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Hooray for Beaujolais!
At its best Beaujolais combines tradition and structure with a juicy drinkability that has you reaching for the second bottle. Plus, Ellington dug it.
2018 Dubost La Ballofiére Morgon
By Eric HarlandDrums
About the Wine
Hooray Beaujolais at its best. I had a dream a few nights ago where I called the owner of a wine store that was closed to see if I could still buy a bottle after closing hours. He immediately buzzed me in even though he wasn't there. Once inside... there was an attraction to the Beaujolais section. As I move towards it, I recognized that some of the display bottles were empty and thought to myself "Wow, this must be good!" So I grabbed one and went to the lounging area ready to taste this magnificent wine. Now after that... my wife came in and we had an argument and the dream just wasn't same... but the point is that I think Beaujolais was giving me a sign, LOL. Well in real time, I went to my favorite wine store and was in search of what I couldn't experience in the dream (cause my wife wanted to argue in the dream... remember that smh). BEHOLD! My eyes set on Dubost La Bellofiére Morgon 2018. As I grabbed the bottle, the person working at the store looked at me with such joy and we met in a space that only true wine connoisseurs meet. It's a space where time stands still and you know the love and joy that's about to be experienced from this bottle of wine. He did not let me down. Intense dark fruit bouquet, amazing depth and complexity. Wow, exactly what a marriage needs to survive. I guess Beaujolais had my back the whole time in the dream. Thank you my friend. Details
Region: Morgon, Beaujolais, FranceVarietal: Gamay
Importer: Domain Dubost
Price: $26
What I'm Listening to Now
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Impulse!, 1963)
2019 Jean Foillard Beaujolais Villages
By Matt PenmanBass
About the Wine
This guy is the cat. So even if you're not throwing down the necessary scratch for the flagship Morgon that the slow burn of recognition and popularity, not to mention scarcity, has pushed into the realm of the special occasion bottle, you can still experience the work of Jean Foillard through this Beaujolais Villages from the higher slopes of the vineyard. As my wife intones thickly and a little drunkenly beside me "this is my favorite wine." Well, maybe tonight it is, but this crunchy number is all wet stones and berries with a slight hint of the farm on the nose, and makes me think of a raspberry taking a bite out of a piece of slate. Or the other way around. This wine likes the cold and I return it to the fridge so it might reclaim its former elegance, but like an impatient 4 year old I soon have it back out and in front of me. A freshish Brie hits all the right notes and we're back on the Gamay train. Chew-ew! Reaching the end I put my nose as far as it can go into the glass, which is quite far, and am rewarded by an orange blossom perfume -the wine has opened. I own a bass made for me by the brilliant luthier Jean Auray who lives bang in the middle of Beaujolais, and the day I went to pick it up he served me lunch in his backyard. They say that centuries of living in the shadow of Burgundy has led to a lack of pride in the region: case in point, with lunch he served me Chinon, from the Loire. Details
Region: BeaujolaisVarietal: Gamay
Importer: Kermit Lynch
Price: $32
What I'm Listening to Now
Horace Silver Quintet: Further Explorations (Blue Note, 1958)
2018 Marc Delienne Fleurie "Maurice"
By Kristin KorbBass & Vocals
About the Wine
My first memories of Beaujolais go back to 2000 when I had a little Wednesday night restaurant gig. The owner went amok during November promoting the fresh supply of Beaujolais he received from France. He couldn't wait to share his treasures with the band. While he waxed poetic about the region and the wine, I found myself thinking about how light and uninspired it tasted. After all these years, I'm finally revisiting the Beaujolais zone. Just like listening to music, our tastes evolve, and we can be drawn to other unexpected and beautiful experiences. We asked Troels at Erik Sørenson Vin what he recommends based on our predisposition for fuller-bodied wines. "Maurice" doesn't disappoint. This ruby-hued pour is glorious. Putting your nose in the glass, the scent of cherry is mixed with a peppery tingle that lets you know that this is something else. If you can exhibit a little self-control, give it time to open up in the glass before you taste it.
The flavor is a delightful blend of dark berries, cherries, bright acidity, and hint of smoke. The mouth feel is silky and supple. This is not a light Fleurie. It is a full-bodied Beaujolais. Take your time to enjoy the flavors as the subtle changes dance in your mouth. It pairs well with fish or chicken and a side of Rosa Passos. Her singing is light and buoyant, but rooted in a lifetime of experience and nuance that gives each song depth and long-lasting pleasure.
