In the United States, Thanksgiving is near. To wine shops across the nation, that means the time has come, once again, for Beaujolais Nouveau.
Yeah, yeah, we are well aware that the Beaujolais Nouveau concept is a bit of a marketing scheme created by George Duboeuf to push a immature and unwanted cuvée on an unknowing masses. Here’s the explanation for the uninitiated.
In the 1950’s, other producers began to push Beaujolais Nouveau by setting a standardized release date, but Duboeuf really took it to the next level beginning in the 70’s. The negociant was a natural hype man and his colorful labeling and ceaseless promotion of “Beaujolais Day” transformed the previously niche product into a phenomenon in Europe. In the 90’s, Beaujolais Nouveau blew up in the States where shrewd marketers seized upon the wine’s release date exactly one week before Thanksgiving Day.
That said, the reality is that you’re going to wind up drinking this juice anyway this yea—just like every year. It doesn’t matter that COVID cancelled Thanksgiving and your Great-Aunt Sally won’t be visiting with a bottle that the wine guy scammed her into buying. Somehow, some way, Beaujolais will manifest itself in your life… soon.
So, the Neat Pour Tasting Team buckled down pour livers and poured Duboeuf’s finest Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2020.
The all Gamay juice delivered exactly what one expects from the genre. The wine began with with lots of blackberry and strawberry on the nose. Tasting offered the super-brightness typical of BJN and offered lots of berries and tropical fruit as well as some acidity and tannins. The finish delivered bananas and smoke.
In short, the 2020 Duboeuf tasted exactly like almost every other vintage of BJN from the negociant. But, that’s okay, It’s light and goes down easy. Plus, just like the rattler, if you buy enough of it, you might get yours hands on some allocated bottles.
