Top Cru Beaujolais - Domaines Piron and Lardy

I have been promising to write-up the notes from this rather excellent tasting, ever since it took place in October 2014. It was the result of a summer visit by Nottingham Wine Circle members David Bennett and Peter Bamford to the domaines of Dominique Piron and Lucien Lardy. I don't have much technical information about the viticultural or vinicultural practices of either grower, though I assume David or Peter might chip-in with some info in the comments section. There are links to both growers' websites at the bottom of this post.

By way of full disclosure, I am told by David and Peter that whilst the Piron wines were sold to them at "trade" prices, the wines from Lucien Lardy were very kindly provided free of charge, specifically for this tasting. Not that there is ever any obligation to publish notes on every wine given away by growers. But in this case, it would be a shame not to do so, since the wines - and especially those from Lucien Lardy - are well worthy of merit. From what I am told, Dominique Piron is hailed as one of *the* stars of the region, whilst Lucien Lardy seems to be flying somewhat under the radar............... 

David Bennett (left) and Peter Bamford (right). Apologies for the grainy photo, taken with my phone. Then again, with these two, the softer the focus, the better!

Beaujolais Blanc, “La Chanaise”, Dominique Piron, 2013 

Vanilla and lemon, like a fresh-from-the-oven lemon layer pudding. The palate seems a bit one-dimensional and flat. Decent enough, but boring. 

Beaujolais Blanc, Chardonnay, Lucien Lardy, 2013 ** 

This is really good stuff and, frankly, knocks the Piron into a cocked hat. Identifiably Macon Chardonnay – lemon, apple, minerality, lovely acidity, floral. Yummy! 

Brouilly, Dominique Piron, 2013 ** 

Carbonic maceration? Boiled sweets and tar on the nose, quite floral, meaty too. Brioche. Lots of dark cherry and bramble fruit, lovely acidity and rich, ripe tannins. A lovely drink. 

Fleurie, Dominique Piron, 2013 **+ 

Totally different to the Brouilly above. Smoke, meat, mushroom, iodine, earth, with subtle floral and mineral notes. The palate is contrary – elegant and fine, with more structure – tannins are lighter but grippier. Sour cherry, steely minerality. Long, warming and really lovely. 

Morgon, “Côte du Py”, Dominique Piron, 2013 *** 

Dark, with cherry, meat and floral aromas. Quite northern Rhone, but also quite Cote d’Or - not a bad mix! Ripe and even rich, but very classy and beautifully made. The range of flavours – savoury/fruit/mineral - is exceptional and the balance is spot on. This will be even better in 5-8 years. A really brilliant wine.

Morgon, “Côte du Py”, Dominique Piron, 2012 * 

Apparently 2012 was a disastrous Beaujolais vintage, and I guess it shows in this wine.Very dumb nose. Sniff hard and you get iodine, raspberry, lapsang tea, earth. The palate has hints of emulsion paint, mineral and earth. There is some fruit, but it is all rather lean and graceless (in comparison to 2013’s). 

Régnié, Domaine de la Croix Penet, “Croix Penet”, Dominique Piron, 2012 

Again, iodine/mineral, earth, a hint of meat, quite tannic and extracted, and seemingly having had too much time in barrel. Decent, but not distinguished. 

Chénas, Domaine Piron-Lameloise, “Quartz”, Dominique Piron, 2011 * 

Earthy, meaty (there’s a trend here), ripe, with notes of blueberry muffin and tar. Earthy, dense; lots of ripe, chocolatey tannins and lots of oak. This needs lots of time, though I reserve judgment. 

Fleurie, “Lardy”, Lucien Lardy, 2012 ** 

Complex, in a way that nothing leaps out, but there is plenty going on. Lots of small, sweet, wild strawberry and raspberry, hints of leather and herbs, flowers. This isn’t a show-off – rather it speaks quietly but carefully. Balanced, beautifully structured and elegant. This really is very classy stuff and was a true bargain at €7 from the cellar door. A cracker. 

Fleurie, “Les Chènes”, Lucien Lardy, 2011 **+ 

What a lovely nose! Elegant, full of subtle berry and red cherry fruits, both fresh and crystallised, yin and yang, with a touch of oak, but very carefully done. This is beautifully elegant, balanced, classy. A really lovely wine. 

