Medium purple colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, white blossom, orange peel, acai berry, blueberry, and black grape.  The palate is dry with high acidity, a medium (-) body, and medium tannins.  Medium intensity flavors of acai berry, slightly underripe blueberry, red and black cherry, white blossom and crunchy red grapes.  Cru Beaujolais is not at all what Nouveau is.  The fruit is vinified differently and the resultant structure, especially tannins, are much more apparent.  This Gamay based wine is built to last a few years, and might just be starting its approachable stage.  The finish is medium (+) in length and drives home the slightly green nature of some of the fruit, tart is the key word here.  It’s a very interesting and slightly different wine that I am enjoying tremendously.  91 points worth for this $20 effort makes it a 5 star wine, to drink till 2030.  Salut….

Many moons ago Moxie and I went to Paris on one of several trips to that great city.  Drinking wine  in the cafe’s I noticed that sometimes they would serve a red wine slightly chilled.  Turns out, that’s how they enjoy their Beaujolais wines, which are made in a slightly different method and use the Gamay grape.  Many are designed to be drunk young, as in weeks old, while there are several Cru wines that have some aging capacity.  I bought a few bottles of this Fleurie to savor in the heat of the summer after they had a slight chill.

This one is quite dark purple and just barely see-through.  It gives off typical Gamay notes of black currants alongside oak, charcoal and violets.  On the palate I get definitive black currants and cedar shavings.  There is a surprising level of tannin alongside some black tea notes.  There is a nice level of acidity to balance and the wine leaves me wanting more.  The mid palate is really quite dry, bolstering the blackberry flavors and giving me a peak of Ribena as we go to the finish.  The wine has a long dry streak at the end but it does it with finesse and plenty of black fruits.  The pros were all over the scoring table with this one, ranging from 86-91.  I think it drinks nicely now and will cellar till 2024.  90 points and 4 stars for this $18 wine.  Pair with roasted birds, potato and leek rosti or with some soft, ripe Brie.  Salut….