These wines will only be on sale later this week, as from Thursday to be exact.
Beaujolais Nouveau is out of fashion? So who cares? Not I for one, as I abhor all things chosen for being « fashionable ». Added to which, and more importantly, Beaujolais Nouveau (and its often superior neighbour, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau) can make for quite delicious fruit-driven wines that are the perfect antidote to the somber moods than can be generated by lengthening nights and the dampness of falling leaves. The best of them are fresh and crisp, full of crunchy fruit flavours and leaving the palate with that tingly sensation that engenders appetite for life. Added to which, the vinous landscape is very attractive….
We are not talking about people getting pie-eyed here. Wine should be a joyous liberator of the spirit and of conversation, easy to digest and yet moderate in its effects. Youthful wines from Beaujolais, that hold within their fresh fruity flavours memories of those grapes that were still on the vine a couple of months ago, are, at their best, all of that. The very minimum that one should look for when selecting a Beaujolais Nouveau is just that: freshness and fruitiness. There are years when these sensations are less expressive than others, but 2018 is not one of them. Indeed many of the 120 odd wines from the 2018 harvest that I tasted last week even have within their constitution the potential for some ageing, which bodes very well for the finished wines from all the Beaujolais red wine appellations that will be released as from the spring of 2019.
The gamay grape, which is the sole authorised variety for all red wines from Beaujolais, is not exactly a world star and has been planted quite sparingly elsewhere. But it is very hard to beat for lightish, very fresh and fruity wines. In some cases it can also age remarkable well from good sites, but that is another story that we may well pursue here at some other time.
So here is my selection of what seemed to me to be the best wines from this selection of 65 Beaujolais Nouveau 2018 and 57 Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2018 and which were all tasted blind. I will also add at the end a few comments about some of the wines that disappointed me in this series. The wines are listed by alphabetical order of the name of the producer, and not in their tasting order.
Beaujolais Nouveau 2018 (14 wines selected out of 65 samples)
All these wines retail in France from between about 5 and 9 euros per bottle
Collin Bourisset
Here is a producer whose regularity really impressed me this year. Deep colour and an expressive nose that entices one to take a sip. Deliciously ripe and fresh fruit flavours that are as intense as they are lingering. (15/20)
Collin Bourisset, nature
Dense substance here with perhaps a more tannic aspect to the flavours and the texture whilst still leaving the front seat to the fruit. (14,5/20)
Collin Bourisset, Terra Vitis
Another excellent wine from this producer with intense fragrances on the nose, quite a full body with juicy fruit and quite fair structure. Good length too. This will certainly keep well beyond the end of the year and well into the next one! (15,5/20)
Domaine des Combiers
In a lighter vein that most of the other good wines in this series, both in terms of colour and structure. Attractive aromas and then flavours of fresh black fruit, fine and mouth-watering. (14,5/20)
Coquard, nature
Deep colour and a very attractive nose. Quite splendid on the palate with bright fruit, good texture, liveliness and length. A very successful wine that should be stored at cool temperatures as this is totally sulphur-free. (15/20)
Pierre Dupond, non-filtré
Intense colour and some reduction on the nose initially, but this clears up as the wine gets some air, showing good fleshy substance that seems relatively dense, probably on account of the absence of filtration. (14,5/20)
Domaine Dupperay, vieilles vignes
Delicious, with plenty of juicy fruit flavours, and a lively and lingering sensation on the palate. Not just good acidity either, as this also has decent depth and grip. (14,5/20)
Henry Fessy
Alert and lifted on the nose. Wine very much in the traditional spirit of Beaujolais Nouveau, deliciously juicy and vibrant. (14,5/20)
Domaine des Générations, vieilles vignes
Fine and vibrant substance here, lightened by just a touch of CO2. The fruit is well-defined and very attractive. Good balance with its delicate structure. (14,5/20)
Domaine Girin, Tradition
Very good fruit flavours, delicious and alert, with a fresh and crisp quality that is most attractive. (14,5/20)
Domaine Girin
Very good consistency from this producer too, with 2 excellent wines. Intense colour and an unusually complex nose. Very fine quality of fruit here, together with excellent balance and length. (15,5/20)
Jean-Michel Dupré, 1911
I think that the 1911 date indicates the date of planting of this vineyard, which is quite remarkable and probably explains why the price of this wine is the highest in the series (9,40 euros). The nose seemed a bit milky/fermetary but the palate was wonderfully juicy and fresh. A very honest and well-made wine (14,5/20).
