Beaujolais Archives - It Must Be Wine O'clock

Here are a few choice wines for you enjoy this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas!

Apéritifs

Grüner Veltliner, Von den Terrassen, Winzer Krems, Niederösterreich 2020 (Austria)

This Grüner Veltliner from Lower Austria is a perfect apéritif.

It is a fresh, elegant wine with pronounced aromas of blossom, apple and peach, and a touch of white pepper on the nose, leading to a delicious burst of apple, lemon, peach and nectarine on the palate. A tinge of effervescence adds a little sparkle to the mix and the mineral notes and refreshing acidity make for a very well-balanced wine. This is a dry wine with a lengthy finish which will get your Christmas lunch off to a fine start!

Available from Majestic (£10.99, Mix Six £8.99)

Grove Mill, Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2021 (New Zealand)

This aromatic Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a real treat. Pronounced aromas of elderflower, peach, lychee and guava on the nose herald flavours of lime, nectarine and passion fruit on the palate. The layers of fruit are well supported by the bright acidity and lasting finish, and a hint of minerality adds a further level. A delightful wine offering great value for money.

Available from Co-op (£9.50)

White wines

Paco & Lola Albariño 2021 (Spain)

Year after year, Paco & Lola come up trumps with their Albariño to create award-winning wines.

This is a fresh, crisp wine, high in acidity, with aromas of blossom, lemon and apple on the nose, and flavours of apple, peach and nectarine on the palate. It is a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine with a lengthy finish, which matches perfectly with white meat and fish dishes.

Available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s (£12- £14)

Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2021 Awatere Valley (New Zealand)

This elegant Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough’s smaller, cooler Awatere Valley is an ideal wine to go with seafood or white meat. An aromatic wine with notes of citrus and peach on the nose leading to stone fruit flavours and a refreshing minerality on the palate, it has a lively acidity, a creamy mouthfeel and a long finish.

Available from Co-op (£11)

Hazel End Vineyard Bacchus Dry 2014 (Hertfordshire)

This 2014 Bacchus Dry from Hazel End Vineyard in Hertfordshire is a real delight. With aromas of grapefruit, elderflower, lime and a touch of petrol on the nose, leading to a burst of lime and peach on the palate, this older Bacchus has a hint of Riesling about it. It is a smooth, refined wine with good acidity and a long finish, and goes well with a seafood or chicken dish.

Available from Grape Britannia (£14.99)

Red wines

Somborne Estate Reserve Red 2014 (Hampshire)

This delightful red wine made from Rondo grapes grown in Hampshire is an ideal match for the complex blend of flavours associated with a traditional Christmas lunch. Deep ruby in colour, this is a rich, smooth, medium-bodied, well-balanced wine. With blackberry, plum and black cherry aromas, and notes of cinnamon and vanilla, on the nose, and rich black fruit flavours with savoury notes on the palate, it’s a wine with depth and complexity.

Available from Grape Brita nnia (£15.99)

Georges Duboeuf Fleurie, Beaujolais 2020 (France)

This is a Beaujolais from one of the region’s most experienced winemakers, Georges Duboeuf, and it is a very good wine. It has pronounced aromas of raspberry and strawberry, together with hints of cream and blossom on the nose, and intense red fruit flavours on the palate. A light, refreshing medium-bodied wine, with medium acidity and a long finish, it will go particularly well with cold meats, duck or a plant-based dish.

Available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Majestic (£11-£13)

Château Caronne Ste.Gemme Haut-Médoc, 2016

This is a well-balanced Bordeaux red from the Left Bank. A Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend, it has bramble, cooked fruit and blackberry aromas on the nose, together with hints of vanilla and spice, and black fruit flavours and a touch of earthiness on the palate. A full-bodied wine which will go well with roast meat or roasted vegetable dishes.

Available from Majestic (£16.99, £14.99 Mix Six)

Dessert wines

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pedro Ximénez (Spain)

Christmas is a time for indulgence. And this is pure indulgence! This Pedro Ximénez (PX) from Sainsbury’s is a full-bodied, lusciously sweet wine with sufficient acidity to balance the sweetness and create a long, velvety finish. With aromas of honey, raisin and toffee, reminiscent of a mince pie, on the nose, and coffee, caramel and toffee flavours on the palate, this is almost a dessert in its own right.

A perfect match for Christmas pudding or other rich dessert, and mature cheese, it can also simply be drizzled over vanilla ice cream for another-worldly experience!

Available from Sainsbury’s (£8)

Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat (Australia)

The lusciously sweet Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat is another treat. Made from a blend of vintages of Muscat à petit grains rouges (Rutherglen Brown Muscat), it has flavours of fruitcake, dates and nuts, and is a smooth, wonderfully balanced wine. It is a perfect match for cheese or dessert.

Available from Waitrose (£10.49)

Merry Christmas!

Look out for more wine suggestions from around the world in 2023.

Cheers!

Château de Pizay, Morgon 2020 – a fruity and robust wine, with a pleasant, lingering finish

Beaujolais, home of the Gamay grape, lies between Mâcon and Lyon. There are 10 Beaujolais crus, each with its own distinct personality based on climate, soil, altitude and aspect.

The four key crus are Brouilly, Fleurie, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent. The first two produce lighter, more perfumed wines, and the last two produce more structured wines that generally age well.

