Beaujolais Closer to Burgundy

Producer: Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun)

Think that wine has outpaced beer? I was brought down to earth in a recent conversation with a young, bubbly lady who had just entered the wine trade. It occurred to me to enquire what wines her generation were into, and the reply was more humbling than enlightening. “Actually millennials don’t drink wine,” she said. “My friends are more into beer.” Research by Barclays in the USA shows that the 18-29 year old demographic is increasingly favouring wine, but 40% still choose beer as their preferred beverage, versus 23% for wine and 30% for liquor. I suspect that the consumption in Asia is even more skewed towards beer, judging by the sales of Tiger and Heineken, and the growing popularity of craft beer. Now I know what to order when drinking with younger colleagues.

At least one other person in the wine trade would also prefer to drink beer. There is an apocryphal story that Ong Yixin, founder of KOT Selections, would select a beer rather than drink wine if he frequents a restaurant that does not happen to list one of the wines he distributes. The veracity of this story may be doubtful, but it does carry a good tale. As do many of the wines in his portfolio, carefully selected small-scale producers who have achieved a reputation for quality and innovative winemaking.   

One such producer is Jean-Paul Brun, owner of a small vineyard called Terres Dorées in Charnay, located in the southern part of the Beaujolais appellation. While most of Beaujolais is made up of granite soils that suit the Gamay grape, Jean-Paul’s holdings are on limestone and clay, more akin to northern Burgundy. Thus we have the unusual situation of a Beaujolais-based winemaker working with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in an area more known for simple drinking wines made from Gamay. Even the red Beaujolais wines which Jean-Paul makes follow a more Burgundian model – hand-picked clusters, destemming and pigeage (punch-down) rather than whole-bunch fermentation, use of indigenous yeast and minimal chaptalisation. The net effect is wines that are delicious when young yet show enough personality and complexity to withstand a few years aging. I tasted a few of these wines last month (notes at the bottom) and found the Beaujolais Blanc (not an appellation you would come across often) particularly delicious. Made from old-vine Chardonnay vinified in stainless steel, this affordably-priced wine showed plenty of clean, crisp fruit.

KOT Selections, through their retail arm Analogue Wine Merchants will be having a Christmas promotion at the Robertson Quay branch of SPRMRKT Daily. 12 different wines will be introduced across the 12 days leading up to Christmas with prices starting at SGD12 per glass on the 14th of December, and reducing by SGD1 per visit. This means that if you come every day until the 25th of December, a glass of wine will cost just SGD1. The full list of wines is as follows, and you’ll note that there are two wines made by Jean-Paul Brun included.

DATE	DAY	TYPE	WINE NAME
14/12	1	Sparkling	2015 Spagnol Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Brut «Rive di Solighetto»
15/12	2	Red	2013 Domaine des Terres Dorées Beaujolais Cuvée l'Ancien
16/12	3	Red	2016 Domaine des Terres Dorées Beaujolais Nouveau Cuvée Première
17/12	4	White	2009 Domaine Dupasquier Roussette de Savoie Altesse «Marestel»
18/12	5	White	2013 Domaine Dupasquier Vin de Savoie Jacquère
19/12	6	Red	2012 Bernard Baudry Chinon «Le Clos Guillot»
20/12	7	White	2011 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Sauvignon #2
21/12	8	White	2009 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Sauvignon #5
22/12	9	Red	2011 Clos Roche Blanche Cuveé Pif
23/12	10	Off-dry	2007 Daniel Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese
24/12	11	White	2014 Dashe Cellars McFadden Farm Dry Riesling
25/12	12	Sparkling	Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Vino Frizzante «lo Spago»

Tasting notes:

Domaine des Terres Dorées Beaujolais Blanc 2015 – Bright and vivid honeydew melon and sweet apples with medium acidity and body. This bottle had been opened three days prior but seemed to suffer no ill-effects, in fact it was still very fresh and clean. A wine that showcases fruit quality rather than technique.

Domaine des Terres Dorées Beaujolais Noveau Cuvée Première 2016 – 100% Gamay. Brimming with fresh red fruit such as strawberry and red plums with a light note of banana and spice, this is a cheery, easy-drinking wine that should be consumed within a year. Coincidentally a perfect pairing for roast turkey.

Domaine des Terres Dorées Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2015 – From 30-year old vines, destemmed and aged in old wooden vats. A generic Burgundy that punches above its weight, and does so quite effortlessly. No pretensions to grandeur here, just lightly scented strawberry fruit with soft tannins and immediate charm.