Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau and Beaujolais-Village Nouveau 2007
Strangely, I had a hard time finding a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau — of any vintage — in the wee hours of this morning. Eventually, however, I found TWO, both from the “King of Beaujolais” Georges Duboeuf.
Tasting Notes: Beaujolais Nouveau 2007
Color: Lighter than recent years — looks like a deep rose wine. Magenta in the middle, turning to violet and blue at the edge.
Nose: Bright, fruity, lively, with aromas of red cherry, cherry candy, raspberry, a floral element (violets?) and a slight hint of ripe banana.
Palate: Smooth, glassy texture. Ripe, round, delicious red cherry, fresh plum, sweet pomegranate. Finishes dry and pleasant and not as quickly as expected. A touch of heat at the very end, along with an appropriate level of tart acidity. Overall a fun, bright, and zesty wine.
a-7 t-8 b-8 fc-9 v-7 ~ 89 Points
Tasting Notes: Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2007
Color: Magenta in the middle, transparent, with light purple on the edge.
Nose: Slightly more subdued than the “regular” Nouveau, with similar red cherry aroma. A slight touch of earth and black cherry. To my nose, this smells similar to a “regular” Beaujolais-Villages.
Palate: Glassy texture. Red and black cherry fruit, slightly earthy with a touch of bitterness. Acidity is tart / medium. Guess what? This wine has tannins! — something unexpected from a nine-week-old wine. Finishes with some hotness at the very end.
The Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau from Georges Duboeuf is new to the US, though I believe other producers have been sending it here in past years. I don’t believe much of it is imported however, so you may have trouble finding it. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of “regular” Beaujolais-Villages, and this Nouveau version shares its character. That said, if you like Beaujolais-Villages, I think this will be a good preview of what to expect later in the year when the traditionally bottled B-V appears.
a-7 t-7 b-7 fc-8 v-7 ~ 86 Points
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier in the week, the key to enjoying Beaujolais Nouveau is to take it for what it is: a wine that hasn’t been aged. It’s all about managing expectations — if you expect it to compare to your favorite Aussie Shiraz, then Beaujolais Nouveau will seem thin and underwhelming. If you consider it and match it with food as you would a typical fuller style of rose, you may find it appealing.
Over the next week or so I will continue stalking the local wine shops in search of Nouveau from other producers and publish my notes. Please share your own tasting notes with us — for any Nouveau you try — by posting them in the comments.