2015 Beaujolais TN thread - post notes here

2015s are appearing on the shelves, let’s see some TNs!

Three for me this week:

  • 2015 Marcel Lapierre Morgon - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (8/8/2016)
    From 375, popped and poured. Youthful purple/ruby, deep. Aromas of black cherry, raspberry, tarragon & parsley accompanied by a whiff of funk and underlying minerals. A savory, almost “meaty” note develops with air. Medium body. Dark fruits and herbaceous notes on the palate, decidedly youthful and primary. Comes off as a hypothetical blend of the 2008 & 2009 in terms of flavor actually…and, as almost always the case with Lapierre, the 2015 is beautifully balanced, with deceptive acidity perfectly complimenting subtle tannins in a silken mouthfeel.
    Clearly needs more time but all the pieces are there, will revisit next spring.

13.5% abv.

To me, this is classic Lapierre…as always, so good and sooo yummy.

  • 2015 Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côte de Brouilly (8/8/2016)
    Popped and poured, youthful purple/ruby hue, quite dark for Beaujolais. On the nose, raspberry and strawberry immediate. As this opens, some of the typical Thivin-iron notes emerge along with subtle herbaceous qualities and hints of earth. Medium to medium-plus body. Exceptionally concentrated, this is a very powerful expression of Thivin, one that’s amazingly concentrated, bracingly acidic, astringently tannic and thoroughly flavorful. Grand Cru quality, vin de garde that needs 10+ years and a near-facsimile of the 2009 on release; true “Wow!” wine.

13% abv.

The 2015 Thivin…wow, what a wine. To me, the 2015 is almost exactly like the 2009 but even better.

  • 2015 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (8/11/2016)
    Popped and poured, youthful violet/ruby. Fruit-forward (raspberry) and carbonic immediately off the pop, an herbaceous earthiness becomes apparent as this opens. Medium body. So entirely youthful on the palate, shows an abundance of lush, ripe fruit flavors that are cut by a decent dose of acidity. Although the tannins are well-rounded, there’s a chewiness to them that’s slightly astringent on the moderate close. At this early stage, the 2015 comes off like a more-substantial blend of the 2013 & 2014; that said, this clearly needs some time to sort itself out. Has lots of potential though…

13% abv.

No doubt, the 2015 Roilette has above average concentration and flavors that could come off as somewhat ripe for Beaujolais…which is perfectly fine for me. Still, it’s just so youthful right now and hard to properly asses. Gonna hold my bottles of Tardive until next summer before trying one.

As for the 2015 vintage, hard for me to draw conclusions from 3 wines…still, it’s pretty clear that it is a “big” vintage and one which shows plenty of potential. I’d even say the comparison of 2015 to 2009 might be entirely warranted. And speaking of, the 2015 Thivin is strikingly reminiscent of how the amazing 2009 showed on release, if not even better…Thivin’s been on such a roll.

I absolutely loved the 2009 Thivin, so that’s a great recommendation.

I had a few of the 2009 on release and yeah, the 2015 is strikingly similar. Thivin’s pretty much an annual case purchase for me now.

In denial of vintage switch, so although I have a bunch of 2015 Dutraive wines I am hesitant to pop any until I feel I have sufficiently worked through remaining 2014’s…

I’ve only had the 2015 Lapierre Morgon so far. Really delicious and I agree whole heartedly with your note Alex. I also got a massive hit of parsley and a bit of banana that worked really well in the fruity drinkable bojo scheme of things.

Will have to keep an eye out for the Thivin!

Please try another bottle, Brian. It will be a dark day if I ever find any “banana” in Lapierre’s Morgon. As far as I know, that vile attribute only comes from some of the commercial yeasts used in Beaujolais by the likes of Georges Dubeouf, whose wine reek of it. They are downright nasty.

Martin, that’s very interesting…I had always been lead to believe the banana/pear drop flavors were from carbonic maceration.

Liking the 2015 Thivin. Not digging it as much as the 2011 or 14; I can see the connection to the 2009, but I think this has a more tart fruit profile and greater acidity. Loving the sour and ripe fruit melange. Missing some of the earthy minerality and high salinity that hooked me on 2011. Fruit over earth at this very youthful stage. Another solid Thivin, and a worthy purchase. Will not complain, and actually appreciate, the vintage variations that Thivin shows.

