Thursday the 21st November 2024 will be Beaujolais Nouveaux day – so how about a few stats to get us going?
The area under vine continues to decrease in Beaujolais – in 2023 it was just 12,067 hectares – compared to 13,500 hectares in 2022. 15.5 million bottles of Nouveaux were produced in 2023 versus 16.5 million in 2022 – but this year, the smaller area under vines is not the underlying theme.
For 2024, the volume is considerably less and we can simply point to the weather. Like the rest of greater Burgundy in 2024, and France in general, there was frost in places, not the best flowering, and interminable rain – consequently the development of mildew.
The crus of northern Beaujolais were largely spared the worst of the weather conditions – occasional hail excepted – but most of Nouveau comes from further south – in the Beaujolais and Beaujolais villages areas. It’s a big area so some parts fared better than others but many producers made only a quarter of their normal yields – or even less.
In 2023 France took two-thirds of the bottles but the classic markets of Japan, the US and the UK, together, still bought 3.9 million bottles (versus 4 million bottles in 2022) out of the total of 5.7 million that were exported. Oh, and 4% of that is white or rosé today!
And how is this Nouveaux vintage?
I’ll keep my comments strictly on 2024 Nouveaux:
Historically – and I’ve been making this tasting since the 2017 vintage – I’ve seen much more consistent quality in smaller volume vintages than I have in ‘normal or generous’ vintages. It seems that many domaines like to play with yield elasticity in more generous vintages – so it’s quite easy to find lighter, less interesting wines.
2024 is certainly a smaller volume vintage, so that means the average is quite consistent then(?) Sadly no.
From the 119 wines from 2024 that I tasted, I found great wines (for the label) to be very rare birds indeed, though wines that spanned the range of quality from very good to excellent, fortunately, cropped up from time to time – ie wines where I would be happy to drink at least a glass, or even multiple glasses. It was clear that there was more consistent quality to be found in the Beaujolais Villages than the Beaujolais.
Beaujolais is the first step of quality, with Beaujolais Villages coming from ‘more gifted’ sites. This year, chance played a wicked game with me; the first wine I tasted was super (I wrote ‘benchmark’) but quite a few of those that followed were at a much lower quality level. Tasting life was ‘easier’ with the Beaujolais Villages in that the average quality was higher and also more consistent – but, unfortunately, at the expense of drinkablity.
What do I mean by that?
The Beaujolais Villages wines are more structural and tannic – they are more concentrated too. Most of them will start drinking well in the Springtime of 2025 – but on the 21st November? Beaujolais Nouveaux day? – not so much.
Did I ever say that I struggle with the concept of Beaujolais Villages Nouveaux? At least in terms of drinking them on the third Thursday of November 🙂
Good hunting!
All of the wines were tasted and selected blind. It was only after the tasting that I got a copy of the spreadsheet with the names to match to the numbered bottles:
Great wines for their labels
Clearly fewer than last year:
Mommessin
Domaine des Marrans
Famille Girin
Domaine JP Rivière
Excellent Wines – Beaujolais Nouveau
P. Ferraud et Fils, Rosé
Domaine des Ronze, Cuvée Vieilles Vignes
Club des Sommeliers, GVS
Antoine Viland
Maison Loron, Les Repentis
Vignerons des Pierres Dorées, La Rose Pourpre
Château de l’Eclair
Excellent Wines – Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Domaine Depardon, Cuvée Préstige
Maison Thorin
Julien Aucagne
Jean-Marc Lafont
Agamy, Cuvée Bernard Pivot
Domaine Monts D’argent, Lantigné
Domaine Joncy
Richard Rottiers
Jérôme Lacondemine, Cœur de Raisin
Georges Duboeuf
The savoury/beer flavours and/or aromas – which I associate with low slufur wines that have been open a few hours – or wines in fridge that have been open more than 24 hours – are very common in the flavours this year. I know that some people like beer – but it’s not my thing, plus I’ve never noted as much in previous tastings.
Click on ‘Read More…’ below to see the full notes for the 119 wines in the order that they were (blind) tasted on Thursday 7th November 2024:
2024 Beaujolais Nouveau – a few, random, interesting labels…
All the wines are listed in the order that they were tasted:
Beaujolais & Beaujolais Villages Nouveaux Rosé
There were 8…
Domaine Romy Le Moufflet
Very pale colour but a pretty invitation to drink. Nice shape and mouthfeel – acidulated fruit that’s juicy and moreish in the finish – just a lovely wine.
P. Ferraud et Fils
A small extra depth of colour. A little more bubble-gum but similarly fresh nose. A little more scale in the mouth – silky. Vibrant, slightly mineral and very tasty. This is excellent!
