Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages and Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent

With the holiday season just around the corner customers are beginning to ask about wines for Thanksgiving.  The Gamay grape is perfect for the holiday table; a light grape/wine with NO tannins (tannins are not in the DNA of the Gamay grape).  With that in mind, yet again, I had to compare two wines.  Both 100% Gamay, from France, from Louis Jadot.  One a Beaujolais-Villages.  The other Moulin-a-Vent.  So what's the difference in flavor? 

Louis Jadot 2009 Beaujolais-Villages ($14).  This was a medium garnet color.  The aroma was a hint of cherry with earthiness.  The flavor also a hint a cherry, earthy and a hint of oak.  A nice light wine.  Nicely balanced.  Definitely worthy of the holiday table and if you don't like tannins this is perfect for you.  I have done tastings on this wine and it sells very well.

Note:  I find it interesting that the Winemaker's Notes say, "gentle tannins" when tannins are not in the make-up of the Gamay grape. 

Winemaker's Notes:   Fresh red fruits on the nose with a hint of dark cherry.  Slightly spicy with a touch of grey pepper, liquorice and a touch of rose flower.  The whole wine is very well balanced with a nice acidity and the tannins presence on the finish invites food pairing with terrines, charcuteries, grilled red meat, white fish, cheese or simply as the sole wine of a meal. This wine is supposed to be drunk young although it can be kept easily up to 5 years or more. 

Chateau des Jacques 2009 Moulin-a-Vent ($18 Costco).  The color was a dark ruby red.  The aroma had a hint of cherry with earthiness and smoke.  The flavor was earthy and spice with a hint of oak.  Nicely Balanced.  A little fuller bodied than the Beaujolais-Village (with a richer aroma). This too would be nice for the holiday table.  Again, if you don't like tannins this is perfect for you.  

Winemaker's Notes:  Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent is a solidly structured, full-bodied, deep garnet wine which shows intense aromas of iris, roses, spices and ripe red fruit. The impressions on the palate are fleshy, velvety and tender, finishing with a firm acidic crispness and long, pronounced final. The wine approaches maturity in most vintages after six to ten years.