2021 Beaujolais Nouveau – the ‘combative’ vintage

Update 12.11.2021(11.11.2021)billn

2021 Beaujolais NouveauOr primeurs as the French, so often, refer to them. 100 wines, tasted blind in deepest Beaujolais, 02 November 2021:

– Inter Beaujolais – the marketing board for the Beaujolais region – describe the 2021 vintage as combative.

– 2021 was a complicated year in terms of both the weather conditions and the amount of work needed in the vines by the winegrowers. The second half of August and the month of September, however, made it possible to retain decent quality grapes, even if the quantity was reduced.

– Begun in mid-September, the harvest took place in rather cool conditions. This freshness, which characterised the end of the grapes’ ripening period, is visible in the wines.

– The wines in 2021 have moderation in mind – at least compared to the other recent vintages – they are lower in both alcohol and weight of phenolics – their tannic structure. The wines have been quite fairly described by Inter Beaujolais as ‘tender and fruity.

Overall, just over 100 samples were presented for this 2021 showing of Beaujolais Nouveau – which is a big drop from the number of samples (160+) proffered in recent vintages. Why? Simply, it was the 2021 harvest volumes; generally hit by frost at the start of the year and more locally in the south – where much Nouveau is produced – by some hail too. Whilst the official harvest volumes are not yet available, the harvest was generally down by about 25% – more in the south, less in the crus of the north – and that was the principal driver here.

I note that in this vintage the wines were showing much less ‘fruit-forward’ in style than their siblings in other recent vintages. I find a number of excellent wines but I have also noted many, many fewer ‘bravo’ wines than in other vintages – only 3 – but it would be remiss of me not to point out the very short timeline from harvest to my tasting glass this year – certainly much less elevage than was afforded to the earlier harvests of the previous 5-6 years.

2021 and the most recent vintages:

I’ve done this tasting since the 2017 vintage, and whilst the recent quality from Grower Nouveau has been on a much higher level than I can ever recollect – and with much more consistency too – 2021 is certainly a step back in terms of concentration, if not their acid-driven intensity – 2021 brings a lighter style which works much better with the Beaujolais Villages wines – 6-12 months of patience is not mandatory in this vintage. I have noted many fewer ‘Bravo!’ wines than in other tastings but there remain many excellent, quite delicious, wines:

Vintage 2017 – a warm, clean, early vintage – one hailstorm excepted – but low yielding. The best wines were excellent and the quality was consistent
Vintage 2018 – a warm clean and again an early vintage but with many higher-yielding places where the producers allowed. I observed significant quality differences in the samples – I largely attributed this to big swings in yields.
Vintage 2019 – another warm vintage with harvesting a little later but because of both frost and hail, yields were cut. The best wines were of high quality and the consistency was intermediate to 2017 and 2018.
Vintage 2020 – a warm clean vintage with consistently below-average yields. The best wines, once again, show high quality and a consistency that’s at least as good as seen in the 2017s. The wines are relatively powerful and well constructed, the ‘villages’ wines generally need a little patience but are consistently excellent – a vintage you can blind buy domaine wines!
Vintage 2021 – A vintage of frost, hail in places, and much lower yields – the cooler, wetter weather requiring more grape triage but this resulted in wines that are clean and attractive with good acidity – perhaps more elegantly proportioned than the most recent vintages with a stronger spine of acidity rather than tannin to support them.

Link to previous tastings. I like this tasting – not particularly for its length or nouveau specificity but rather because it’s quite an accurate snapshot of how, in general, the next vintage will show when released in another 6-12 months…

And in the order tasted, my ‘excellent wine‘ picks for this year?

