If you were to choose a wine that will go with your Thanksgiving Dinner, a Beaujolais would be a wise choice.
Beaujolais, which are made from the Gamay grape are dry fruity reds that are food friendly and versatile. Whether you’re serving the traditional turkey or ham, or other mains such as salmon, pork, or roast beef, Beaujolais will pair well with them all.
And they will also marry nicely with veggies or cheese. Another bonus is that they are affordable and there’s a wide variety of styles.
Beaujolais can be divided into three styles. The first is light, fruity and very flexible. They’re “easy driving wines” because they can be enjoyed with appetizers, seafood, barbecue and of course traditional Thanksgiving fare.
At a luncheon at Tuc Craft Kitchen in Gastown, I enjoyed the Jean-Paul Brun 2016 Beaujolais ($24.49) which went well with salmon sashimi, and Louis Jadot 2014 Beaujolais Villages which I tasted with cured elk and smoked eggs mousse.
The second group of Beaujolais is fine and flavoured and displays many aspects of the Gamay’s character from seductive fruit and floral aromas to smooth tannins and bold flavours. This includes Beaujolais from the top villages or crus of Brouilly, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Régné, and Saint Amour. Ironically, crus do not have the name Beaujolais on the label, just the village name, such as St. Amour.
At Tuc, I also sampled the Château de Pierreux 2016 Brouilly ($19.99) with pork marsala. Its bouquet of blackcurrant, cherry, and spice and its flavour of strawberries and coffee were delightful with the pork and sauce.
Another winning combination was the elegant kirch, blueberry and plum personality of the Villa Ponciago La Resérve 2014 Fleurie ($26.99), matched with the salmon sashimi.
The third group of Beaujolais is intense and generous. Delightful when young, these reds really show their potential with cellaring. Aging in the bottle reveals darker fruits, spice and meaty characteristics. The following crus are in this category: Chénas, Cote de Brouilly, Juliénas, Morgon, and Moulin-à-Vent.
I was very impressed with the Pascal Aufranc 2014 Chénas ($26.99) which displayed more structure than the earlier wines, with lots of plum, toastiness, cinnamon and complexity. Of the two Beaujolais we had with the elk, the Chénas, was a better partner.
As for the Mathieu & Camille LaPierre 2016 Morgon ($44.99), it has intense aromas and flavours of cherries, licorice, peach, orange and plum. So juicy and fresh with a wonderful acidity that was delightful with the pork marsala!
For dessert, two wines were also poured. The Steeve Charvet 2015 Chiroubles ($29.99) is a flowery, elegant wine with plum and raspberry fruit and hints of orange peel. A refreshing wine with velvety tannins and tremendous potential to improve.
The final Beaujolais I sampled was Lucien Lardy 2015 Moulin-à -Vent ($30.99). A rich wine with a bouquet of violets and blueberries and spice, all silky and round. This Cru is best now.
Although we sampled the Chiroubles and the Moulin-à -Vent with a delicious pear fritter and coconut curd, I am not a fan of red wines with dessert. These Beaujolais would be better with your Thanksgiving ham or turkey.
