It’s Beaujolais Nouveau Time!

Every year, on the third Thursday of November, the freshest, newest wine from the year’s harvest in Beaujolais is released.  This year that was on November 15th, and in France there were parties, fireworks and festivals (more than one hundred!) to usher in another vintage of the young wine.  Beaujolais Nouveau is released just weeks after the harvest.  The wines are typically fresh and fruity, made to drink right away.  You can serve them chilled, and many prefer them that way.  This is all about fruit and fun.

Synonymous with Beaujolais is the name Georges Duboeuf.  Georges has been a pioneer in the Beaujolais region for decades, and his family continues the tradition.  So when we look for a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau, we look to Georges Duboeuf.  This is a good thing, as we have three bottles from the most recent, and we do mean recent, vintage to review.  They are all very different.

2018 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé – this wine is a vivid, electric pink in color.  There is no mistaking the strawberry on the nose, almost like a Jolly Rancher.  You can throw in some citrus as well.  We found that after a day this actually changed a bit.  The first day it is all vibrant fruit, filling your mouth.  The second day it became more of a traditional rosé, more elegant, with a bit of orange peel joining the party.  Suggested retail of $13.99.

2018 Georges Duboeuf  Beaujolais Nouveau – surprisingly dark in color, this wine is, none the less, a prototypical Beaujolais Nouveau  with its explosion of fruit.  There is ripe strawberry, red cherry and red raspberry.  You also get a bit of tannin.  It’s a little more serious than you think at first, and has good length.  Another fun and fruity wine.  Suggested retail of $12.99.

2018 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau – now we get to the gold medal winner from this group.  While still a Beaujolais Nouveau, this wine is made from fruit grown in the 38 designated Villages which make up the Beaujolais-Villages AOC.  These villages are considered higher quality, and the soils have more granite and schist which create their sense of terroir.  First, let’s talk about the suggested retail of $13.99, which is right in line with the other wines. The reason we start there is because this is way, way beyond that price point in quality.  It is dark red, with a classic cherry kirsch aroma dominating the nose and that flavor profile also making up the palate.  It has noticeable tannins, the fruit remains strong through the mid-palate and it finishes long.  We had this with turkey and it paired perfectly.  This is not a simple and fruity wine to only enjoy young, but rather a more serious wine which resembles a top shelf Beaujolais, or even a Cru Beaujolais.  But you don’t have to wait for it as it is drinking beautifully right now.   It will last a few years more as well.  This, my friends, is great value.  Cheri, not the biggest Beaujolais fan in the world, loved this wine.  If you like excellent Beaujolais, then this is a case buy candidate, certainly, and a wine you can enjoy anytime with virtually anything.

We’re about to put another year behind us, but first there is another vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau to celebrate.  Have some fun, have some wine, and savor the good things in life.  Try the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2018, it is something special.

A votre santé!

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