Of course, all were tasted blind:
2021 Frederic Berne, Beaujolais Nouveau
2021 Collin-Bourisset, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘à ta cuvée à la con
2021 Vins Aujoux, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Le Cochon Chic
2021 Père Benoit, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Tchin
2021 Domaine de Solémy, Beaujolais Nouveau Vieilles-Vignes
2021 Jean Loron, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Tradition Vielles-Vignes
2021 Famille Girin, Beaujolais Nouveau
2021 Domaine de Loyse – Cellier de St.Jean d’Ardières, Beaujolais Nouveau
2021 Château de Pizay, Beaujolais Nouveau
2021 Henry Fessy, Beaujolais Nouveau
2021 P Ferraud et Fils, Beaujolais Nouveau
2021 Famille Chasselay, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘La Marduette

2021 P Ferraud et Fils, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
2021 Vignobles Jambon, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Pure
2021 Pierre Dupond, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Seconde Nature
2021 Château de l’Eclair, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
2021 Château de Chatelard, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Vintage
2021 Cave du Château des Loges, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Les Trois Madones, Sans Souffre
2021 Domaine de la Madone, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Pérréoneissime
2021 Domaine Burnichon, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
2021 Besson Père et Fils, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Tu m’fais tourner la tête
2021 Les Jeunes Pousses, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Préambule
2021 Château de Lavernette, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Le Jeune

And the medals for those lonely ‘Bravo!’ wines – the best of this tasting:
2021 Jean Loron, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘In Jules we Trust
2021 Manoir de Carra Sambardier, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau Vieilles-Vignes
2021 Manoir de Carra Sambardier, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Dame Nature

Here’s hoping that you can actually find some of these!

Click below to see the full notes for over 100 wines:

Beaujolais
 

And for those with an interest, the 105 wines were 65% sealed with cork, the rest being a mix of synthetics…

2021 Beaujolais Nouveau

The rosé wines…

Five Beaujolais Rosé and just one Beaujolais Villages Rosé were presented:

2021 Jean Loron, Beaujolais Rosé Nouveau ‘Beau Beaujolais
Moderately pale. High toned aromas – a hint of yeastiness but also of florals – very forward. The acidity is a great spine for this delicately flavoured wine. A pretty wine.

2021 Agamy Louis Tête, Beaujolais Rosé Nouveau ‘Coup de Tête
Pale again. A nose that’s rounder, again with some floral accenting. Wider and more saline in style, plenty of acidity. The minerality is showing more than the last – a bit more structure here too – but tasty again.

2021 Romy, Beaujolais Rosé Nouveau ‘Le Mouflet
A pretty, pale pink. This nose deeper and showing some bubblegum. Extra gas here – certainly boosting the energy and bringing a sweeping freshness framed with some salinity. Again, more than acceptable quality.

2021 Vignerons des Pierres Dorées, Beaujolais Rosé Nouveau ‘Terra Iconia
I’m loving the pale pinks on display here! Another fuller nose, bubble-gum style – there’s not much to separate this and the last. Again with a bit of gas, though less, with a long saline line of flavour. Again, eminently acceptable wine.

2021 Club des Sommeliers, Beaujolais Rosé Nouveau
The merest extra depth of colour to this one. This nose has more width, almost a little density too – but it remains freshly attractive. Extra gas once more – you should decant this – a wine that majors on its saline-accented minerality – a little more rigour to the shape of this one but with a nice clean finish.

2021 Domaine Longère, Beaujolais Villages Rosé
A very attractive pink! Fresh, faintly of classic Beaujolais bubblegum – it’s an invitation. Wide, saline, lots of mouth-watering energy – the finishing acidity is prominent but only adds to the moreish finish of this wine – that would be more than a very good start to my evening!

Beaujolais Nouveau Rouge…

2021 Frederic Berne, Beaujolais Nouveau
Medium, bright, cherry red. Hmm – now that’s a great nose – open, of cushioned depth and lots of attractive fruit – much more than the colour suggests. Open, lovely acidity, a slight touch of meatiness but then wide, mineral and mouth-watering in the finish. An excellent start!

2021 Vignerons des Pierres Dorées, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Terra Iconia
Much more colour – yet a narrower nose, which takes time to show its darker fruit. Again, sweeping acidity with a cherry-fruit in the centre-stage. Very well made.

