Thoughts about Jadot's ubiquitous Beaujolais-Villages?

Just wondering if there are any fans of the very available Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages here. I tried this wine for the first time this past summer and came away thinking it was pretty well made. It has a lovely translucent ruby colour, cherry fruit on the nose, is pleasantly dry and well structured, and has a nice bit of tannin on the finish. Comparing it to our Ontario Gamays, I thought it offered much more flavour and structural interest; our VQA Gamays on the whole have not impressed me (save the Gamay Noir "Droit" from Château des Charmes, but that's a whole different variety).

Anyone else here enjoy the Jadot offering? It sells for just a nickel shy of $18 here in Ontario.

No argument from me. Jadot's Beaujolais Villages (whether the regular or the Chateau des Jacques) is a thoroughly consistent and almost invariably pleasing wine, most often showing a cherry-berry personality, sometimes with hints of earthy minerals, sometimes with a hint of either licorice or mint. Light- to medium-bodied, with soft tannins, invariably a round, easy-to-drink wine that matches well to many different dishes or simply as a quaffing wine with tapas, antipasti or meze.

Best
Rogov

[David M. Bueker]

A very drinkable wine if nothing else is available. Nothing more. Nothing less.

A very drinkable wine if nothing else is available. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Agreed, but at the right moments it can be fun. And sometimes fun is enough.


Best
Rogov

If you see the 04 BV I would advise skipping it. I had a pretty weak bottle last week.

[David M. Bueker]

If you see the 04 BV I would advise skipping it. I had a pretty weak bottle last week.

Thus getting us back to the general rule to drink Beaujolais young. (Good cru Beaujolais aside of course.)

I usually have a few of these laying around. I think it's a good value, and it does go with a variety of dishes. It seems that people who aren't wild about red wine like this one.

...(save the Gamay Noir "Droit" from Château des Charmes, but that's a whole different variety)...

It's not really a different variety. It's a clone that Paul Bosc discovered growing in the vineyard at Château des Charmes. It had a different - upright - growing pattern, so he took cuttings, propagated it and learned that it also ripened a few weeks earlier than other Gamay varieties. He then trademarked the clone. I don't know if anyone else grows it. Since it ripens a bit earlier it's easier to obtain more color, higher alcohol and riper tannins than other clones in that climate. I like the wine also, but, one of the nicest Gamays I ever had, I picked up at our first NiagaraCOOL. It was from Stratus, but expensive - $36.

[Robin Garr]

What the others said. To me, Jadot is a good "go-to" Beaujolais from a major negociant, usually very fairly priced. I would invariably choose it over Georges Duboeuf (but, moving to the other end of the corporate size scale, never over J.P. Brun).

And, as others have said, shy away from vintages more than a couple of years old.

Glad the question came up at this time. That is one the wines I plan to serve as part of a church fundraiser. I think it has fairly wide appeal and is an example of a versatile Beaujolais that can pair with a number of dishes. It is also available at the grocery store (unlike many of the wines we will be tasting) and is reasonably priced for those who want to pick up some of the wines for home consumption after the tasting.

Interesting how the wine is perceived as crowd-friendly, or at least passable to people who aren't into reds. I thought that as a widely available wine, it actually was more than a cut above that category. Why? Because so much - again, so, so much - of the regular listings at the LCBO, at least, are thoroughly modernized, high-alcohol, high residual-sugar wines these days: Jadot's B-N isn't. With only 12.5% alc./vol. and some fine grip on the mid-palate, I think it is much better than that internationalist goop. My opinion only, but I find it interesting that some folks think of it as a crowd pleaser. Or ... maybe the crowds' tastes are changing?

...My opinion only, but I find it interesting that some folks think of it as a crowd pleaser. Or ... maybe the crowds' tastes are changing?

I know a couple that I think Jadot Beaujolais-Villages is the only wine they buy. They save the empty bottles for me, and I return the favor with a few bottles of my home made.

Paul,

We enjoy the Jadot B-V. A couple of years ago our local Walmart had it for under $4 per bottle. We stocked up and used it as a nice summer sipper. We will still pick up a bottle on occasion, but the price has gone up considerably.

In general, I think Jadot does a good job with Burgs at all prices points. I am rarely disappointed with their wines.

Love the stuff. Can't get enough. Agree that the '04 didn't quite measure up, but the '05 made up for it.

Just came from a French wine siminar where they discussed this wine and explained that Jadot blends this every year from many different cuvees to achieve (much like in Champagne) a consistant style. Seems to work, as I agree it is a solid $10US & under wine. Don't try to find something wrong with somethng that doesn't have something wrong with it! Relax and enjoy, it's a solid "no-brainer" at 86-87 pts.