This Château de Pizay, Morgon 2020 is a smooth, dry wine, with medium acidity and medium tannins. It has a perfumed nose of blossom, plum and blackcurrant, leading to flavours of plum, black cherry, and vanilla, with a hint of cloves and smokiness, on the palate. A fruity and robust wine, with a pleasant, lingering finish, this is a perfect match for duck.

Available from Majestic £12.99 (Mix Six £10.99)

MUSCADET & BEAUJOLAIS: THE COMEBACK KIDS!

Date for your diary: Thursday 16 September 2021, 7pm

Online wine tasting session, hosted by Steve Hovington, Cambridge Wine Academy.

Steve is a very knowledgeable and entertaining presenter, and this promises to be another interesting and informative session. I have attended several of his virtual wine tasting sessions this year and always had a very enjoyable evening.

Both Muscadet and Beaujolais are currently enjoying a renaissance so if you’d like to learn more about these underrated wine regions, and try some very appealing samples to boot, you can sign up here.

Moulin-à-Vent: the King of Beaujolais

Moulin-à-Vent, Domaine De Roche-Guillon 2015

Just south of Burgundy lies Beaujolais, home of the Gamay grape. There are 10 Beaujolais crus, each with their own distinct personality created by a combination of factors including climate, soil, altitude and aspect.

The four key crus are Brouilly, Fleurie, Morgon, and Moulin-à-Vent, with the first two producing lighter, more perfumed styles, and the last two producing more structured wines which generally age well.

This Domaine de Roche-Guillon wine is from the vineyards of Moulin-à-Vent, where the grapes are grown in pink granite soils rich in manganese and iron. This accounts for the dark ruby colour of the wine, and its structure and complexity.

A medium-bodied wine with medium tannin and a long finish, it has aromas of black cherry, raspberry and a hint of forest floor on the nose, and flavours of black cherry, with a touch of spice and smokiness, on the palate. This is a complex wine that has developed well with age and is representative of a very appealing wine from this terroir. It goes well with charcuterie, duck, grilled meats, and soft cheese such as Brie or Camembert.

Available from Sandhams (£14.98)

Diner we befuddled – with this? (3,4). Crossword clue.

Answer at foot of page

Three good value, medium bodied red wines to tempt your palate this week – two Old World wines and one from New Zealand. Enjoy!

Domaine Tavian Brouilly 2019 (Beaujolais)

If you’re looking for a fragrant, well-balanced, medium-bodied Beaujolais to enjoy with a mid-week pasta or chicken dish, this should tick the boxes. Quite well defined aromas of raspberry, candy, red cherry, and a hint of violet, on the nose, and fresh fruity flavours of raspberry and strawberry on the palate. This is a dry wine, with high acidity, medium tannins and a medium finish. A good value Beaujolais. (Waitrose, £12.99)

Mud House Pinot Noir 2019 (Central Otago)

A Pinot Noir from the Central Otago region of New Zealand, this wine has red cherry, raspberry and bramble aromas on the nose, with a hint of peppery spice, and fresh fruit flavours of raspberry and redcurrant on the palate. A balanced wine, medium bodied with medium tannins and a medium finish, this goes well with lamb, or by itself. Majestic Wine £13.99 (£10.99 Mix Six), also available at Waitrose.

Louis Latour Bourgogne Pinot Noir, 2019

A youthful Burgundy Pinot Noir with well-defined red fruit aromas of raspberry, redcurrant and red cherry with overtones of cloves, spice and earth on the nose, and quite intense red fruit flavours on the palate. A dry wine, with high acidity and medium tannins, it has medium alcohol and a medium finish. A good wine to pair with lamb or chicken. Majestic Wine £16.99 (£12.99 Mix Six).

Answer to crossword clue: red wine

Three red wines to help pass the longer nights

With the clocks going back tonight and the nights now drawing in, here is a selection of three red wines to help lighten the gloom a little …

Ramos Reserva 2017/18 Vinho Regional Alentejano (Portugal)

A recent new discovery and a really pleasant surprise. This wine from the Alentejo region of south-east Portugal is a well-crafted blend of Trincadeira, Aragonez and Syrah grapes. Pronounced aromas of blackberry and plum from the get-go, with hints of honey and spice, leading to intense black fruit flavours on the palate with hints of raisin and a touch of sweetness redolent of port. A full-bodied wine, with medium tannins and a long finish, this is a well-balanced and very good wine. Drink it by itself or with something savoury. Majestic Wine £8.99 (£7.49 Mix Six)

Crozes Hermitage ‘Les Blasons’ 2018 Cave de Tain

If you are looking for a comforting red wine to go with your hearty warming stew or meat roast, this bold Syrah from the northern Rhône will make an excellent match. With aromas of blackberry and plum, and an earthy minerality on the nose, the wine has a peppery spiciness which complements the rich fruitiness on the palate. Dry, with medium tannins and a long finish, this is a well-balanced, good quality wine. Majestic Wine £14.99 (£12.99 Mix Six)

Fleurie Beaujolais 2018 Georges Duboeuf

This is a Beaujolais from one of the region’s most experienced winemakers, Georges Duboeuf, and it is a very good wine. Pronounced aromas of raspberry and strawberry, together with hints of cream and blossom on the nose, and intense red fruit flavours on the palate. It is a light, refreshing medium-bodied wine, with medium acidity and a long finish; fine by itself or with roast chicken/duck. Majestic Wine £12.99 (£10.99 Mix Six)