2021 Domaine de Baluce – Jean-Yves & Annick Sonnery, Beaujolais Nouveau
Intermediate colour. A fuller, much more complex nose, but here with a bit of pyrazine. Vibrant energy, crunchy fruit, again a little pyrazine accent but with plenty of depth to the finishing flavour too. Very good.

2021 Château de l’Eclair, Beaujolais Nouveau
Deeper colour again. Another wild and full nose that’s more than accented with some higher tones of pyrazine. In the mouth there’s lots of freshness and super (acid) energy but the flavours start a bit too green for my liking – yet there’s a good fruit behind that’s trying to show itself.

2021 Anthony Charvet, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Beaujo Beau
Plenty of colour. A rounder nose – easier and slightly cushioned. Hmm – that’s a very juicy red fruit with a great finish – the middle is a bit acidic but here is lots of fun with a great start and finish.

2021 Jean-Yves Sonnery, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Cuvée Passion
A bright nose of energy and higher tones that almost tend to pyrazine. Plenty of intensity here, saline edged and mineral flavours. There’s fruit in there too but it’s well hidden today. I like the lip-smacking finish though.

2021 Collin-Bourisset, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘à ta cuvée à la con
Extra depth of colour here. Bright, chunky and attractive dark-red fruit – that’s very inviting. Fuller. Growing in intensity – mineral, slightly saline (as I seem to keep writing) but with the best purity of fruit so far despite a slight suggestion of ‘low sulfur’ – even the faintest suggestion of tannin too. An excellent wine!

2021 Aurelie & Fabien Romany, Beaujolais Nouveau
Enough colour! A wide and vibrant nose – here with a suggestion of natural. Round, supple, plenty of depth to this flavour too – finishing with a lovely line of acid-red fruit. That’s a very good wine.

2021 Domaine de Champ Fleury, Beaujolais Nouveau
Medium colour. Plenty of aromatic width – here with a modest accent of pyrazine. A width of fresh, saline and mineral flavour with the addition of some simple but tasty cherry fruit notes in the finish. Good.

2021 Vins Aujoux, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Le Cochon Chic
A bit more colour. A deeper nose with lots of energy and, again, just a touch of pyrazine in the higher tones. Supple, wide flavours – juicy flavours with plenty of finishing depth. Despite the pyrazine, that’s excellent!

2021 Famille Chasselay, Beaujolais Nouveau
More modest colour for this wine. The nose a little animale and natural but with freshness too. Some gas. Acid-forward, bringing plenty of energy, finishing modestly but crisp, clean, fresh and tasty too.

2021 Dominique Piron, Beaujolais Nouveau
A little more colour again. Not a large nose but here’s one with a slightly different and much more perfumed and floral aroma. In the mouth a bit more intensity and driving style to this wine – the red fruit is visible but like many comes more towards the end of the flavours while the middle is about a saline-edged minerality. Very good!

2021 Pierre Dupond, Beaujolais Nouveau Non Filtré
Another with deeper colour. A more natural and savoury style to this nose. Supple, silky, the fruit is a little more obvious than many but still underpinned by the mouth-watering mineral line of the wine. It’s a very good finish and a very good wine.

2021 Père Benoit, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Tchin
More airy red fruit – still decent impact though. More composed starting, the intensity slowly growing but here there’s a fine depth to the middle and finishing flavours too – I find this excellent.

2021 Cossima Bassouls, Beaujolais Nouveau 100% Carbonique
A clear-glass bottle and only a rosé-plus colour. A higher-toned nose – no pyrazine but certainly the aromas are more ‘natural.’ Supple, brightly flavoured without any sharp edges – a certain ‘bready’ style to the finishing flavours, but this is more than tasty in this style…

2021 Anthony Perol, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Le p’tit nouveau
Medium colour. Depth and high tones to this interesting nose. Mouth-filling, good texture – acid-red fruited. There’s good depth to the flavour here – and bucking the trend – fruit in the middle with a mineral finish – the reverse of many others!

