1999 Louis Tete Beaujolais Villages

Notes sourced from Appellation Wines & Spirits.

If the reds of Bordeaux are stern and serious, those of Beaujolais are incurably jovial. They're fun and fruity, the best luncheon wines in the world.The secret of this cheeky fresh grapiness lies in the way Beaujolais' GAMAY grapes are vinified. They go into the vats in whole bunches and the grapes on the bottom break open with the weight. They start a regular fermentation and, after a time, that wine is drawn off. But the grapes on the top have remained unbroken and have begun to ferment within their own skins - MACERATION CARBONIQUE. Here is the key to that taste, for when the cake is finally pressed this wine is blended with the first. Hey presto, BEAUJOLAIS!The Beaujolais region is the southernmost part of Burgundy. It is hilly and very pretty. Wines from its south carry the simple appellation 'Beaujolais'. Wines with a bit more body, from 35 villages to its north, qualify for the BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES appellation. Its most distinctive and most robust wines, however, come from the ten northerly communes that have gained the title of CRUS. The Beaujolais region is probably the best in France to explain the French concept of terroir - the indelible stamp of an area's identity on the characteristics of a grape type. There are ten classified regions called the Crus of Beaujolais which produce unique wines in addition to the regular Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages appellations.Tasting Notes: Distinctive earthy red cherry character. Fruity and clean, with a bit of bite from nicely judged acids and tannins. Moderate length.