Wine:The joys of Beaujolais go far beyond its wine

Although the nouveau fad flourishes in Japan, much of the world has moved on, refusing to bestow cult status on the thin and unremarkable wines the explosion in demand began sucking into the process.

Happily, nature and the ubiquitous gamay grape have recently combined to help serious growers fight back. The 2009 vintage was one of the best for a generation, with wines of elegance, balance and ripeness. Better still, I have been impressed by the 2010 wines now being bottled. They may lack the concentration of the previous year but the freshness and vibrant raspberry and cherry fruit makes it a delightful, if more conventional, wine.

Top of the three broad quality categories in Beaujolais come the ten crus. All are in the granite-based north of the region but geological variations make each distinct. Contrast, for instance, the rich and muscular wines of Morgan or Moulin a Vent with the lighter and aromatic Brouilly or against the intensity of St Amour.

The Henry Fessy domain has a full range of attractive Cru de Beaujolais wines and many can be found at Forth Wines in Milnathort, Kinross (01577 866 000, www.forthwines.com). Alternatively, go for the cherry-charged 2009 Henry Fessy Brouilly (around £10, Waitrose Wine Direct) or the equally good 2010 that will replace it.

Cru wines have always had a following and some of their traditional producers are acknowledged aristocrats of the trade. I sat with one – Xavier Barbet from Chateau de Fleurie – in the town’s excellent Le Cep restaurant, food-matching several of his vintages. 2009 Chateau de Fleurie, with its blackcurrant fruit and complex chocolate finish, will cost you £12 at Henderson Wines and is also on the list in Howies restaurants.

With older vintages, there is a clear convergence of taste between pinot, beaujolais and wines from the northern Rhone.

To the backbone of experience Barbet represents has been added the excitement of new young winemakers. Richard Rottiers, for example, has produced excellent natural wines in Moulin a Vent while Aurelien Grillet over at Domaine du Chardon Bleu and Domaine Bonne Tonne – an eco warrior who uses a horse to plough between his vines – has a fabulous spicy, fresh and fruity 2009 Morgan that is marketed through the Terroirs Originels support federation founded by the energetic Robert Perroud from Brouilly.

One senses that major success with the cru category has been secured but other levels seem to remain works in progress. Simple beaujolais is great- value, straightforward, everyday wine with a light fruitiness and so little tannin that it works best when lightly chilled. Nevertheless, it remains a hard sell despite some imaginative producers ready to experiment with white wines, rosés and even sparkling wines.

The next big thing, however, deserves to be Beaujolais Villages – a title created in 1950 when 39 communes became the first area anywhere to adopt that suffix. Their well-priced, light, aromatic, fresh and fruity wines are seriously underestimated. For sound examples, seek out supermarket premium brand versions such as 2009 Asda Extra Special Beaujolais Villages (£5.97) with its floral fruitiness and food-friendly concluding grip.

The joys of Beaujolais go far beyond its wines. It has some of the most attractive villages and scenery of any French wine region and a cuisine that ranges from the sophisticated to the hearty fare needed to fuel a day’s toil in the vineyard. With Lyons airport less than an hour away, it is also pretty accessible – even for a weekend. The supporting website (www.beaujolais.com), GPS guidance and designated wine route all help make that possible.

As Jean Bourjade, director general of the regional promotion team Inter Beaujolais, points out, surveys tell us that today’s red wine drinkers want four things: limited oak, sensible alcohol, realistic prices and plenty of fruit. Since Beaujolais provides all four, the serious growers there are surely right to contend that decoupling the words ‘beaujolais’ and ‘nouveau’ is now long overdue. n

2010 Dourthe La Grande Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc Bordeaux, France, 12.5 per cent Sophisticated French sauvignon with lemon and gooseberry fruit, vibrant freshness and a New World-like intensity. £7.99, Waitrose

2009 Taste the Difference Tuscan Red, Italy, 13 per cent. Although fresher and lighter than many sangioveses, this is serious wine with smoothness, softness and well-balanced cherry and plum fruit. Two for £10, Sainsbury’s until 30 August

2009 Villa Cardini Garganega Trebbiano, Veneto, Italy, 12 per cent An excellent value white with crisp acidity, subtle citrus flavours, good balance and a long finish. £6.99, Abbey Wines, Melrose