Jolly nice Beaujolais

Good Beaujolais is not cheap, but it can be just as good as more exalted wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy

THESE DAYS, BEAUJOLAIS tends to attract the nerds – both the people who drink it and those who make it. Once the fashionable tipple of middle-class Ireland, it has fallen from favour in recent years, and is now appreciated by a minority of aficionados. The damage has been partly self-inflicted. The larger producers were happy to sell us very ordinary wine for many years, often at very cheeky prices. They also invented Beaujolais Nouveau.

There remains a core of around two dozen excellent producers in the region, some of whom have returned to older, traditional methods of wine-making, and others who are now working bio-dynamically. All have a mission to produce quality wine. Sadly, Marcel Lapierre, known as the “pope of natural wine”, died late last year. If you do come across his Morgon, buy it straight away. As far as I know, his wines are no longer available in this country, but most of the other top producers are here, including Jean Foillard, the other man responsible for revitalising Beaujolais.

As mentioned in this column before, I have been gorging on the fantastic Beaujolais 2009 vintage at home, along with some great wines from earlier vintages. I have even laid down a few bottles to see how they age. The year 2007 was an excellent vintage in the region, 2008 a little weaker, but as always the best producers made very good wines. The 2009 was almost perfect, and the top wines are superb – most will mature very nicely, too.

All red Beaujolais is made from the Gamay grape (a small amount of Beaujolais Blanc is made from Chardonnay). But nowhere else does it reach the same quality. This is a large area, producing almost as much wine as the rest of Burgundy. Beaujolais is all about the soil. The region runs north-south for some 55km, from the granite hills south of Mâcon to the flatter sandy soils south-west of Lyon. The southern part mainly produces soft, easy, basic Beaujolais. The soil changes completely from sand to granite just north of the town of Villefranche. Almost all of the best wines come from the north, including the 38 communes entitled to call themselves Beaujolais-Villages, and the top 10 crus, that is villages that are entitled to use their own name. The best known in this country are Fleurie, Morgon, Moulin à Vent and Brouilly. In a magical marriage of soil and climate, the wines of each cru are radically different. Fleurie, known as the “queen of Beaujolais”, has pink granite shingle soils. The wines are perfumed, satin-smooth and bursting with fruit. Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly (two separate crus) are the lightest and most feminine (a phrase I dislike, but you know what I mean) of all. Morgon, whose soils are schist and basalt, is bigger and more powerful, with dark cherry fruits, while Moulin à Vent, the “king of Beaujolais”, from iron-rich manganese soils, produces the biggest, most structured wine of all. The latter two, from the right source, can age for a decade or more.

Why bother with Beaujolais? The argument against is one of price. It has a reputation as a frivolous wine – various books describe it as “a wine to put a smile on your lips” or “a peal of laughter at the table”. But why pay €20 or more for a fun wine? I tasted some 25 crus Beaujolais for this article. I have not enjoyed a tasting as much in a long time. The great wines cost only a few euro more than the average, of which there were plenty. The top wines really were great. I would happily drink them instead of many a Bordeaux, Burgundy or Barossa Shiraz at twice the price. All were wines with style, character and depth, yet could not offend even the pickiest wine-drinker. These are food-friendly, fruit-filled consumer-friendly wines that don’t need 10 years to mature. Best of all, they were all 12.5-13% alcohol, allowing you to drink plenty.

Fleurie 2007 Domaine des Nugues, 13%, €18.40A wonderful, forward, sweet, fragrant nose, with a good concentration of perfectly ripe silky fruits and excellent length. A wine with real style and class that glides across the palate. Fleurie does not get much better than this. Stockists: Boutique Wines, Ringsend; Bin No. 9, Clonskeagh; Vanilla Grape, Kenmare; Donnybrook Fair; thewinestore.ie

Morgon 2008 Foillard, 13%, €20-€22Jean Foillard is one of the great winemakers of Beaujolais. His vineyards are mainly on the Côte du Py in Morgon. This is a stunning wine, packed with cool, dark fruits, good acidity, some grippy tannins and a lingering finish. It all comes together perfectly to form a beautifully balanced wine that will, I suspect, improve further. Try it with red meats. I would also try the 2008 Morgon Côte du Py at €29, a wine with a serious reputation. Stockists: Le Caveau, Kilkenny, lecaveau.ie; Corkscrew, Chatham Street; Fallon Byrne, Exchequer Street; Michael's Wines, Deerpark

Moulin à Vent 2009, Château des Jacques, Louis Jadot, 13%, €21The Burgundian firm Louis Jadot has built up an enviable holding of vines in Beaujolais, none better than the Château des Jacques in Moulin à Vent. From a great vintage, this is full of concentrated, meaty, dark fruits, but is still elegant and smooth. Drink now or keep for up to 10 years. A great wine; I would try it with grilled meats. Stockists: O'Briens; Sweeney's, Glasnevin; Eugene's, Kenmare (and vgwines.com); Next Door, Kilkee; Next Door, Clane

Moulin à Vent 2008, Domaine de Vissoux, 12.5%, €23.50This is from a lighter vintage, but the wine is gorgeous, with silky-smooth, refined dark cherry fruits that charm and seduce. It has great depth too, and improved all evening. Stockists: Callan's Off Licence, Co Louth; O'Keeffe's, Ennis, Co Clare; On the Grapevine, Dalkey; Searson's, Monkstown

Two under €12

Fleurie 2009 Labouré Roi, 13%, €11.99

It doesn't reach the giddy heights of the Fleurie above, but this is a sound, well-made wine, with easy strawberry fruits providing an introduction to the appellation at a very affordable price. Stockists: O'Donovan's, Cork: Deveney's, Dundrum; The Mill, Maynooth; Boomers, Clondalkin; Nextdoor, Clane and other independent off-licences

Brouilly Cuvée de Tête 2009, 13%, €11.79Brouilly is one of the lightest crus of Beaujolais. This is a good example, with gentle summer fruits and a refreshing acidity. Enjoy lightly chilled with fish, chicken or charcuterie. Stockist: M&S

Dermot Nolan Wine Services, in conjunction with the Institute of Masters of Wine, will be holding a tasting of Chianti and Super Tuscan wines from the 2001 vintage. This walk-around tasting will take place on April 4th (2pm-6pm) in The Stillorgan Park Hotel. Tickets are €30 each, and must be booked in advance from hwilliams@masterofwine. org or
learn@dermotnolan.ie