Jean Loron, Tradition vieilles vignes
I seem to remember this wine also being one of my favourites last year. In any event, as you will see, this producer has again been remarkably consistent as many of his wines appear in my selection. Intense colour and supple, rich fruit flavours with good length and balance. (14,5/20)
Jean Loron, Tradition non-filtré
Deep violet hue. Very fruity, with good intensity to the flavours and a dynamic quality on the palate. Very good. (15/20)
Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2018 (57 samples tasted, 20 retained)
On the whole, and for very little extra money, I found this series of wines better, more complex and more consistent across the board than those from the Beaujolais appellation. Retail prices in France run from 7 to 10 euros on the whole.
Domaine Boudeau, Esprit Nature
Slightly lactic on the nose, yet vibrant and long on the palate and generally well constructed. (14,5/20)
Collin Bourisset, La Cuvée à la Con
It is not because you give more-or-less funny, off-hand or frankly vulgar names to your wine that it magically becomes good: in fact many such wines amongst these samples tended to prove just the opposite! But this one is excellent, with quite delicious fruit flavours, full, fine and rounded on the palate, which is also vibrant and long (16/20).
Collin Bourissot
Another very good wine from this producer. Intensely fruity on the nose, quite powerful on the palate yet very juicy. This could keep well for a while. Will be interested to taste the later releases from this producer. (15,5/20)
Domaine de Colette
The nose reminds me of milky caramel, but I expect this well clear up. Very rich and full-bodied for such a young wine, showing the quality of the fruit this year. Full of flavor and very complex. (16/20)
Château de Courcelles
Intense colour and slightly milky on the nose. Very good quality of fruit flavours on the palate, which is lively and with good length. (14,5/20)
Domaine de Croifolie
Fine and juicy, this is a lovely wine, very easy to like and very reasonably priced. (15/20)
Philippe Deschamps
Fruity and dynamic, but this also has structure and good length (14,5/20)
Pierre Dupond
A very intense wine with rich flavours as well as good depth, structure and length. Another wine that is far from being in the simple fruit-juice category and which holds promises for later releases (15,5/20).
Jean-Michel Dupré, vignes de 1941
Very attractive aromas on the nose, spicy and fine. Clearly defined fruit flavours on the palate which is also well-structured. Very good wine (15/20)
Château de l’Eclair / L18403
An attractive nose of black berry fruit and a supple charmer on the palate. A delicious easy drinker! (15/20)
Domaine le Fagolet, Pur Jus de Granit
Not sure that I could be tempted by a glass of “pure granite juice”, but I suppose the idea is to transmit the nature of the sub-soil, for whatever that is worth! This has both presence and complexity, both on the nose and on the palate. Finishes a touch dry. Too much granite juice maybe? (14,5/20)
Emmanuel Fellot, non-filtré
Great intensity of aromas. These are fully consistent with the palate, which is also deliciously juicy and well balanced. Excellent. (16/20)
Manoir du Carra, vieilles vignes parcelle 505
Lots of colour but not very expressive on the nose which is nevertheless pleasant and harmonious. This wine really takes off on the palate, in a style that’s much closer to a “vin de garde” than to a classic “nouveau”. Fleshy and also quite tannic, this is excellent. (16,5/20)
Manoir du Carra, Dame Nature
Another very good wine from this producer, more dynamic and lively than the previous one but still quite structured. Perhaps a bit dry on the finish. (15,5/20)
Manoir du Carra, vielles vignes
Three out of three! Intense and with excellent fruit quality, this shares with its colleagues from the same producer a somewhat restrained and austere style. (15/20)
Domaine des Nugues, Cire
Vin tendre dans un style très accessible, bien fruité et avec une jolie finale vibrante (14,5/20)
Domaine des Nugues, Le Vin des Copains
As suggested by the title of this wine, it would indeed be a great wine for sharing with one’s mates! Very fruity, in a limpid and very easy-to-drink style with good lingering flavour. (15/20)
Domaine de Rochemure, Philippe Vermorel
Intense colour and a nose that reminded me of bakeries and coffee. This is much more in the taughtly-knit style that will keep well than the supple and fruity one more usual in these “Nouveaux” wines, but it is an excellent wine. Level of a « cru ». (16/20)
Domaine des Ronzes
A slightly dull nose but very vibrant on the palate. Nicely lifted style for en elegant and charming wine. (14,5/20)
Château de Vaux
Intense colour, with lots of fruit on the nose and the palate which is relatively rich, full-bodied and savoury for this type of wine. (15,5/20)
And as for the also ran….
While not being very keen on giving bad marks, I have to say that I was very disappointed this year by the wines from Pierre-Marie Chermette (Domaine de Vissoux). These are usually amongst my favourites, but not one of the three samples they sent to this blind tasting passed the cut, and only one of them was passable. What is happening?
Other than that, there were several wines of the so-called “natural” persuasion that were totally undrinkable, or at least giving one no pleasure whatsoever. Volatile acidity, brettanomyces in generous helpings, re-fermentation or just plain dirty, you name it, they had it. Not all that is « natural » is good, just by definition.
Les 5 du Vin 