I was reminded of a friend and former colleague as I was scanning the wine wall this week who, about 15 years ago, had a Friday night habit of celebrating the end of the working week with a pizza and a bottle of Fleurie. He was then, and is now, a keen triathlete and I find that encouraging as his habit can't have done him too much harm. If I ever consider a return to distance running I will be sure to put in a good few Friday suppers as part of my training. Meanwhile, I will raise a glass to Ricky with:
It seems hard to believe now, but in 2006 I did take part in the London Marathon. I completed it, too. My training was more based on Guinness and pork scratchings and that might explain why it took me 2.5 times as long as the winner to complete the course. Fleurie and pizza next time. Probably without the marathon. Or any running at all.
So. What is this Fleurie of which I speak? It's from Beaujolais, the wine region to the south of Burgundy and to the north of The Rhone Valley, where the principal grape variety is Gamay. Fleurie itself is one of the 'Cru' villages, of which there are ten, known for producing the better regional wines on the western slopes of the Saone valley where the south-easterly aspect and good drainage provide ideal conditions.
Wines made from Gamay are usually lighter styles and have low tannin levels, so it at the other end of the spectrum from Primitivo, Malbec and other blockbuster grapes. The wines of Beaujolais also derive some of their characteristic flavours from the use of a production technique known as carbonic maceration. This involves putting hand-picked grapes into a large fermentation vessels that have been flushed with carbon dioxide, to remove oxygen, and allowing the weight of the grapes themselves to crush those lower down in the pile. As the juice is gently pressed out of the berries and it begins to ferment, more carbon dioxide is given off as a by-product of the conversion of the fruit sugars to alcohol and this further protects the juice from undesired oxidation.
The resultant wine has light redcurrant, cranberry and floral flavours, sometimes reminiscent of bubble gum. If this last element is allowed to over develop it can lead to a wine that has a confected profile which has in the past given Beaujolais a less than glowing reputation.
My first mouthful of this wine caught me by surprise and I was concerned that there may be a little too much acidity but, once it had opened up post-decanting, I enjoyed this wine.
Buy again? One day. It's pleasant, but there are styles I enjoy more.
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