The 2012 Fleurie Chateau des Deduits has very strong licorice scents on the nose that lend it an Antipodean personality. The palate is sweet and rounded on the entry: a lot of extraction here with chewy tannins, a sweet core of bubblegum-tinged red fruit, although the finish needs more delineation and finesse. Drink now-2018.
The final tasting session during my trip to Beaujolais was devoted to the company that for many is Beaujolais: Georges Duboeuf. I asked George’s son Frank Duboeuf to give me an idea of their importance to the region. He told me that their 400 contracted growers probably produced around 18%, possibly 20% of the region’s production. Imagine that figure for Bordeaux or Burgundy! Of course, when his father founded the company exactly half a century ago, there was no prerogative to acquire vineyard. “He was more interested in the relationships with growers than buying estates,” Frank told me, “though he had the opportunity to buy some of its most famous vineyards.” Some of those relationships and the labels they are sold under have been in existence for 40 years. However, the company has been mindful to invest some of its revenues into land, acquiring a property in Julienas and Moulin-a-Vent in 2003, as well as constructing a new winery in co-operation with their U.S. importer. Approximately 15% of their business is Beaujolais Nouveau – a figure that was actually less than I anticipated. I asked Frank about the current state of the Beaujolais market. “We have produced some very good vintages in recent years, which has helped. It has actually been easier to sell 2011 than 2012. In 2012, we had twenty hailstorms. There is a growing interest in Beaujolais wines that represent great value. The challenge is to continue promoting all the crus of Beaujolais and for people to rediscover the Gamay grape and its potential to age.” For regular wine drinkers, for many whose purchase goes no further than the supermarket aisle, Duboeuf is their entry into the delights of the region, and I suspect the seemingly endless array of labels is enough to quench their thirst for their entire lives. This is partly due to consumers’ contentment to remain faithful to a name they know. They spot that distinctive “flower label” and make a beeline. But of course, part of the reason is also the quality of Duboeuf’s range. If the wines did not come up to scratch, did not offer enjoyment and drinkability as a minimum, then eventually people would seek alternatives. The fact remains that after decades, Duboeuf is the dominant producer, no less important as an ambassador for the region than as its most revered artisan name. Given its importance, I was happy to section off an afternoon tasting through as many current offering as humanly possible, with Frank Duboeuf on hand to answer any questions I might have. Of course, the size of the enterprise did not spare them the challenges of the 2012 growing season, and one could argue that being reliant on contracted growers and needing to satisfy large volume targets ineluctably impacts upon them more than others. It was clear to see that the 2012s, especially in the entry-level “flower range,” were affected. There is no escaping that. That is winemaking. This might be one vintage where it would be better to head directly to the superior 2013s or at least trade up toward one of their other labels. But overall, you have to doff you cap to a winery that can deliver thousands of cases at a quality level higher than many others I have tasted.
Importer: Deutsch Family Wines & Spirits, White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-9463; and through various importers such as Berkmann in the UK.
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