Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2011

Beaujolais-me!

Louie, Louie.  Oh, yes.

Louis, my man.  Where have you been all week?

In my previous post, I was a little cranky about Georges.  Well, now it's Friday, my husband has been in effin' Arkansas all week, so Louis Jadot is my new luva.  He's my first, my last, my everything.

What I like about Louis' label, besides all the Frenchy details and sculpted face, is that he tells me all about him, but not in a self-absorbed ex-boyfriend way.  His grapes are 100% Gamay.  I have no freakin' clue what that means, but I don't care.  Louis likes to be paired with "hors d'oeuvres, mild cheeses or poultry dishes--especially turkey," but he works just as well with cheese-its and frozen pizza.  (Did I mention my husband's been away all week?)

I believe in miracles.

This wine is a "plump wine with notes of strawberry, black cherry, and spice."  It's strong, but not overpowering.  Smooth.  You know the beginning of "Can't Get Enough of Your Love Baby" when Barry White is talking over that wee-oooh, wee-oooh, and his voice is low and deep and...smooth?  Yeah, like that.  Only with wine. 

It's strong, full, and smooth.  Qualified to satisfy you.

  

This is the Barry White of wine.  I scream your name.  Look what you got me doin', Louis.

Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2012

Beefy George has a cherry finish.

Oh, Georges.  It's not you, it's me.  No, maybe it's you.

I'm just not that into you.

I remember liking Beaujolais before, so I was really bummed by this wine.  It tastes like someone melted a Luden's cherry cough drop into it.  After a long day of grading some pretty mediocre essays, I was hoping for some cheering up from you, Beefy George!

But maybe it is me; or rather, my palate.  See, the last time I remember drinking Beaujolais, I was out in Jersey City having dinner at this awesome French BYO.  Therese and I were plowing through the bottles we'd brought with us, when the women at the next table offered us their bottle of Louis Jadot.

"We opened the bottle, but we have to drive.  Do you want it?"

Hell, yeah!  Twist my arm, why don't you?  We're walking home, anyway.

I remember thinking it was awesome.  I remember thinking everything was awesome.  It was just one of those nights.  But who knows?  Maybe my palate was shot.  (I once followed a wine trail and visited five wineries in one day.  I came home with dessert wine because that's all I could taste after a while.)  Maybe after all the wine, and the bouillabaisse, and the mousse, I couldn't taste a thing.

A little while later...

Truth be told, I'm not as angry at this wine as I was at first sip.  I poured a second glass--strictly for research purposes--and it's working out a little better. Wine Enthusiast says, "...This has a rich cherry flavor, with firm tannins and ripe acidity. The finish bears a tangy, textured character."  So the cherry explains the cough drop flavor.  The "tangy, textured" finish initially felt like little spikes on my tongue, but it's mellowed out since. 

Or maybe I have.

Arrogant Frog Pinot Noir 2011

"You're wearing an ascot.  You look like an asshole."

I bought the Frog for my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas.  I had never tried it, but chose the wine based solely on the label.  See, my brother and I enjoy speaking bad French with each other.  It's just this thing we do.  My brother took two years of French in high school, and boiled all his learning down to one sentence:  "Je ne mange pas le fromage en hiver."  (I do not eat the cheese in winter.)

My mother and I once translated "Unchained Melody" into French.  I enjoy singing that into my husband's face at weddings. 

But I digress.  Arrogant Frog.  What a name!  And a picture of a frog in a smoking jacket and ascot!  What more could a pseudo-Francophile ask for?  The best part was that my brother forgot his Christmas present at our house, so we drank it!  And I liked it so much, I bought another bottle, and I'm drinking it as I write.

And no, I still haven't given them their own bottle.  I know my lovely sister-in-law will read this and see the wine she has yet to drink.  (She'll also know that I spent a whopping $10.99 on their Christmas present.  Joyeux Noel!  Je t'adore!)

Mais, mon Dieu!  This is good stuff--screwcap and all.  Fruity with a strong finish.  Tannic.  The label on the back suggests serving it with "grilled meat, rack of lamb, pot roast, poultry, game, or soft cheese."  In case you're wondering, it also pairs well with white cheddar crackers.  (Yeah, I didn't cook tonight.)

Perhaps I should buy une bouteille pour mon frère.  Santé, y'all!