The vineyards that sit to the west and south of Villefranche-sur-Saône in Bas-Beaujolais knit together some of the region’s prettiest villages; the buildings constructed from the famous pierres dorées (golden stones) that are as bright and welcoming as they sound.

Heading north to the Haut-Beaujolais you cannot miss the shift from limestone to granite, and it is in these soils that the area’s more serious ‘cru’ wines are made.

The region as a whole is rejuvenated and the excitement amongst wine makers and merchants alike is palpable. They all know that a quality product is essential and there has been a discernable effort to raise standards over the last decade.

More encouraging still is the feeling — both in France and in the UK — that we wine drinkers are increasingly on the hunt for less powerful, elegant reds that do not necessarily cost the earth.

Cue Beaujolais with its host of competitively-priced wines that have a tendency to be more fruit- than oak-driven and that rarely rise much above 13.5% alcohol. Refreshing indeed.

Arnaud Chambost is one of France’s leading sommeliers (as well as having one of the most impressive handlebar moustaches I have ever laid eyes on) and his enthusiasm for Beaujolais knows no bounds.

He said: “It’s not one of France’s largest regions but we make a huge range of wine styles here and really, I can’t think of too many meals where it wouldn’t be possible to find the perfect Beaujolais to complement it.”

Presumably to demonstrate the point, we are having this discussion over a seven-course meal that has more flavours, spices, and food groups than I have ever come across in a single sitting.

We drink unoaked white Beaujolais (Chardonnay), rosé and a selection of reds. He is right that when it comes to red wine there is a bit of everything.

With simpler, less-intense flavours we drink Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages. When the food becomes more flavoursome we move to the cru wines.

“I like Brouilly wines for their fresh, generous flavours . . . it’s one of the biggest cru and we drink a lot of it locally, it’s very versatile. Morgon wines are much wilder in their flavours more structured and have great ageing potential. The best terroir in the Haut-Beaujolais is Moulin-à-Vent. The wines have exceptional expression with tannin and acidity. Despite what a lot of people think about Beaujolais, these wines can age for ten years and more.”

I agree and, if you want a good restaurant wine list tip, always look to see if there’s either a Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent available.

If there is and it has got a bit of bottle age, they can offer something of a Burgundian experience at a much better price. It is though the Fleurie name that most of us associate with Beaujolais.

It is a wine that is as fragrant and enticing as the name itself.

For Chambost it is a great advert for the region and the people who make it: “The wines are really attractive and more serious than many people give them credit for . . . but I think that’s very Beaujolais; there’s a lot of talent here but we don’t make a big fuss about it.”

Personally, I wish they would.

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