2021 Vignerons des Pierres Dorées, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘La Rose Pourpre
Lots of colouration here. A much deeper nose than the majority – darker fruited without any obvious reduction. Incisive, plenty of cherry-fruit energy and maybe just a suggestion of bubble-gum. A modest finishing tannin too. That’s very good!

2021 Domaine de Solémy, Beaujolais Nouveau Vieilles-Vignes
Plenty of colour. Another nose with plenty of dark-fruited energy. Mouth-filling, dark fruit here too – mouth-watering and then moving forward with an extra depth of finishing flavour. That’s another excellent wine

2021 Maxime Troncy, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Sourire de Nouveau
Plenty of colour. A very different nose – deep, vibrant, low sulfur style. A shimmering frame of acidity with, once-more, a different style of fruit flavour – redder and extra mouth-watering. Very much out of the norm but tasty wine all the same.

2021 Denis Chilliet, Château de Buffavent, Beaujolais Nouveau
Plenty of colour again. The first wine where the nose is a little tight. Mouth-filling with good width to the flavour. Darker fruit even a suggestion of licorice in the finishing flavours. That’s very good – it just needs to nose to open a little more.

2021 Jean-Paul Brun, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘l’Ancien
Hmm – that’s got a very fine clarity of red fruit aroma – lovely. Mouth-filling once more – with both depth and texture to the flavour, finishing in a mouth-watering more mineral style. Very good!

2021 Brossette et Fils, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Empreinte
Medium colour. Vibrant, cliché Beaujolais with some bubble-gum fruit aroma. Round, very red-fruited – flavours with energy and a certain salinity too. Good length – another very good wine.

2021 Jean-Pierre Rivière, Beaujolais Nouveau
A Bordeaux-shaped bottle. Medium-plus colour. Airy dark fruit on the nose – very good! Impact, silky and rather intense finishing too – there’s a lot of wine here though with a certain rigour to the experience…

2021 Domaine Forétal, Beaujolais Nouveau
Medium colour. A darker fruit aroma – plenty of freshness here too. Starting from a vibrant and quite intense core this is a wine that slowly grows over the palate – serious and intense. A little extra something in the finishing flavours too – I’d probably wait a little while before drinking this one!

2021 Jean-Paul Brun, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Cuvée Première
Medium colour – a forward nose with darker fruit and some faint pyrazine accents in the top notes. Open, plenty of growing intensity too. Lip-smacking, very faintly tannic and again a suggestion of pyrazine in the mainly mineral finishing flavour.

2021 Jean Loron, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Tradition Vielles-Vignes
A little more colour and not fully bright. A broad nose that’s almost a little cushioned – it’s also very attractive! Round, supple, with layered delivery of flavour – sustained finishing intensity. That’s close to excellent!

2021 Joncy, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Cuvée des Copains comme Cochons
Medium colour. Another wine with a nicely airy quality to the higher tones – darker red fruit of nice clarity too. Vibrant, energetic wine – really persistent too. I find this very good.

2021 Pierre Marie Chermette, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Origine
Medium colour, again. This nose is narrower up top but has a nice width of darker fruit at its base. Silky, with good width of flavour and slowly becoming more intense – dark fruit like the nose. Finishing a little chewy and structural – that’s a much nicer finish than it sounds – another very good wine.

2021 P Ferraud et Fils, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Cuvée Autrefois
Deeper colour. Some higher, airier notes on this nose – a little diffuse but I like that it’s different! Intense again, finishing with some furry tannin – but no overt grain – clean and direct. Another very good wine.

2021 Famille Girin, Beaujolais Nouveau
More aromatic clarity of darker fruit on this nose – becoming floral perfumed with air – that’s nice! Supple, beautifully constructed with layers of flavour – if there was a bit more going on in the finish I’d say bravo – but anyway an excellent wine.