I have to side with AlexS on this one. I’ve provided a few links below with some (seemingly) sound data to support. I do feel Matthieu has managed to avoid most of the confections of CM, which could be attributable to his tendency toward vendange entière and a rather Burgundian élevage. But I’d be confused as well if I were detecting a more or less overt banana note in his wines. They’re certainly not out of the question though, and likely not a flaw (by most definitions). The isoamyl acetate ester associated with this banana note is one of the more prevalent markers of CM, not necessarily the explicit function of industrial/commercial yeast (though I’m certain the two in conjunction–along with cool(er) fermentation temps–would get you something akin to Dubeouf).

http://www.vignevin-sudouest.com/publications/fiches-pratiques/documents/Weurman2014.pdf

http://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/industry/enology/fermentation_management/wine/off_characters.html

Either way, Brian, you’ve got another reason to open a 2015 Lapierre Morgon…I doubt you’re complaining :wink:

Don’t get me wrong, the wine is gorgeous, the banana aroma was not a predominant feature, just something in the back ground, also it wasn’T the type of banana aroma I would associate with the likes of a faulty wine or even a wheat beer. The good fruit and complexity were well and truly the stars. While it could be bottle variation I would be surprised as this was present in all three that I’ve had so far. (All from the Sulphered edition).
The only problem with this wine I have now is that I need to find some more.

From the first couple bottles I’ve had, I think the fears about the 2015 vintage turning Bojos into Rhone-like beasts are a bit overblown. To wit:

2015 Coudert Clos de la Roilette Fleurie: Given early reports about the vintage, I was bracing for a more “high-octane” rendition, but this was well-balanced and lovely. Warm, dark red berry fruit and peppery spice on the nose, without the usual, faintly stalky aromas I get from young Coudert. Plenty of ripe fruit and crunchy minerals on the palate, but also a little soft and lacking some of the snappy spine from prior years. While this may lack some of Coudert’s typical age-worthiness, it’s still a delicious, food-friendly version that’s worth picking up. 90

2015 Marcel Lapierre Morgon: An absolute knockout. Reminds me a bit of the first 2009 Lapierre I opened way back when, both in terms of the sheer flamboyance of the nose and the ripeness of the fruit. But where that wine bowled me over with its floral, red berry joyousness, the 2015 is darker-fruited, meaty, and minty. Delicious, ripe, and silky on the palate, but with some sneaky bits of unwelcome heat on the finish. Unlike the 2014, which certainly has the bones for aging, I have no idea as to the staying power here (and in my experience, I liked the 2009 Lapierres less and less with each successive bottle), but right now, this is just an exuberant wine that’s delicious as hell. 94

Thanks, Bill, that note alone is prompting me to grab some 15 Lapierre (minus the heat!)!

Robert,

Don’t sweat the heat too much; this is still Gamay we’re talking about. You could guzzle the whole thing and still go out and bike the Tour de Orlando or whatever with relative ease.

Grabbed the Thivin as an impulse buy the other day (one of those bottles you’ve seen too many times without tasting, and looks legit), then smiled when I saw your note on CT. Seems like one of the worlds better under $25ers.

Robert,

I hope you enjoy the Thivin, would love to hear your impressions after you’ve tried it.

For my palate, I can’t imagine how Beaujolais can get better than the 2014s. They are the 2010 Burgundies of Beaujolais for me. Thus, I intended to sample the 2015 Thivin before buying in quantity, and expected to get that sample from Kermit Lynch tomorrow. However, Kermit’s reps had hit the streets with it and yesterday they sold out the 100 plus cases they had. Thus, until Kermit gets a re-stock, I won’t know whether the 2015 Thivin smells/tastes similar to the 2009, but its sales certainly are. Good thread, Alex. I will aim to post some notes.

I just bought a magnum and some regular bottles of the 2015 Thivin. I haven’t tasted it, but between my enjoyment of past “bigger” type vintages for that producer, the notes here, the quality of the vintage, and the price ($22 at Winex), I don’t see how I could go wrong.

I’d have to agree, though there have been no shortage of excellent wines in 10,11 and 13.

14, for me, is about balance and harmony. Most of the wines are just so well knit right now, fresh, pure fruit, enough acid to keep them fresh and the finish long and clean and soft tannins in the background to give them some structure.

I’m drinking a 14 Thivin Zaccharie right now and it is magnificent.

I haven’t had a 15 yet, have a few on deck.

Saw the mags of the Thivin at Winex. Was very tempted.

Waiting until they get to TotalWine though, so I can get the Thivin for ~$19 with the 6 bottle discount

I couldn’t agree more, particularly the latter two.