Maison Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages 2011

This brilliant garnet wine is bright and fresh, with ripe, supple crushed strawberry flavors underscored by zesty nuances of peppercorns, gentle tannins and a clean acidity, finishing on a succulent, refreshing note. - Winery

This brilliant garnet wine is bright and fresh, with ripe, supple crushed strawberry flavors underscored by zesty nuances of peppercorns, gentle tannins and a clean acidity, finishing on a succulent, refreshing note. - Winery

Pour this light, clean, cherry-fruited Beaujolais on a picnic with landjaeger sausages.

Full and generous dark cherry flavors make this a potent, relatively large-scale Beaujolais. The finish contrasts sweetness with the bite of resinous tannin, offering potential to develop over the next year.

Beaune-based Louis Jadot has upgrades its Beaujolais operations in recent years, seeing an opportunity for growth. The 2002 vintage of its flagship Beaujolais, Château des Jacques, hasn't been released yet, but this fine Beaujolais-Villages shows that the commitment to quality is real. The glass overflows with blackberry and black cherry aromas, while in the mouth the wine is clean, fresh and charming.

The broad Beaujolais-Villages Blanc appellation does no justice to this elegant estate Chardonnay, more an unusual white Burgundy with stature and grace. Its light scents are touched by fresh mushroom and a wild fruit aroma that clarifies into kumquat and dried pineapple later in the finish. In the middle, there's a full, nutty richness that broadens on the palate, held tight along a gunflint edge. The gunflint and the exotic fruit last for minutes, transitioning from an actual taste to a memory. It's not a forceful wine; rather it's gentle and distinctive.

Silky and medium-bodied, this red offers sappy cherry and wet earth flavors, with vibrant acidity on the finish. Drink now.