David Lawrason’s Weekly Wine Pick: a great gamay noir for less than $20
Jean-Paul Brun 2010 Terres Dorées Côte De Brouilly
$18.95 | Beaujolais, France | 89 points
Lately, it’s been a gamay summer, partially thanks to researching it for my Toronto Life column in the September issue. The grape has seen something of a resurgence in Beaujolais, especially with the excellent 2009 and 2010 seasons. This bottle is from a very highly regarded producer in Charnay, a village in southern Beaujolais.
The taste: This pretty gamay has a bright but fairly deep purple-ruby colour. The very fragrant nose is lifted and floral, with red plum, lilac and some peppery character. It’s light to medium bodied, smooth, fresh and quite mineral on the finish. Slightly tart, with very good length.
How to drink it: Chill about 20 minutes before serving. It’s smooth enough to enjoy as a sipping red, perhaps with a charcuterie and semi-firm washed-rind cheeses. The ideal Beaujolais dinner match for me has always been roasted, herbed chicken. Grilled chicken will work too, but beware heavy, smoky barbecue sauces, which will overpower the subtleties.