Fleurie, “Les Chènes du Vivier”, Lucien Lardy, 2011 **+

Another lovely nose - Love Hearts (remember them?) and a lick of classy oak (new, I suspect), but with lots of earthy, minerally, floral and other things going on. The palate is already so elegant, soft yet compelling. I could drink this now, but it has lots of potential. Another lovely wine. 

Fleurie, “Les Moriers, Vieilles Vignes”, Lucien Lardy, 2012 **+

Smells of seared steak – char-grilled. Once again, some oak is evident, but the effect is subtle, with all of the emphasis on fruit – bramble and cassis, black cherry. Complex and compelling wine. This guy makes great wines! Another to drink or keep. 

Fleurie, “Les Moriers, Vieilles Vignes”, Lucien Lardy, 2011 **++ 

I’m losing track and running short of adjectives. Sweet fruit nose (fresh and crystallised), aubergine (apparently), slow roasted beef / gravy, hints of flowers. The palate is once again so complex, so approachable, yet full of verve and truly multi-dimensional. Again, some oak, but the fruit is more than ample. Hints of iodine, cough medicine, mint, jam, bread. Uber complex and utterly delicious.

In conclusion, though some of the Piron reds showed very well, it is worth noting that the best were all from the stellar 2013 vintage, whilst the 2011's and 2012's were pretty average, at least to my palate. The Lardy reds, on the other hand, were all 2011 and 2012 - and without exception, they were all truly delicious. Suffice to say I would love to see what sort of wines he made in the fabulous 2013 vintage!

All of which goes to show that the old adage rings true - it's not about the vintage, it's about the grower. Having said that, one should never assume blindly that a grower's wines are necessarily worthy of their lofty reputation. Ultimately, Piron may be the star, but the Lardy wines were considered by pretty much all those present to be the purest, most structured and most elegant of the two. Indeed, were I to dip my (commercial) toe into the Beaujolais market again (which is unlikely, since I always found it such a hard sell, for some reason) then I would be banging Monsieur Lardy's door down, in order to get my hands on his wines! 

Grower websites;                       

Dominique Piron

Lucien Lardy

                

Moulin à Vent - a distinctive terroir?

These notes are from last week's themed tasting at the Nottingham Wine Circle, hosted by my good friend and Beaujolais aficionado Peter Bamford. The title is Peter's, not mine, and whilst a definitive answer to the question may be hard to pin down, the line-up included a fair few wines showing real finesse and complexity.

I've got a luverly bunch of Beaujolais - Peter Bamford (right)

1.  Yvon Métras 2010

A pale-ish colour, like a light Pinot. The nose displays noticable volatile acidity, in almost Musar-like proportions. But it also offers plenty of sweet raspberry and redcurrant fruit aromas, along with a hint of tangy rhubarb, which almost puts me in mind of a Joseph Swan Pinot. The palate is quite earthy, but again really fruity, with flavours of cherries, redcurrants, some spicy/peppery notes and a welcome touch of stalky tannin, making for a wine of real charm and some complexity. I took the bottle home with me and the last half-glass, tasted 24 hours later, was still lovely - and that VA had almost disappeared. A lovely wine.

2.  Domaine des Terres Dorées Jean-Paul Brun 2009

By contrast, this has a very deep colour and a quite tarry/extracted nose. There is plenty going on, though, with aromas of dark cherry, rhubarb and custard, cedar and forest floor - serious Beaujolais, with a good deal of complexity. The palate seems very young and perhaps a little disjointed at present, with stalky tannins and sharp acidity, but plenty of dark fruit flavours and real minerality and structure, suggesting a wine to keep for a few years. Excellent wine, with a very promising future. I believe this wine can be had for around £12, which makes it a fabulous bargain in my book.

3.  Domaine Gay-Coperet Vieilles Vignes 2009

Another sweet red fruit nose - ripe strawberries and cherries. This is perhaps rounder and more together than the Terre Dorées, but lacks the structure and sheer vivacity of that wine. That's not to write it off completely, but this one is merely a decent quaffer in comparison.

4.  Thibault Liger-Belair La Roche 2009

Another deep-coloured wine, with a gloriously complex nose of sous-bois, herbs, spices, dark fruits with red fruit nuances, beetroot, a touch of tar and well-judged oak. It is amost Italian in style, insofar as it has bags of beautifully ripe sweet and sour cherry fruit and excellent underlying acidity. For me, this has real potential - it is utterly delicious right now, but I can see it ageing and evolving for a good few years yet.

