The Domaine de Colette Beaujolais Villages is one of the best value Beaujolais' and Gamays in the world. It bursts with notes of joyous red fruits, spices, flowers, and mineral, and it's certainly not a light red wine, a la Nouveau, but it's also not too heavy. Best of all, this is a wine that will pair perfectly with your Thanksgiving dinner!
This is not Beaujolais Nouveau! Far from it, this is made with grapes from 45 to 80 year-old vines, and it is much more flavorful and substantial than the fun and fruit harvest wine (aka Nouveau). Still, it is low in tannin and high in acidity, making it both a great "sipping wine" as well as one that goes well with turkey, root veggies, and other classic holidays sides.
2020 Domaine de Colette Beaujolais Villages ‘Coteaux de Colette’
“Rich with red fruits and floral nuances. Full-bodied but fine-grained. Brilliant stuff!” – Josh Spurling – 92 points
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Domaine de Colette is a prime example of why the wines of Beaujolais are better and more popular than ever. Located in the village of Regnie, less than a mile from the border of Morgon, this estate was founded in 1953. Today, husband and wife Jacky and Evelyne Gauthier run the estate and farm their old vines without any chemical sprays or fertilizers. Their vines are old, their yields are low, and they ferment and age in cement only (no oak). The result is a delicious mouthful of ripe, sappy, and fresh Gamay.
For those who suffer from headaches and sneezing/sniffling when you drink red wines, Gamay is the answer. Many of my customers have determined that “large and in charge,” heavily oaked reds don’t leave them feeling so great. While wines of that sort can taste wonderful, they also tend to run high in grape and oak tannin, they possess higher alcohol levels, and most importantly, they have more histamines. It’s this combination that causes headaches, sneezing, sniffling, and suffering. Trust me, IT’S NOT THE SULFITES — click here for more on that. Long story short, Gamay tends to run low on the spectrum of tannin, new oak, and histamines, and it’s the wine I always recommend to folks who complain about “wine headaches.”
The current release of Colette's Beaujolais is composed primarily of fruit from the Cru Villages of Regnie and Morgon, and it is drinking incredibly well. A bit like Pinot Noir, with its rich and ripe aromas and flavors of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, rose petal, and mineral, this glides across the palate with soft and supple tannins and juicy acidity. Quite dark in color and quite mouth-filling, this is no simple bottle of Beaujolais, and I can't believe we can offer this up at such an incredible price.
If you're wanting some Beaujolais to enjoy with Thanksgiving this year, but Nouveau is too light for you, give this a try.
ORDER NOW in our online store.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville