Peppery Beaujolais wines

[Paul Magnussen]

In the late '80s it was possible, in the US, to get several good
low-priced Beaujolais wines -- such as Fleurie, Morgon & Moulin-à-Vent
-- with a peppery taste. The best that I remember was the Moulin-à-Vent
by Clos du Tremblay.

It's still possible to buy these regional labels, but the peppery taste
seems to have gone; and the Tremblay is impossible to find.

I'm reluctant to waste more money trying new brands, since my success
rate is so low. I should be grateful for any help.

Thanks,

Paul Magnussen

[santiago]

I wonder if you are asking for unripe wines from Beaujolais.

With global warming, and Beaujolais gaining appreciation, most decent
growers are now making riper wines and those peppery notes are not that
common, I think.

If you want to have those peppery notes, my suggestion would be to go with
cooler vintages such as 2007 or 2008 (if you can find them) and avoid 2009
and 2010, which are quite ripe (2009 is riper than 2010).

Cru Beaujolais is fashionable again, and you should be able to get the
wines from the best producers in the U.S. Lapierre, Piron, Metrat,
Descombes, Desvignes, Foillard, Ch. des Jacques (from Jadot). I do not know
if some more cult producers such as Bouland or Burgaud are available in the
U.S.

Morgon rules!

BTW, it is much easier to get peppery notes in Loire reds, specially those
from Anjou.

s.



Paul Magnussen <magic...@earthlink.net> wrote in
news:dIydnfn5RreyfvDN...@earthlink.com:

[Steve Slatcher]

Santiago

You are assuming Paul meant bell peppers it seems. I thought he meant
peppercorn, but was not sure as I have noted neither in Beaujolais. I
almost asked, but decided against it as I couldn't help either way.

I agree - (young) Loire reds for bell peppers. N Rhone Syrah for
peppercorn I suppose - so people say.

Steve

--
www.winenous.co.uk

[santiago]

Steve Slatcher <steve.s...@pobox.com> wrote in news:adbs5oFlgs1U1
@mid.individual.net:

> Santiago
>
> You are assuming Paul meant bell peppers it seems.

Absolutely!

I thought he meant
> peppercorn, but was not sure as I have noted neither in Beaujolais. I
> almost asked, but decided against it as I couldn't help either way.

When I read pepper, my mind goes directly to bell-pepper, either red or
green. For me, "pepper the spice" is always white-pepper or black-pepper.
Not that I think it is that common in Cru Beaujolais.

>
> I agree - (young) Loire reds for bell peppers. N Rhone Syrah for
> peppercorn I suppose - so people say.

Yes, I agree to some degree with peppercorn in NR Syrahs... I also find
them in some Grenache wines (Ch. Rayas) and in some of the finer examples
of Ribera del Duero from Tempranillo.

BTW, I think Cabernets are very proner to bell-pepper, specially when
unripe. I love Loire reds, and can accept a certain pepperiness as part of
the game, but most reds from Anjou (Anjou, Anjou-Villages, Anjou-Brissac
and so on)... are over the top for me.

And I tend to love very much when I find some paprika (which is not more
than red-bell-pepper that has been dry-roasted and then smoked) in some of
the wines from the Médoc.

Regards,

s.

[Paul Magnussen]

santiago wrote:
> Steve Slatcher <steve.s...@pobox.com> wrote in news:adbs5oFlgs1U1
> @mid.individual.net:
>
>> Santiago
>>
>> You are assuming Paul meant bell peppers it seems.
>
> Absolutely!
>
>
> I thought he meant
>> peppercorn, but was not sure as I have noted neither in Beaujolais. I
>> almost asked, but decided against it as I couldn't help either way.

I meant peppery as in "salt & pepper". Let's say "spicy", if that makes
it easier.

Paul Magnussen