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by Fred McMillin
for October 2, 2000
Beaumes-De-Venise??
Prologue
Beaumes-De-Venise produces what most people regard as the best of France's fortified sweet wines.
...Clive Coates, The Wines of France
Since the beginning of recorded history in 1834, the Jaboulets have been making fine wine in the Rhone Valley. Today, the firm is one of the most prestigious negociants [buys, blends, ships, etc.] of the region.
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Wildman imported today's wine. |
...R. Norman, Rhone Renaissance
The Rest of the Story
OK. One at a time. What's Beaumes-De-Venise? Then, who are the Jaboulets?
Beaumes-De-Venise (bowm-duh-vuneez) is a town and a wine district 20 miles northeast of Avignon. It has always been Muscat-friendly. Pliny the Elder mentioned it two millennia ago. Six centuries ago, when the Papacy was at Avignon, the Muscat was one of their favorites, and became known as "Muscat des Papes." Beaumes Muscat has enjoyed its greatest popularity in the last two decades.
As for the Jaboulets, their 1961 red Hermitage La Chapelle was one of the great wines of the 20th century. But not content with their Rhone table-wine triumphs, the descendants of founder Antoine Jaboulet (1807-1864) have added some other Rhone winners to their stable, and one of them is our...
Wine of the Day
1997 Muscat de Baumes-De-Venise
Paul Jaboulet Ainé (means "Sr.")
Grapes—Made from the best wine-making grape of the Muscat family, the mouthful Muscat a Petits Grains.
Winemaking—The grapes are fermented slowly in cooled stainless steel tanks. When the sugar level of the must (fermenting grape juice) has dropped to 11%, alcohol is added to halt the fermentation and raise the alcohol content to 15%.
Tasting Notes—Shocking power for a Muscat. My panel gave it a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
I rated it higher at EXCELLENT.
Service—Serve chilled with pecan pie ala mode, or with your favorite fruit sorbet and crunchy cookies.
Importer—Frederick Wildman, NYC
Contact—Office of Public Relations Director Odila Galer-Noel or Amy Mironov, (212) 355-0700, FAX (212) 355-4723.
Price—$27 range
Postscript
I like author Remington Norman's tribute to the five Jaboulets that make the firm hum. "Altogether an inspiring family business, and one of the Rhone's very finest."
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About the Writer Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers. For information about the wine courses he teaches every month at either San Francisco State University or San Francisco City College (Fort Mason Division), please fax him at (415) 567-4468. |
This page created October 2000