5.  Chateau des Jacques Clos de Rochegres Louis Jadot 2009

Deeply coloured again, with a tarry nose hiding what is obviously some big, dark, extracted fruit. The palate is rather un-Beaujolais-like in its richness, intensity and sheer extraction. Some suggested Rhone, though it puts me more in mind of a SuperTuscan blend. That said, it has bags of fruit and excellent structure, and could potentially be excellent in another 5 to 10 years. One to age.

6.  Jean-Paul Dubost 2008

This is the third bottle I have tasted of this wine and each time it has been lovely. It is light in colour and actually slightly cloudy, with a quirky mix of aromas ranging from cranberry and redcurrant at the fruity end to Marmite and Cheddars at the savoury end. The palate is remarkably fresh, with delightful acidity, a mix of fresh and crystallised red fruit flavours and soft, unobtrusive tannins. It really is quite delicious. The problem is, I fear it needs drinking fairly quickly, because of an almost beer-like quality which - whilst making it thoroughly enjoyable to drink now - betrays its "natural" (i.e. non-interventionist and non-sulphur) origins. That said, I could be wrong (it has been known!), for the remainder of the bottle, finished the following evening, was still enjoyable - and the mere fact that it had not yet turned to vinegar indicated that it is perhaps stable enough to last another year or two. But if you have some, you could do worse than drink it now, for it is a lovely wine and I can't see it getting any better.

7.  Domaine du Moulin d'Eole Selection par Union des Viticulteurs 2007
This reeks of fennel and Calvados - not a good sign in my book, at least for a Beaujolais. It tastes of alcohol, too, with harsh, stalky tannins and overextracted fruit. It is one-dimensional, with a harsh/hot finish. I'm not sure whether it is a faulty bottle or just the result of bad winemaking - either way, it isn't a pleasant drink.

8.  Clos du Tremblay Paul Janin et Fils 2006
An unusual nose - yeast/bread, meat and Marmite, with a touch of coal fire thrown in for good measure. Earthy stuff, an really quite complex. The palate is big and with not a little structure, but perhaps seems a bit too rich and extracted (and perhaps even jammy) for my liking. It currently lacks elegance and acidity, which may (or may not) emerge in time.

9.  Chateau de Beauregard Clos des Perelles 2005
Goodness me this is a class act! Classy oak, too, but don't let that put you off, for this is a wine of real complexity, with fabulous red fruit and exotic spice aromas and flavours, with savoury notes and earthy minerality. Admittedly, the oak needs a little time to integrate, but the almost Pinot-esque fruit is so bright and delicious, it is a joy to drink now. There are a good few Burgundy nuts in this tasting group and a few of them were gurning and gritting their teeth when I dared to suggest that this stood comparison to a top Village or even 1er Cru from the Cote de Nuits, but I would challenge anyone to pick it out, if placed as a ringer in a Burgundy tasting. An absolutely top-notch Moulin à Vent, which whilst wonderful now, also has a glorious future ahead of it.

10.  Domaine Gay-Coperet Vieilles Vignes 2005
This is quite a decent drink, but is all a bit "after the Lord Mayor's Show". Decent structure, with good acidity and grip, but suffers in comparison to what went before it.

11.  Chateau des Jacques, “La Roche”, Louis Jadot 2003
Aromas of raspberry compote, tar and smoke, with a hint of typical 2003 overripeness, which comes across as Pepsi. That said, it does have some charm and is actually rather good for a 2003 - rich, opulent, perhaps even a touch jammy, but with what I suspect is a rather good structure, which may well emerge properly after another 5 to 10 years in bottle. If you have some, I suggest you tuck it away for a few years. A promising wine.

12.  Chateau des Jacques, “Clos de Rochegres”, Louis Jadot 2002
I was expecting good things from this wine, since 2002 was a pretty decent vintage in Burgundy and Beaujolais, but it was a real let-down. The aromas and flavours were dominated by mushroom, forest floor, damp earth, pickled cabbage and eau de vie - and not much in the way of freshness or fruit. For some reason, it put me in mind of a badly-made SuperTuscan wine from a hot year. Either it is simply past its best or (more likely) just a bad bottle.

