2003 Beaujolais Cuvee JB Domaine Du Vissoux

I feel like this wine put me squarely back in the 1980's -- a young boy sitting at a table being fed breakfast cereal by his suspicious siblings. Hey, Mikey likes it!

An avowed Beaujolais hater, I have never understood the fuss made about Beaujolais Nouveau. Every time I get the opportunity, I try it, and every time I am left wanting something with more.... backbone. I basically feel the same way about most Chianti. There are a few Chiantis that rise above their lackluster brothers and sisters, and now it seems I have found a Beaujolais that does the same.

Ruth and I stopped in at Willi's Wine Bar in the center of Paris for an afternoon glass of wine and to rest our weary feet. Willi's offers a constantly changing selection of wines by the glass, and a wonderfully eclectic list of bottles that can be consumed along with small snacks and bread at the bar or at small tables.

We found this Beaujolais on the menu, and Ruth felt like something lighter, so we ordered the Vissoux, while I opted for a glass of Volnay, and it was all I could do to keep from downing her glass when she got up to use the restroom.

Tasting Notes:
Hmmm. Looks like a Beaujolais, smells like a -- hey wait a minute, this isn't just fresh fruit! This is dates and figs, flowers and honey, and then as it pours over my tongue, lucious acidity of tart plum and rasberry. There might even be a hint of Umeboshi in there. This wine dances on the palate, begging to be taken for a spin around the courtyard.

Food Pairing:
This wine is likely very versatile, and could be wonderful with Javanese Salmon and wilted Spinach or Cornish Game Hens with Sweet Onion Compote.

Overall Score: 8

How much?: $11.99

At that price, who can resist. The 2003 may be harder to get ahold of, but the 2002 can be found at various internet retailers. Presumably some of them have or will have the 2003.

Posted by: Alder on February 28, 2004 7:19 AM: Tweet; Share this post elsewhere: Digg it! - Add to del.icio.us - Add to Stumbleupon - Add to Reddit; Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20

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Comments (2)

enoch choi wrote:

02.29.04 at 11:09 PM

cru beaujolais such as moulin a vent and fleurie have much more body as well!

Ryan wrote:

03.02.04 at 7:49 AM

I'm still at the point where Beaujolais has yet to do anything for me. I continue to wonder what the hype is about. At $12 though, it's worth trying - Thanks for the tip!