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+--- Thread: Beaujolais? (/thread-18838.html)
- Duane Meissner - 11-30-2001
Can someone tell me a little about Beaujolais (i.e. what it is, general characteristics, pronunciation)??
Thanks!
DM
- hotwine - 11-30-2001
Duane, Beaujolais (bo-jo-lay) is a red wine made from the Gamay grape in the Beaujolais region of Burgundy, just north of the city of Lyons, France. Virtually all wine books discuss it to at least some depth; one of the best discussions I have read is in the Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine. There are many villages in the Beaujolais region - about 60 - that produce wine, most as communal endeavors. Ten villages produce top-quality stuff called Cru Beaujolais, and include Chiroubles, Morgon, Moulin-A-Vent and Brouilly. The best way to learn about it is to read and sample as much as you can.
Gil
beat the hell out of t.u.
- Innkeeper - 11-30-2001
Duane, can't disagree with Hotwine, but here's what I've being putting together off line.
Beaujolais (Bow-jah-LAY) has been much written about, on this thread and on it's own thread further down the Board. Here is a nice summary, though, for you and others. It comes from one of my favorite wine books, Andrea Immer's "Great Wine, Made Simple."
"Beaujolais' signature is the juicy, grapey fruit scent and succulent texture. The smooth as silk feel gives it immediate appeal. You may also detect a slight bit of earthy 'Frenchness' thrown in. It reminds me of raking leaves in the fall. You'll notice that Beaujolais is much cheaper than Burgundy's Pinot Noir reds. This is because the Gamay grape itself is easier to grow than Pinot Noir, and perhaps more to the point, there's a lot more of it - Beaujolais represents about two-thirds of the total Burgundy volume.
There are three major applellation ranks in the region: Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, and Beaujolais Cru, and the latter two are the best to buy. For the top level, Beaulolais Cur, the wine is named and labeled for one of ten specific crus (vineyard areas) given this official top rank. My favorites among them are Brouilly (Broo-yee), Morgon (More-gohn), Moulin-a-Vent (Moo-lan-ah-VAHNT), Fleurie (Fluh-ree), and Juienas (Jhoo-lee-yeh-NASS)."
- Duane Meissner - 11-30-2001
Thanks! Ya'll have been a great help. I'm gonna find some and try it out.
DM