Beaujolais Masterclass with Geoff Kruth, M.S.

Master Sommelier Geoff Kruth hosted a GuildSomm Beaujolais Masterclass in Houston last month where he discussed the wine region of Beaujolais, the crus and presented tastes of what he considers to be some of the best wines from the region.

Beaujolais is located north of Lyon in eastern France. It is known for its granitic-based soils and fruity red wines made from the Gamay grape. It has ten crus that run from north to south.

The Wines:

Beaujolais-Villages Blanc, Dufaitre 2015 - The only white wine of the day, this dry Chardonnay-based wine had an interesting oxidized nuance with a slightly savory finish.
Beaujolais Dupeuble 2015 - Kruth called this red "a good, straight basic Beaujolais" made in the classic style with some structure and typical fruity and floral aromas with a banana leaf nuance.
Chiroubles Daniel Bouland 2015 - This red wine showed strawberry aromas and flavors and was a bit more tannic than is typical which Kruth said was vintage driven. He believes this wine will be even better next year. The higher elevations and pink granite sandy soils of this smaller cru typically contribute a more delicate floral note to the region's wines.

Brouilly Dufaitre 2014 - Dried cherry with a bit of a green walnut nuance due to some slight oxidation chosen by the winemaker created a texturally interesting wine that was less fruity than I was expecting.
Régnié "Grain & Granit" Charly Thévenet 2014 - The youngest of the crus, Régnié is known for producing more concentrated wines. In the glass, this biodynamic wine had mixed berry aromas and flavors with some earthiness and green notes.
Saint-Amour Pascal Berthier 2015 - This is the most northernly of the crus. This wine had the typical cherry liquor, cherry fruit, slightly spicy cherry deliciousness for which the area is known.

Fleurie "L'Alchimiste" Anne-Sophie Dubois 2014 - More complex with dark berries and peach and a bit more savory with a hint of a green or vegetal note.
Juliénas "Beauvernay" Domaine Chignard 2015 - From a riper vintage, this wine is fruitier and a bit more tannic than is typical from this mid-sized cru.
Côte de Brouilly Château Thivin 2015 - Spicier with white pepper notes over cranberry aromas with blackberry flavors, a bit more structured, more tannic. My favorite of the line-up.

Morgon "Vieilles Vignes" Guy Breton 2014 - From the second largest of the crus, this wine was an earthier style with a sour beer note.
Chénas "Aux Pierres" Granger 2013 - Kruth noted the "length and tension" on the palate with this wine. It is from the smallest of the crus and the wines are considered to be some of the best for aging in the region.
Moulin-à-Vent Château des Jacques 2013 - De-stemmed fruit, made more like a traditional Burgundy, this wine was decidedly different in style to the other red wines. Kruth felt this wine had the most age-ability. I liked the spicy notes.

Wines were tasted on Monday, October 24, 2016. All are recommended!

Follow this link to learn more about Beaujolais wines.

Lust Zinfandel 2007

My husband loves this wine so he purchased quite a few bottles at a recent Michael~David dinner that we had attended. Last night, I decided to open a bottle to serve with dinner. I was making a roasted southwestern pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries (w/ chipolte ketchup) and a salad consisting of baby lettuce (fresh from my garden) with strawberries, red bell peppers, red onions and walnuts tossed with a white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette. This turned out to be a great pairing. It is a bold wine that really stood up to the strong chipolte seasoning while complementing the fruit flavors. I opened the bottle a 1/2 hour before I served it as I have found this wine to be more enjoyable when I do so. The Lust Zinfandel by Michael~David 2007 was a dark purple color with a ruby rim. It has intense aromas of very ripe mixed berries and baking spices-both allspice and ginger with hints of cedar. It has flavors of creme de cassis, milk chocolate and also more of the baking

Nocera - A Native Grape from Sicily

Nocera is a native grape from Sicily. It comes from the Messina province which is located in the northeast. Nocera is a quality red wine grape that is most known as a blender in the red wines of the Faro DOC. I had the opportunity to taste some pure versions (which according to Wine Searcher are rare) this week at a trade tasting held at Roma Restaurant in Houston. Wine production in the region dates back to the 14th Century BC, however, phylloxera decimated the vineyard area in 1881 leaving it at a fraction of its original size. The area boasts a Mediterranean climate with sunny days and coastal breezes, moderate rainfall, and mild winters, all ideal for grape growing. The Nocera grape is a bluish/black color and has a thick skin which allows for the production of structured wines with prominent tannins which are balanced by good acidity. High alcohol is common. Red wines produced from the grapes are an intense ruby color with purple highlights and aromas and flavors of dark fruits a

The Salta Tour 2012

Vine Connections and Pioneer Wine Company hosted a seminar and tasting event for Houston's wine trade and media at Backstreet Cafe yesterday. All but two of the wines were from the Salta Province of Argentina. Salta is the most northern wine region in Argentina lying close to the Bolivian border. The climate is very extreme due to the high altitude. Plantings start at 5,000 feet above sea level and climb to 9,000 feet, making these vineyards the highest in the world. The intense sunlight the area receives helps to create grapes with more anthocyanins, these are the color pigments which result in softer tannins, lower astringency and more intense flavor. The wines produced are extremely pure, concentrated and terroir specific. Torrontes Riojano which is considered the best of the three Torrontes clones is the most widely planted grape with plantings of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat increasing. The seminar started with a tasting of four Torrontes wines, three from diff

Wine Life - Houston

Search This Blog