Question from a novice.

[frenchfancier]

Hello,

I just joined and noting from my username I have been turned onto French wines. I mostly drink Beaujolais and dabble into other reds. I get my wines from the supermarket. I have not tried a wine shop but am willing to try.

My question is, I recently purchased a bottle of George Duboeuf Brouilly, Chateau de Nervers from 1996 in the supermarket. Would this be a good candidate to save for a special occasion or something I should appreciate on a daily basis like my usual Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Village or Jacob's Creek Shiraz?

Thanks.

[Innkeeper]

Hi FF, and welcome to the Wine Board. Your '96 Brouilly is ready to drink at the soonest. The so-called Cru Beaujolais have more legs than plain ole Beaujolais, and most of the Beaujolais Villages. Right now the 2002 Brouilly, Fleurie, and Julienas are drinking very well. The Moulin A Vent will hold a few more years. The 2002's currently on the market are not the best vintage in recent years, so buy them selectively, and don't really stock up on them. If you can still find some 00's or 01's they are a better value.

You might also try some of the lighter Italian reds that are available now. These include the Rosso Picenos and Rosso Coneros, Salice Salentinos, and Primitivos.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 11-02-2003).]

[frenchfancier]

Thanks for the info. I opened it AND it was spoiled! Not surprising. It was brown, smelled and tasted like vinegar. And had some particles in the bottom. Darn.

BTW, if I wanted to keep a couple of reds for a few years ot mature, which type would be good? Is it possible to save Beaujolais to mature or is only a couple of years necessary?

Thanks.

[Thomas]

Generally, frenchfancier, Beaujolais is not a wine for maturing in the bottle--with exceptions of course. But to know the potential exceptions you need to know the producer and the particular attributes of the vintage; even then, they don't need too long of a time to mature.

I undertsand falling in love with certain wines, but don't let that stop you from trying others, from other countries, including the U.S. You'll have a lot of fun and you will be surprised by much.

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 11-03-2003).]

[Innkeeper]

If you really want to hang in there with Beaujolais for a while try a 2000 Georges DuBoeuf, Prestige, Moulin A Vent. It will run $18-$20 depending on where you get it. It should hold for three or four more years.

Be careful where you store wine in West Palm Beach. Sustained temperatures of over 70 degrees will spoil it. You might want to condsider getting a small temperature/humidity control units from one of the discount centers.

[ShortWiner]

Also, a supermarket is a sort of chancy place to buy older wines. You run a high risk of the storage having been far from ideal. If that wine was sitting on the shelves for 6 years, that's a problem!

[wineguruchgo]

Please tell me that you saved the wine and brought it back to the store!

They will take it back and get the credit back from their distributor.

A lot of my friends don't do it, yet they will do it with food.