2021 Domaine de Loyse – Cellier de St.Jean d’Ardières, Beaujolais Nouveau
A nice width of aroma again – this, initially, accented with salt instead of flowers but slowly they also develop. Round, supple, very fine structure – a beautifully shaped wine – excellent.

2021 Domaine des Voutes Dorées, Beaujolais Nouveau
Medium colour. An airy nose – mineral too. Mouth-filling, quite vibrantly flavoured – very red-fruited too. Finishing in a mineral, modestly direct style. Very good.

2021 Trenel, Beaujolais Nouveau
Medium colour again. A more open and vibrant nose but one that can still go deep with its fruit. Silky again, a little direct in style but very mouth-watering too – juicy, pretty red fruits with a clean finish. Very good.

2021 Château de Pizay, Beaujolais Nouveau
Medium colour. An open and airily fruited nose – that’s lovely! Another wine that’s quite silky – this time sleeker and more direct – the silk becoming more like velour as the structure starts to show a little more. Fresh, structural in style and very good for that – nearly excellent!

2021 P Ferraud et Fils, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘La Guingette de Domi
Medium colour. Another bright and wide nose with a touch of Beaujolais bubblegum freshness. Direct wine almost a touch sour-cherry fruit but lip-smacking in the finish – here with a modest lick of drying tannin, then a simple note of pure fruit. Lots of very good points to this wine.

2021 Jean-François Pegaz, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Plaisir de Pegase
An extra depth to the colour of this wine. A little aromatic cushioning to this darker fruit. Mouth-filling – quite large-scaled – darker fruit again with a suggestion of acid (or sour-) cherry. Wide and stony (cherry-stone) finishing. Very good.

2021 Henry Fessy, Beaujolais Nouveau
Medium colour. Darker fruit for this nose but with fine complexity too – that’s a lovely invitation. Round, supple, really well-defined and textured wine. I really like the shape and delivery of flavour from this wine – a few finishing bitters but this is close to excellent.

2021 Pierre Marie Chermette, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Griottes
Medium colour. Plenty of aromatic width – implying some low sulfur style. Deep and quite differently shaped in the mouth. Very silky, very mineral – the fruit is more reticent here but the structure and acidity still don’t dominate. That’s very lovely and in different style.

2021 P Ferraud et Fils, Beaujolais Nouveau
Medium colour. Cliché Beaujolais bubble-gum on the nose – even a little floral action too. More incisive than the last wine but never sharp and finishes in a lovely mouth-watering style. That’s excellent!

2021 Château de Pizay, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Tanay’
Extra colour again. Some smokiness and reduction to this nose – the first. Mouth-filling and with a good structure – very slightly tannic but no grain to be seen – but the flavours reflect more the nose than the real wine – not showing well today…

2021 Collin-Bourisset, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Instint Primeur
Here is aromatic volume and a saline style to the nose – but it’s out of the norm and missing its fruit so far. Better in the mouth; wide and becoming mouth-filling with good flavour and definition – I like this wine here but it needs the nose to open.

2021 Jean-Mark Lafont, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘Ephémère
Medium colour. That’s an attractive nose – some fruity, slightly structural depth and the impression of growing, higher tones. Mouth-filling – fine texture – almost with a tannic frame – so micro-grained – but ripe tannin. Lip-smacking finishing flavour – nearly excellent.

2021 Famille Chasselay, Beaujolais Nouveau ‘La Marduette’
A little more than medium colour – very red in shade. A vibrant and proudly low sulfur nose. Easy and quite mineral over the palate – I like the texture too. Bright, freshly red fruited and, like the nose, proudly low sulfur wine – Excellent in its style.

Beaujolais Villages Nouveau

2021 P Ferraud et Fils, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Plenty of colour. The cliché nose of cherry bubble-gum – but attractive. Hmm, now were’ talking – it’s the register of the intensity that’s different here versus the ‘simple’ Beaujolais – you can sense the extra depth of flavour and whilst there are some finishing bitters there’s a super texture to this wine without overt tannin. That’s excellent!