Mommessin, Le Père La Grolle, Les Conscrits
A more direct nose, less bubble-gum, more freshness. Width, silky texture, that’s just a delicious thing – also completely excellent wine…
Jean Loron, Coccinnelle
Narrower but deeper nose – more melon style of fruit. Here’s an assertive style, direct more mneral, less fruit, a little saline too. Long finishing – this is a very satisfying wine !
Agamy, Terroir de Bully
Wider again, this time more floral too. A mineral wine – beautifully shaped. I love it but if you’re looking for fruit in your rosé then there’s a deal less of that here.
Vignerons des Pierres Dorées, Terra Iconia
Pretty and pale. A rounder nose, some ripeness of different fruits. A melon style to this fruit. Finishing with a touch more austerity. Long though…
Pierre-Marie Chermette, Griottes
A redder pink. Depth of aroma with freshness. Broad, a little generosity. Long and quite powerful finish – but not particularly delicious.
Domaine Longère, Beaujolais Villages
Plenty of aromatic energy and some depth too. A wine of concentration, structure and freshness – intense finishing too – but flavours that are saline and a hint austere vs your traditional rosé wish of deliciousness!
2024 Beaujolais Nouveau
Mommessin
Depth and fresh aromatic interest – that’s a fine start. Large in the mouth with lovely bubbling energy. Clean tasty fruit and a layered, almost juicy finish – Benchmark BJN!
Les Souriantes, Maxime Troncy, Sourire de Nouveau
A deeper more stewed fruit aroma. Gas, darker red fruit – also a little stewed in style. I won’t finish a glass…
Domaine des Prévelières
Plenty of colour here. Higher toned, attractive nose. Mouth-filling, a little structure, darker fruit with a small touch of tannic bitters in the finish. A quite good wine.
Domaine d’Auménie , Premières Larmes
Paler colour. Transparent, interesting, slightly graphitic. Nice mouth-filling shape and energy – the flavours good but young with a little tannin in the finish – I’d actually wait 6 months for this…
Domaine des Voutes Dorées
Transparent, fine colour. A complex nose of fruit accented with graphite. Broad over the palate, with slightly austere flavours that I’d also wait a few months for but no faults. Potentially very good.
Maison Thorins, Chez l’Ami Claudius
A deeper, attractive fruit aroma. Fine scale and energy – this is a very tasty wine with lots of boiled sweet complexity – long too. You could keep it too. That’s a very good Nouveau.
Jean-Yves Sonnery, Domaine de Baluce
Another nose of depth and darker fruit – a good invitation. Scale again, this time with a more relaxed shape, framed with a small velour of tannin. A little extra savouriness in the finish – another very good wine.
Vignoble Perras, Domaine des Pampres d’Or
Freshness and depth – a little herb aroma too. Direct, and energetic, a little reductive in the middle and finishing flavours – not particularly delicious today…
Domaine du Petit Pérou
Lots of open freshness – it’s an invitation. In the mouth – large scale and with the energy of the vintage. Dark red berries and quite a juicy finish – I really like the finish but the middle flavours are little austere today… A really good wine that I’d wait for…
Anthony Charvet, Beaujo Beau
Extra depth of colour. Depth of macerating dark fruit too. This is sinuous and mobile, slightly saline but the dark fruit is attractive with a saline, even licorice, complexity. Another young wine but a tasty one…
Julien Mathon, Toutencanon
High and low tones, a more vertical nose. Large in the mouth with plenty of CO2 but with a more relaxed and quite tasty finish – a little savoury. A good one…
Château des Pertonnières
Airy top notes – not the most attractive. Scale, alittle structure, flavours that are a little austere and savoury.
Domaine Gaget, Wanted Gamay
Another fresh fruit but slightly stewed in style. Silky, red fruited and with quite some depth – though not all that tasty…
Domaine des Ronze, Cuvée Vieilles Vignes
Extra depth of colour. Nicely fresh and graphitic depth of aroma. Large in the mouth – quite fluid in style with really lovely texture. Dark fruit not the most delicious today but certainly an excellent and rather sophisticated wine.
Domaine de Champ Fleury, Joyeux Beaujolais
Dark, faintly spiced nose. Wide, nicely textured, darker fruit. Really good finishing dimensions of flavour through a small tannin. Very good!
Domaine de Foretal
Good depth of aroma with a little bubble-gum. Wide again, more mineral and mouthwatering. A little extra velevet tannin in this finish – That’s a very good wine…
Christophe Coquard, 69
Extra colour. Deep, dark fruit, with floral high tones. This has fine shape and a juicy finish – a lovely finish. For the label, that’s super.