Details
Region: Fleruie, Beaujolais, FranceVarietal: Gamay
Importer: Importer goes here
Price: $23
What I'm Listening to Now
Rosa Passos: Dunas—Live in Copenhagen (Storyville, 2021)
2019 Christian Ducroux Vin de France Prologue
By Jerome Sabbaghsaxophone
About the Wine
Not a man to rely on modern equipment, Christian Ducroux plows his fields with two horses, Hewan and Kaina, and a bull whose name eluded careful research. "Prologue" is his take on Beaujolais Nouveau, but it tastes nothing like the typical Beaujolais Nouveau, and it is not labeled as such. In fact, it's not even labeled Beaujolais, as Mr. Ducroux apparently doesn't want to conform to some of the appellation's rules. But make no mistake, it is indeed Beaujolais of the highest caliber, and at a price that belies the effort involved. Unlike most Nouveau, it also lasts, as the 2019 is singing beautifully right now. The wine has been organic and biodynamic since the 1980s. At 11%, it's light, but deep. It's elegant, yet earthy. It's a deeply satisfying "vin de soif," with tension and backbone. The honesty it's made with comes through in every drop. It is fiercely individual, in an alluring way. It if was a ride cymbal beat, it would be Connie Kay's. You can never have enough of that.. Details
Region: BeaujolaisVarietal: Gamay
Importer: Chambers St. Wines
Price: $17.99 (sold out, sadly)
What I'm Listening to Now
Paul Gonsalves: Gettin' Together! (Jazzland, 1960)
Ivo Pogorelich: Chopin Preludes (Deutsche Grammophon, 1990)
Dizzy Gillespie: Have Trumpet, Will Excite! (Verve, 1959)
Andrew Hill: Judgement! (Blue Note, 1964)
Duke Ellington: The Ellington Suites (The Queen's Suite) (Pablo, 1976, recorded in 1959)
2018 Christian Ducroux Exspectatia
By Randy Ingrampiano
About the Wine
One of my guiding principles in navigating this quasi-adult-jazz-life in NYC is that if an affordable wine comes highly recommended from Chamber St. Wines, it's going to be worth your while. Just like Herbie Hancock records, I'm hardly ever let down (yes, even the vocoder stuff—Sunlight is a masterpiece, but that's a topic for another day). Our friend here is Christian Ducroux, and the wine is called "Exspectatia." From what I gather, Ducroux is considered one of the finest practitioners of natural wine making in a region that literally defined the modern conception of natural wine. While his vineyards would normally fall under the Régnié AOC (one of Beaujolais' 10 Crus), this wine is intentionally declassified as a Vin de France.
Just as the best art can make the complex seem simple, Ducroux's flagship wine has an easygoing silkiness that belies its amazing complexity. Notes of cherries and raspberries are deftly balanced by a nose of earthiness and leather. Those red fruits continue to be augmented by minerals and bright acidity. While not a "big" wine, this clocks in at 13.5% ABV and has impressive length—not just for chilled quaffing, although it's perfect for that too.
Details
Region: BeaujolaisVarietal: Gamay
Importer: Fruit of the Vine
Price: $20
What I'm Listening to Now
Cedar Walton: Reliving the Moment: Live at the Keystone Corner (HighNote, 2014)
2016 Julie Balagny Cayenne
By Damion ReidDrums
About the Wine
When I think of Beaujolais, Gamay immediately comes to mind because it's the grape variety that made me search solely for natural wine. Julie Balagny has succeeded at being one of my favorite producers, growing 90 year old vines high in the steep hills of Fleurie. She handles her grapes with care in a semi-carbonic fermentation process in concrete vats, transferred to a manual press, where the grapes are carefully pressed slowly by hand. The juice is then aged in old Burgundian barrels for elevage. "Cayenne" is a cuvee that is unfiltered, fruit forward, with acidity reminiscent of raspberry and cherry. Because of the vines growing on basalt and volcanic soil, the terroir is highly expressive in this wine, giving you earthy aromas on the nose. 2016 was a good year, that helps show how a light fruit forward taste can easily be enhanced by this unique terroir, transcending this cuvee into an elegant wine you can't stop drinking.
Details
Region: BeaujolaisVarietal: Gamay
Importer: Louis/ Dressner
Price: $45
What I'm Listening to Now
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