2021 Dominique Piron, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
A hint less colour than the last. This has an easy width of aroma, suggesting some lower sulfur style. Wide, great energy, the acidity well-covered. A balanced wine with some vibrant finishing energy too – a great finish. That’s very good!

2021 Gilles Gelin Domaine des Nugues, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Sans Soufre
A little more colour, once more. A mix of delicate and profound fruit aroma – that’s very nice! Concentrated, vibrant energy – intensity too – plenty of bitters for this wine. It’s for keeping, even showing some finishing tannin – another very good wine.

2021 Henry Fessy, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. A darker colour to this fruit and with a good width to the aroma – I like the clarity here. Silky texture but very direct and intense – another wine that will benefit from some patience as it needs to relax a little.

2021 Vignobles Jambon, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Pure
An extra depth to the colour here. Not fully open but here’s a textured depth of darker fruit. Mouth-filling, concentrated, darker-fruited wine. A moody, sullen style to this which means that it needs to open out more – and I’m sure that it will – certainly excellent wine.

2021 Jean Loron, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘In Jules we Trust
Deeper colour again. A fresher nicely intricate nose – lacking no depth. Cool fruit, great energy – super clarity of flavour – so juicy – probably the best wine, potentially (it’s not ready), so far. Bravo.

2021 Pierre Dupond, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Seconde Nature
Medium-plus colour. Nicely pure and mobile dark fruit aromas. Really some mouth-watering energy, better said, juiciness. Layers of mouth-watering finishing flavour. Another excellent, baby, wine.

2021 Christophe Paris, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Not much more than medium colour. Higher toned aromas – almost tending to floral in the mix with darker fruit. Wide and mouth-wateringly fresh – some bubble-gum accents to this red cherry-style fruit and like most of these, rather silky.

2021 Jean-Yves Sonnery, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Cuvée Elégance
Medium colour. A tighter nose – there’s some impression of clarity but not much volume of aroma. Easy over the palate, slowly melting its flavour over the tongue. There’s good intensity here but not to the level of many of the previous ‘villages.’

2021 Coteaux des Oliviers, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Cellier St.Jean
Medium-plus colour. Some aromatic vibrancy yet this is still a smaller nose than many – touched with a little bubble-gum. Wide, intense, quite silky – though a small dryness of tannin slowly makes itself known – but without any grain. The finish is quite chewy and interesting, emphasizing a little of the finishing minerality of the wine.

2021 Château de l’Eclair, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
More coloured. A deeper nose but soft and round with attractively sweet darker fruit. Really mouth-filling, filled with cool, dark fruit and a little floral mouth-perfume. Clean and fresh finishing. This is excellent – with the potential for a bit more!

2021 Yannick de Vermont, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Another of deeper colour. A higher-toned nose of some open width – not the most attractive though. More density here – really a wine that has material but needs to open out more – the flavour is very slowly melting across the palate – I think there’s the potential for excellent here but not today!

2021 Després, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. Another nose that offers decent volume but is not really open enough to explore the detail. Vibrant. Really lots of intensity to this flavour – particularly good as it opens out near the finish – which is very persistent. I think very good and another that’s potentially excellent wine.

2021 Manoir de Carra Sambardier, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau Vieilles-Vignes
Deeper coloured. Not so open in the higher tones but here’s a fine width of darker fruit at the base of the nose. Supple, concentrated, large-scaled wine. Texturally there’s a faint velour here with an off-dry accent to the grainless tannin. The finish is more drying but this is a wine for keeping – a great nouveau – bravo!

2021 Terroirs Originels, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Ubuntu
Also plenty of colour. A slightly different aroma here with some middle notes of sweetness to offset the deeper width of darker fruit. Again a width of silky and quite intense flavour – there’s a slightly herbal component to this wine too – but not enough to put me off. This is very good!

