2003 GEORGES DUBOEUF BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES

Introduction

I have always been intrigued by the Beaujolais Nouveau craze every November in which people race to be among the first to taste the new Beaujolais wines. While it is not “nouveau” season, I decided to pick up a bottle because I never had Beaujolais of any kind and I had a very positive image of it.

This bottle had the “Villages” name tagged onto the name. The Louis Bernard Cote-De Rhone with that attached was very good so I thought this one would be worth a try. It also had the “controlee” designation so again I thought it would be good. There are three levels of quality of Beaujolais wines. The Villages is the middle level between Basic Beaujolais and Crus de Beaujolais.


Wine Impressions

I was not disappointed in this wine. It was a nice red/purplish color with a light aroma. The taste was fresh and fruity and very pleasant. One description I read said it had combined flavors of blueberry, blackberry and plums. I consider blueberries to be the greatest food on earth. I love the flavor and they are about as healthy as a food can get. You can’t do much better than that! If that is what I was tasting in this wine, no wonder I enjoyed it so much! I like blackberries and plums too!

The bottle came with a natural cork. The label is attractive.

The Company: Georges Duboeuf

As I was writing this, I could not seem to get the English version of the Georges Duboef to work. However, the Into Wine web site did have some information on the company.

I learned that Georges Duboef is the largest producer of Beaujolais, acconting for more than 10% of the total production. He has even been called the “King of Beaujolais.” He also has been a huge promoter of Beaujolais, and “has almost single-handedly made Beaujolais Nouveau a worldwide phenomenon.”

The Duboef family has been involved in the wine business for more than 300 years. The family has lived on the northern border of Beaujolais since the 15th century. Georges did not succeed in his venture into the wine business in 1957. However, in 1964 he formed his own “negociant” (which is what producers of Beaujolais wine are called) in the Romaneche-Thorins area of the Beaujolais region.

Georges Duboeuf works with 20 cooperatives and more than 400 growers. He produces about 20 million bottles annually, including 4 million of Beaujolais Nouveau. His son Franck is also very involved in the business.

The Region: Beaujolais

Once again, my favorite common theme among the European regions comes into play. As explained by Into Wine, Caesar’s army crossed the Alps into Gaul in the 1st Century B.C. and built temples, aqueducts, amphitheaters and roads . . . and planted grapes along the roads! Some of the Roman vineyards are still evident in Broilly and Morgon.

The town of Beaujeu (from which the region’s name is derived) was founded in the 10th century. In 1395, there was a decree in the Burgundy region to the north outlawing the Gamay grape. Burgundy turned to the Pinot Noir grape while Beaujolais stuck with the Gamay grape.

The Beaujolais region lies along a 34-mile strip on the Saone River between Macon and Lyon. While more than 55,000 acres are cultivated, there are no large growers. Instead, there are hundreds of small to medium size growers. There are 12 appellations in the region. Administratively, it is one of four areas that comprise the Burgundy province.

COMMENTARY

Well, since it has been a while since my last post, I thought I should make a couple of comments. First, I have been tied up a bit and it has been difficult to get some time to post. Also, I am a bit behind in addressing my list of wines. Fortunately, I have not let my tardiness interfere with my schedule of DRINKING the wines, just writing about them! Anyway, I hope to do at least a couple of more over the next couple of weeks.

For your information, I have found a tempranillo (2001 by Raimat) that was recommended by a friend. I will write about that one shortly. I may jump the “Coming Soon” list since that was a friend’s recommendation. I also plan to try a New York Finger Lakes region wine recommended by another friend. And, last Sunday I had a taste of a Newport Winery wine from Rhode Island that I intend to write about when I get the chance also.

One last comment: I previously have raved about the Bolla Chianti. I also have said that I never noticed a wine having been affected by cork taint. Well, my most recent bottle of Bolla Chianti may have been affected because it does not have the same great taste that I enjoy so much. I can’t tell if it is just a bad batch or if it has cork taint. Given the apparent widespread nature of the malady, I suspect it may be the latter.