2022 Cellier de Château De La Chaume, Beaujolais AOC, France (Alcohol 12.5%, Residual Sugar 2 g/l) LCBO General List $18.95 (750ml bottle)
This relatively new Burgundy house (1993) brings us a brand new LCBO release that ticks all the right boxes for me when it comes to lighter reds for the summer.
As is my preference for all reds these days, be sure to serve this with a bit of a chill on it. 20 minutes in the fridge should do the job, but if one is outdoors, just throw it in some ice, as it can always warm up in the glass. Trust me, you’ll be thanking me for this advice, and after you’ve done it once, you’ll never turn back.
Out of the gate, it has a seductively enticing nose of black cherries, wild hedgerow berries, raspberries, blueberries, violets, lavender, and a gorgeous twist of that ground white pepper (rotundone) that I chase in wines of this style.
In the mouth, the acids are crunchy as hell, especially with the assistance of that chilling I mentioned earlier. The bright acids and the accompanying flavours are reminiscent of tart (but ripe) raspberries and cranberries, with a touch of blueberries from the bouquet. There’s a lovely touch of peppery spice here too. The tannins are taut and fairly evident, but that delicate, dusty, stemmy structure is always a blessing in such a wine. Damn, the French really know their stuff when it comes to wines like these.
I found this wine amazingly crushable and a lot better than most that come in under the $25 mark. It certainly punches above its relative weight and I’m sure it will be a regular visitor at our house over the coming months.
I could drink this all day, and perhaps I shall…
(Four out of a possible five apples)