2021 Château de Chatelard, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Vintage
Medium-plus colour. Open, with some attractive yet obvious bubble-gum style aromas. Round, silky, mouth-filling without too much intensity or bitters – this is really a finely balanced wine – and not one that you have to wait too long to drink. Long finishing too. Certainly excellent.

2021 Remy Passot & Fils, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium colour. A rather compact nose but with some higher tones attempting to escape. Good shape in the mouth and nicely textured too – a savoury, lower sulfur, profile to this flavour, the last flavours being quite okay.

2021 Domaine Fagolet, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Pur Jus de Granit
A little extra colour. This nose is much more open and perfumed after the last. This width of flavour is vibrant and intense , darker cherry fruit is present. The finish is wide, mouth-watering but quite structured and young – give this 6 months to come around – it is already very good – it could be excellent.

2021 Domaine des Combiers, Laurent Savoye, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. A narrower nose but with interesting notes both high and low – a vertical nose. Cool fruit – then an intense width to the flavour followed by the faintest dryness of tannin – without grain. Very good…

2021 Domaine du Clos du Fief, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium colour. Plenty of high tones here but a wine that seems more structural than friendly today. Like many; intense, wide flavours are the starting-point. The flavour a little savoury, slowly fading at the end.

2021 Maison Jambon, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. Not the most inviting high tones but there’s plenty of aromatic width here. Round, balanced, even a little fat to the texture. Slowly melting over the palate with darker, saline-accented fruit and perhaps a little pepper too. Very good.

2021 Cave du Château des Loges, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Les Trois Madones, Sans Souffre
Deeper colour. A deeper nose too but with some quite attractive fruit in this mix. Round indeed really mouth-filling. Freshness energy and concentration with a subtle finishing tannic dryness – but no grain. The finish is beautifully mouth-watering. I think that this is excellent…

2021 Jean-Marc Lafont, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Cuvée Première
Medium colour. A deep nose – some savoury aspects – it’s not the most inviting – and that’s before a subtle pyrazine shows itself. Cool, plenty of width on the palate – melting, mouth-watering cool fruit. This is very good in the flavour department.

2021 Domaine Gaget, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Vinum Memoria
Medium-plus colour. Quite a high-toned wine, almost too much, but it’s certainly perfumed. Here is a more measured and tasty dose of flavour. Layered and long – despite the nose that I’m unsure of, that’s still a very good wine…

2021 P Agamy, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Pavillon de la Palud
Medium-plus colour. A nose with dark fruit and bubble-gum complexity – a fine invitation. Hmm, that’s a nicely melting weight of fruit with modest but mouth-watering energy. That’s fine and tasty – super.

2021 Manoir de Carra Sambardier, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Dame Nature
Medium-plus colour again. Plenty of aromatic volume but the approachable aspect remains, mainly deep and dark fruit. Big in the mouth – lots of energy and an impressive complexity – this is really super – an excellent wine – practically bravo!

2021 Nicolas Boudeau, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. Another width of fresh, darker fruit, only a suggestion of the bubble-gum in this one. Full and intense, some bitters and a little savouriness. Finishing with an ultra-fine grain of tannin and some dryness.

2021 Domaine de Rochemure, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. That’s got a nicely fresh aromatic complexity – very attractive. Big in the mouth – some bitters and plenty of intensity – there’s a lot here but it’s for keeping – wait at least 6 months – but it should be super.

2021 Domaine Longère, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Only medium colour. Fresh, red fruit, not the most open nose. A reductive, savoury favour profile – in this context not the tastiest though I dare say that in isolation you might not notice.

2021 Domaine Joncy, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. A modest impact of aroma but it seems clean and quite attractive. Big in the mouth – sour-fruit in style – but impressively finishing with plenty of cherry and a low sulfur / open too long with ‘savouriness.’ Not a tasty finish.

