The Problem of Beaujolais

“Here at the Auberge we face, every day, the increasingly difficult problem of finding a fair Beaujolais at a fair price,” Mademoselle Vivette said.“Most of our guests are devoted to Beaujolais. Yet most of them—even French aficionados—hardly know the difference between a quite poor Beaujolais and a very fair one. So I always try to make sure that we are in a position to surprise and delight them with a whole range of exceptional Beaujolais at exceptionally reasonable prices. In my opinion, no cellar is properly balanced unless it excludes completely that most useless of wines, a bad Beaujolais; and includes an important selection of that most all-purpose of wines, the best of Beaujolais.” You cannot find in Mademoiselle Vivette’s cellar any general, nondescript, undefined bottles simply labeled Beaujolais or Beaujolais Supérieur. She visits, tastes and selects in the famous Beaujolais villages of which the names on the labels are an immediate guarantee of a certain character, quality and personality. She goes (as I go in my local New York wine store) to Brouilly, Chénas, Chi-roubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent and Saint-Amour. (Mademoiselle Vivette is lucky. She can buy her less expensive Beaujolais in 60-liter containeurs, which she loads into the back of her large Simca station wagon. These wines are then served at her tables en carafe as the quite inexpensive vins de la maison.) Among the better, estate-bottled Beaujolais, the cellar includes from Brouilly the exceptional Château de La-Chaize and Château Thivin, with also the Château de Chénas and the Château de Juliénas.