jamie goode's wine blog: Beaujolais Nouveau arrives, but it's not the Beaujolais I drink tonight

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Beaujolais Nouveau arrives, but it's not the Beaujolais I drink tonight

I quite like young wines. The idea behind Beaujolais Nouveau is a great one, but the problem is the wine. If they could get a vibrant, youthful, natural-tasting wine that tastes like a barrel sample to market soon after the vintage, I'd buy it and drink it in quantity. But most nouveau tastes confected and fake. There's no joy in that. Bottle me some still fermenting wine from a cask if you must! This is a wine of the moment. As Kermit Lynch puts it, the 'one night stand of wines'.

In recognition of the fact that today is Nouveau Day 2008, tonight I'm drinking two cru Beaujolais from the 2007 vintage. One is nice and fruity, but a little confected. The other is fantastically elegant and pure.

Henry Fessy Cuvee 'Georges Fessy' 2007 Brouilly, Beaujolais
This is sweet, seductive and fruity, with a smooth red cherry fruit character, as well as a hint of bubblegum aromatics. It's very polished and fruity, but a little bit too smooth and confected for me. It's nice enough, but there are lots of wines offering simple fruit these days, and I'm left wanting a little bit more. 86/100 (£10.99 Handford, Amps, Planet of the Grapes)

Yvon Metras Fleurie 2007 Beaujolais, France
This is fantastic. It has a complex, forward nose of bright cherries, spice and earth, with an underlying sweetness and some subtly tarry notes. The palate is smooth, seamless and really elegant with a delicious earthy, minerally core to the fruit holding everything in lovely tension. There's some sweetness and richness here that you don't really expect from Beaujolais, but there's also lovely elegance. This is what Gamay can do so well. 91/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene)

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4 Comments:

At 1:29 PM, Anonymous Terry said...

I wish I'd followed my instincts and settled for something proper, along the lines of that Fleurie. Then again, I think that every year yet still succumb to the allure of BN. Doh!

 
At 8:47 AM, Anonymous Chris Piper said...

I totally agree that the majority of BN has nothing to do with the original concept of a 'primeur' wine. However, try and find some of the Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2008 from Chateau de Grandmont that has been imported by Fullers for their leading wine pubs...

 
At 10:00 AM, Blogger Jim Budd said...

Yvon Metras – an excellent choice. Metras makes Beaujolais that is interesting and worth drinking.

 
At 11:22 AM, Blogger Jamie said...

Terry, Chris and Jim, thanks for the comments. Metras is new to me. I like.

Also love Foillard's Cote de Py, particularly in 04 and 06.

 

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