13.  Chateau des Jacques, “La Roche”, Louis Jadot 2000
Ah, now this is more like it! Really lovely, with almost Pinot-esque fruit and secondary aromas of sous-bois and polished wood. And there's plenty of life left in it too, with deliciously fresh raspberry, cherry and strawberry flavours and touch of spice and earthiness. Another utterly delicious wine, and I would again challenge anyone to pick this out as an interloper in a blind tasting of fine red Burgundies.

14.  Union des Viticulteurs 1999
This smells a touch tarry and vegetal (in a red cabbage sort of way) but the palate is delightful - still juicy and mouth-watering, with some discernible strawberry fruit, cracking acidity and loads of tertiary aromas and flavours. It is amazing how a 12 year-old Beaujolais can be stylistically similar to a 20 year-old Burgundy. Lovely stuff........ Oh dear, that is the third time in one tasting that I have compared a Moulin à Vent to a Burgundy - I can almost hear the purists' teeth gnashing as I type!

15.  L. Charvet 1972

This was an "extra", kindly brought by David Selby (whose fabulous cellar - and generosity in sharing some of its contents - I have mentioned many times before). I won't bore you with any more Burg comparisons (and let's face it, there's always a fair chance that some older wines from Beaujolais and Burgundy in general could contain a fair dollop of southern Rhone grapes!) but this was simply wonderful and so alive. Not so much fresh, of course, but delightfully complex, even quite rich, and full of fruit, albeit 40 year-old fruit. I was just so taken by its sheer lovliness - and at this rate, it would probably still be lovely in another 10 or 20 years. A remarkable bottle, sadly now empty, but proudly sitting amongst my other "hall of fame" bottles on the welsh dresser behind me.

So what of the title of this post - is Moulin à Vent a distinctive terroir? Well, to be honest, it is hard to say, although it certainly seems rather distinct from most (if not all) of the other Beaujolais crus. Of course, if you are enough of a wine geek to be reading this blog, you will be aware that all red Beaujolais is made from Gamay, not Pinot Noir. But there is no denying that the really good ones have a Pinot-like quality and character. In the younger ones, this may be accentuated by the oak regime, but in the older ones, where the influence of the oak is minimal and therefore the "winemaking" is less of an issue, the similarity can be even more marked. In some ways, it is quite unfair to compare Moulin à Vent to wines from a completely different grape variety, and from another (more highly-esteemed) region. But one thing I can say for sure is that - on this showing - Moulin à Vent is undoubtedly the best terroir in Beaujolais and the source of some mightily impressive wines. And I will certainly be seeking a few to tuck away for the future.
     

A lovely 2009 Cru Beaujolais

Domaine Metrat & Fils La Roilette 2009 Fleurie

2009 was widely hailed as one of the great Beaujolais vintages, with a perfect growing season yielding wines of considerable fruit density and a good deal of richness, over and above the norm. And of the (admittedly few) 2009's I have tasted thus far, most have indeed been lovely, albeit in a fairly atypical way, because that richness - together with the correspondingly lower levels of acidity than normal - has made for wines rather more reminiscent of good Cotes du Rhone than "typical" Beaujolais. But here's one that really does tick all of the boxes, in terms of Beaujolais typicity, whilst still displaying the inherent generosity of the vintage. Although it is a somewhat deeper colour than the expected ruby red - in fact, more of a transluscent purple colour - the nose still offers a riot of summer fruits, in the way of wild strawberries, raspberries and red cherries, augmented by some enticing background notes of older wood and forest floor. The flavours are correspondingly fruity and ripe, but with real elegance and subtlety, which suggests to me that this winemaker really has got the measure of the vintage. For those ripe, fruity flavours are balanced beautifully by a hint of tannin and just the right level of juicy, mouth-watering acidity, making for a wine of considerable character, a good deal of complexity and a whole load of sweet-and-sour loveliness. Yum! In fact, double yum!
      

Summertime - therefore, it must also be Beaujolais time!

