Beaujolais Trade Tasting 'The Glory of Gamay' with Tim Atkin MW

Organised by Drinks Business magazine and Inter Beaujolais, the annual tasting is a masterclass aimed at independent retailers, offering to broaden horizons on the region and how to enlighten a consumer who may only be aware of the "Nouveau" stigma that surrounds it.

• 2012 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais Blanc

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais

  Clear, bright lemon colour, ripe peachy and buttery, vibrant acidity. Unfussy but surprisingly unctuous. Rich, creamy textured finish

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• 2011 Vincent Lacondemine Beaujolais-Villages Rosé

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages

  Pale salmon pink colour, bright, sweet strawberries and cream on the nose and palate, the lack of acidity leaves this not wildly exciting, just pleasantly fruity.

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• 2011 Gravallon-Lathuiliere Chiroubles

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chiroubles

  This has to be one of the heaviest Chiroubles going! Nose of coffee and bitter chocolate, racy tang of acidity, raspberries and gooseberry even. Sappy, stemmy character, a whack of tannin which makes this full-bodied, red berries, pepper and spice.

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• 2011 Domaine Matray Saint-Amour

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Saint-Amour

  Quite restrained and lucid, light with a racy, zesty sourness, slightly medicinal, lots of strawberry and raspberry, the length is short, uncomplicated and inoffensive.

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• 2011 Château de Raousset Fleurie Grille-Midi

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie

  Unfortunately this bottle was slightly reductive but still had creamy coffee notes on the nose, grippy tannin and the creeping presence of oak, sappy and still fairly tightly wound, a serious wine that may need some time.

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• 2012 Jean-Marc Burgaud Régnié Vallières

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Régnié

  Very dark colour, somewhat understated but fresh and zesty red berries take over the palate, light with a frenetic zesty sourness, the finish is soft and rounded, this typifies Beaujolais for me.

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• 2011 Laurent Martray Brouilly Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Brouilly

  There's real density to this, the fruits are almost dark, with blackberries and cherry, rich and plummy on the palate but also maintains that stemmy acidity which make it feel over-extracted and flabby.

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• 2012 Daniel Bouland Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Mélanie

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côte de Brouilly

  There's a certain freshness and vibrancy to this, and the acidity gives it an almost pomegranate / cranberry jolt. Very zesty with some pleasant pepper spice on the finish.

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• 2011 Domaine Manoir du Carra Juliénas La Bottière

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Juliénas

  Really concentrated and gutsy, dense and compact dark berries, with an almost meaty texture, and smooth peppery character that seems oddly more in line with Rhone Valley Syrah. Some dryness on the finish.

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• 2010 Château de Chenas Chénas Sélection de la Hante

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chénas

  Quite pronounced cappuccino and coffee notes on this, an increased level of tannin but is balanced by a sappy oiliness on the palate. The oak does jar a bit on the finish, not quite seamlessly integrated.

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• 2010 Vignerons de Bel Air Morgon

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon

  Young, firm tannins and ripe red cherry and blackberry, a little tightly wound, there is really pleasing soft sweet spicy note on the finish. Needs a bit of time to soften.

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• 2011 Château du Moulin-a-Vent Moulin-à-Vent Couvent des Thorins

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent

  This is serious wine, lacking in that sappy, sour character, the tannin is at the forefront here, this very tightly wound, revealing only a weighty plumminess. One to keep.

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Many of the wines this evening were what I would call "serious" in a sense that they were extracted with lots of tannin and structure in order to distance themselves from the former "Nouveau" glories of the past. While I think this to be expected, excessive interference from the winemaker causes the wine itself to lose its identity, and some of the richest, most extracted, most "doctored" examples this evening could be fairly difficult to distinguish from Burgundian and even Rhone styles. Few of the wines displayed any of the vibrancy or excitement that wines from the Gang of Four still produce. Identity with the earth and grape is just as important as the winemaker wishing to imprint their own style.