2021 Domaine Bertrand, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Again, only, indeed hardly, medium colour. A little rubber-style reduction on the narrow and compact nose. Ouch – another really sour-style fruit and some herbal components in the flavours – really not my style of wine this late in the afternoon…

2021 Gilles Gelin Domaine des Nugues, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. A slightly reductive nose with some meatiness(?) Big mobile flavours in the mouth – concentrated with waves of flavour that don’t reflect any issues on the nose. That’s a really great finish – overall a curate’s egg today but it could be excellent.

2021 Domaine de la Madone, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Pérréoneissime
Some extra colour here. Another narrow nose but it’s quite pure and interesting. In the mouth this is rather good – wide, layered, concentrated and never too angular. A baby wine for keeping – but I think excellent!

2021 Domaine Milleranche, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. A good width of clean, fresh, higher-toned aromas here – that’s a good invitation. Mouth-filling – like all of these – more direct than the last two with redder fruit. Faintly drying in the finish but you should wait a few months and it will probably no longer be visible.

2021 Domaine de la Tourterelle, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
A little deeper colour. Lots of freshness and a nice width of aromatics here. A bit more structural and savoury flavoured in profile. Nicely berry finishing but for keeping. Very good.

2021 Domaine de Colette, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Just a little more than medium coloured. Wide with red fruit aromas. An airy but mouth-filling style, lots of quite attractive finishing notes come in the mouth-watering style. That’s very good!

2021 Château de Chatelard, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau Vieilles-Vignes
Medium-plus coloured. Wide, high-toned, accented with some pyrazine. Another mouth-filling width with a slowly growing volume – not too intense but certainly concentrated. Very good but you can find a little pyrazine in most parts of this wine…

2021 Domaine Laforest, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. A little narrower nose with darker fruit freshness. Mouth-filling volume. Punchy flavours that are young and need your patience – modestly structural finishing but also nicely mouth-watering at the end.

2021 Jacques Depagneux, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Château de Lacarelle
Some extra colour here. Darker fruit – almost a blackcurrant style to this one. Cooler fruit styled – wide and energetic – a wine that grows in intensity before slowly fading into the finish – that’s actually one of the tastiest finishing flavours – very nice – a lovely wine.

2021 Domaine Béroujon, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Deeper colour again. Once more with a darker-fruit freshness for an aroma – very inviting. Cool fruit, despite the width of this flavour it’s a wine that’s more direct than the previous two. Fine finishing – really very tasty here – lovely.

2021 Domaine Burnichon, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
A little more than medium-plus colour. An airy width of aroma – but tighter below. Very mouth-watering wine – indeed juicy – lots of flavour complexity here, faintly dry finishing – but only faintly and you should wait a little while before opening up – but excellent!

2021 Besson Père et Fils, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Tu m’fais tourner la tête
Medium colour. Narrow at the top but there’s lots of depth to this red-fruited nose. Really a super texture – quite an airy style to the wine on the palate too – yet certainly not a wine that lacks any intensity – in fact it’s another that’s sneakily delicious in the finish!

2021 Les Jeunes Pousses, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Préambule
White wax atop this bottle. This wine is a very cloudy rosé colour – I check – yes I’m vaccinated so it’s probably safe to taste! Quite a direct and volatile nose – it’s fun and it is what it is. Vibrant, slightly petillant, red-fruited – almost fleshy-orange accented. Easy finishing. Blind, there’s nothing to dislike here – out of the ordinary, for sure – but such fun and who wants ‘ordinary’ anyway?!

2021 Dupré-Goujon, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Medium-plus colour. Quite a stinky nose this one – a little reductive. Mouth-filling and concentrated – the reductive element is all the way through the flavour – I’d much rather take the cloudy rosé ahead of this one!

*2021 Château de Lavernette, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau ‘Le Jeune
Only medium coloured – but bright! This also smells reductive – so I throw it away – perhaps it’s been contaminated by the last! The second pour is not reductive – hooray – now I know that I’ve cleaned my glass! Bright, fresh red-nosed. Silky, wide, full of flavour, nicely energetic too. Nicely vibrant and persistent in the finish – excellent!

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