Gorgeous burgundy (color) hue with aromas of gentle savory spices a hint of cocoa and a fruity center.
Palate--A lip smackingingly juicy beam of red berries with an acidity that will raise your eyebrows and a tannic presence that is a bit surprising. It finishes quickly.
At 5 years old, this is holding its youthfulness well and should drink well for another 2-4 years but why wait when you can raise a glass now. I paid a mere $7 for this marked down from $20 and I will buy more if I have the chance!
To demystify the whole Beaujolais wine region it is basically set up like this. The wines are all made of the Gamay grape and labeled either Beaujolais, Beaujolais Villages, or Beaujolais Cru. These tend to correlate to quality and price with "Beaujolais" being the entry point and going up from there. Of the Beaujolais Cru there are eight which can wear that distinction. They are: Saint Amour, Chénas, Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Regnie, Brouilly, and Cotés de Brouilly. These will be the most expensive of the Beaujolais wines costing around $18-$25. These are somewhat like our AVA's which are American Viticultural Areas and having one of them appear on the label tells the wine person a good bit about the character of the wine (and sometimes the price).
Now technically there is one more Beaujolais which must be mentioned even though it is the "least of these called "Beaujolais Nouveau." It is probably the best known because it is released the same day every year to markets all over the world--the the third Wednesday in November--to great fan fare and celebrations in the Beaujolais region. This wine is wine at its simple, uncomplicated best being harvested, vinified, bottled and released all in 6 weeks from harvest to drinking. It has a short shelf life (6 months or so) and costs about $10.
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