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+--- Thread: My recent "wine flight" (/thread-19064.html)
- quijote - 02-19-2003
A few nights ago I went to a restaurant/bar with some friends and I tried their "wine flight" of three different reds:
2000 Rosey Rully (Burgundy)
2001 Cuvée de Peña (Bordeaux)
1999 Domaine de la Madone (Beaujolais)
I enjoyed all three, and they pretty much conformed to my expectations in terms of basic aromas and flavors, but I thought it was odd that the Beaujolais was darker and more full-bodied than the Burgundy. I thought Beaujolais was generally supposed to be lighter, fruitier, and less tannic?
(Isn't Beaujolais a kind of Burgundy, made mostly from Gamay instead of Pinot Noir? Or is this an unfair characterization?)
And about the Bordeaux: Does anyone know this brand? The restaurant's notes says that this wine is made with Spanish grapes, and based on some internet investigation, it seems that the vineyard is really located in the Pyrenees. Can the wine properly be called a Bordeaux, then? (My guess is that it cannot, due to appellation restrictions, but who am I to second-guess the restaurant?)
I appreciate your feedback on this!
- Innkeeper - 02-19-2003
Not having examined the bottles, and not being familiar with the specific wines, I'm only guessing. You are right about the difference between Beaujolais and Burgundy. It is possible to make gamay into a bigger wine than a light pinot noir. These are usually the Cru Beaujolais, but you didn't mention the name of any of the "Crus", such a Morgon or Moulin-A-Vent. I think you are also correct about the so-called Bordeaux. There must have been some kind of appellation on the bottle. That would have told you for sure.
- Kcwhippet - 02-19-2003
The cuvee de Pena isn't a Bordeaux. Here's Pierre Rovani's take on the wine.
"This cuvée is made specifically for the estate's US importer.
Produced from a blend of 60% Carignan (one-third of which is fermented using carbonic maceration, the same method employed in Beaujolais), 16% Grenache Noir, 13% Grenache Gris, and 11% Mourvedre, the medium to dark ruby-colored 1998 Cuvée de Peña reveals sweet black raspberry and blackverry aromas. This fruit-forward, somewhat rustic, and medium-bodied wine is packed with plums and assorted dark fruits."