Beaujolais is a wine style that seems to have virtually disappeared from many wine enthusiasts' radars, in recent years. And it had certainly not appeared on mine for a while - I can't remember having tasted (never mind drunk) more than a handful of examples in the last 2 or 3 years. Which is a shame, because I like the style, when it is done well. Indeed, I used to sell a few very decent Cru Beaujolais (Régnié, Fleurie, Morgon, Chénas, Moulin-a-Vent) on my website. Trouble is, despite the fact that it was good, hardly anybody bought the stuff. I'm not sure what the reasons were (the prices were eminently reasonable) but I do know that the annual Beaujolais Nouveau campaign did nothing to help the image of the region as a source of quality wine, especially in the eyes of the people gullible enough to buy the stuff. How could they possibly be encouraged to give "proper" Beaujolais a try, based on their experience of the dreaded Nouveau - i.e. generally thin, tart, bubble gum and pear drop-infused wines that no self-respecting wine lover would rinse their glass with? Of course, there are a few half-decent Nouveaus to be had, but even good growers can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

But wait! Is Beaujolais finally experiencing a bit of a long-overdue rennaissance? There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that it is - mainly from what I see on wine message boards, with plenty of people posting notes and observations on wines they have bought or tasted recently. And the vibes seem very positive, with some drinkers perhaps experiencing real Beaujolais for the first time, whilst others revisit the style and suddenly remember that they enjoyed the stuff all along. Of course, a great vintage helps to focus the attention and, by popular consensus, 2009 was one of the finest Beaujolais vintages in living memory. A long, dry and very warm (but not excessively hot) summer ensured perfect growing conditions - so perfect, in fact, that the Gamay grapes had no trouble in reaching optimum ripeness levels, even to the extent that the harvest began around a week earlier than normal. Beaujolais is rarely found lacking in the acidity stakes (except when clumsily chaptalised, which can result in wines which taste baked and sickly). But such perfect growing conditions rendered chaptalisation (basically, the addition of sugar to the grape must, designed to add balance and boost alcohol levels) totally unnecessary in 2009. So there you have it. Ripe, sweet fruit, inherantly soft/low tannins and naturally high acidity - the perfect recipe for juicy, fruity wines that are dangerously easy to drink.

So when my friend and fellow wine importer Peter Bamford asked if I would be interested in a couple of sample bottles from the 2009 Beaujolais vintage, I accepted them with relish. And, as it happened, I tasted them with relish, too.

Régnié 2009 Cave des Vignerons de Bel Air

Quite a deep colour, especially for what is normally the lightest Beaujolais Cru, being a semi-transluscent medium ruby/purple. The nose is an absolute riot of strawberry, raspberry, red cherry, apple and citrus fruits, with a hint of blackcurrant leaf. It smells ripe and forward, with an aromatic structure not too far removed from a fruity young Cotes du Rhone. The palate is even better, displaying a soft, seductive, strawberries and cream quality. It is voluptuous, even voluminous, with a depth of real fruit rarely found in the lighter Beaujolais Crus like Régnié, whilst offering all the mouth-watering acidity and freshness one could wish for. It isn't particularly complex, but who needs complexity in a wine so vibrant and fresh? It really is utterly lovely, in a drink-me-now sort of way.

Domaine De La Caleche Fleurie 2009 Cave des Vignerons de Bel Air

Again, quite a deep colour, with a narrow rim. This smells more serious than the Régnié, with some darker fruit notes (bramble and blackcurrant) mingled with the red fruits, and even a hint of orange peel. There are also some savoury, spicy nuances, even a touch of meatiness, whilst subtle notes of polished wood and vanillin suggest a little bit of ageing in older oak barrels. Half an hour after opening, there begin to emerge some very attractive notes of spring flowers and violets, together with white fruits such as apple and peach, suggesting hidden depths and a degree of complexity. The palate is more serious, too, with those savoury notes providing a counter to a core of rich dark cherry and raspberry fruit. There is even a touch of grip, courtesy of some fine, ripe tannins, not to mention of course a lovely backbone of juicy, orange-tinged acidity. Whilst it may not have the immediate "lovability" of the Régnié, this wine grew on me very quickly. Indeed, it is very hard to fault, and really gets into its stride after an hour or so in the decanter. Which tells me that, though delicious already, it will evolve beautifully in bottle over the next 2 or 3 years.

As you can probably tell, I was completely bowled-over by the quality of these 2 wines. And I am indeed left wondering why I have neglected Beaujolais for so long, even if only for my own drinking pleasure. I guess the answer is that, although they have often been good, they have rarely been this good. Will I be stocking them? You bet. Projected website prices will be around £8.75 for the Régnié and £11.25 for the Fleurie.