Domaine Rivière
A darker fruit nose. Fresh and broad with mouth-watering flavour – the finish more savoury – like beer – not my style…
Jean-Marc Lafont, Ephémère
Extra depth of colour. Here the nose majors on the depth of darker fruit. Good scale and structure – it’s a young wine but also quite a tasty one! Finishing with some tannin – keep it 6 months! Very good!
Club des Sommeliers, GVS
An appealing mix of fruit and bubble-gum freshness. Scale, slightly cushioned texture and easy, delicious darker fruit flavours that hold. In the general context of these 24s an excellent wine!
David Large, Zombie
A narrow nose but of depth. That’s actually quite broad and juicy – intense finishing too – that’s a very good wine which you could also keep.
Domaine Romy, Le Moufflet
Extra depth of flavour. A good freshness over a tighter base of aroma. Lightly petillant, but here is a good depth of juicy falvour. Broad and long finishing – that’s another very good one.
Château de Corcelles
Open and attractive aromas. Likewise in the mouth we’ve open, tasty flavours that slowly fade in the finish – I like this.
Domaine des Marrans
Another open width of fresh aroma. This is lovely in the mouth, fluid, concentrated, and with fine texture. That’s a really great 24!
Famille Girin
Extra depth of colour here. High tones of darker, acidulated fruit. Good texture and plenty of concentration. Hmm – and that’s a beautiful mouth-watering finish too. Another great 24…
Famille Chasselay, La Marduette
Higher toned red berry fruit. Direct, almost fizzy, but with a tasty flavour also red berry. Individual, tasty wine…
Antoine Viland
Deeper fruit aromas. Plenty of scale and intensity too – that’s a lovely wine – very impressive!
Aurélie et Fabien Romany
Broad and fresh aromas. Scale – quite open flavours. Easy red fruit and good finish – very good.
Cave du Château de Chénas
A narrower nose – airy and with some attractive floral perfume. Good shape and scale in the mouth – the finish holding attractively and quite long too. Another VG wine
Georges Duboeuf
Deeper, darker fruit notes. A little gas – plenty of energy because of that. I like the depth of flavour from this wine – a little savoury finishing but very good!
Famille Chasselay
Much paler colour. A red berry nose. Lots of gas again, this a wine of finishing breadth and easy flavour – it’s a good one.
Maison Loron, Les Repentis
Deeply coloured. More salinity in this depth of aroma. Fluid, broad, nicely concentrated and textured too. Here’s a lovely wine – well done.
Domaine Bourbon, L’Anti Dprimeur
Paler wine but with good aromatic energy. Scale and good texture – with a saline accent. The finish is satisfying and I’d definitely drink the whole glass. Very good.
Vignerons des Pierres Dorées, Terra Iconia
Another wine of extra colour. Deep, clean, dark berry fruit. Mouth-filling wine, tasty wine – the structure just a little austere but here is good flavour dimension and I like it!
Paul-André Brossette, Empreinte
Depth of aroma – not so wide. In the mouth good volume and plenty of mouth-watering red fruit – no faults – very good.
Château Cambon, Cambon Nouveau
A lighter colour wine. The nose open, a little airy. Supple, nice texture, a little lite but then a good finishing intensity.
Vignerons des Pierres Dorées, La Rose Pourpre
Another of ‘extra’ colour. A direct nose – of darker fruit – but becoming attractively floral in the glass. Volume, depth of flavour – lovely texture and quite delicious too – yes!
Agamy, Terroirs de Bully
Decent aromatic width of top notes – smaller below. Good scale and a good velvet texture too. The finish slowly fading – That’s a very good wine…
Maison Loron, Vini L’Ourson
Darker aromas – quite a narrow nose today. This works its way over and around the palate well. The finish good but a little savoury. It’s good though…
Thibault Ducroux
A paler wine. Higher tones of redder fruit. Large in scale but flavours that are somewhat austere, even a little bitter finishing…
Château de l’Eclair
Extra breadth and interest in this nose – certainly after the last. Hmm – here is energy and some quite delicious flavour complexity – what’s not to love? Super wine.
Jean-François Pégaz, Plaisirs de Pégase
A deep nose – a little stewed. That’s good in the mouth – texturally and the freshness but the middle and finishing flavours are spiced/savoury – a bit too much for my taste…
Domaine Perrusset
A slightly reductive depth. In the mouth we have mobile flavour and some energy though even this small reduction is not very attractive…
Anthony Pérol, AbracadraBoum
Broad, fresh, inviting aromatics. Large in scale and quite fluid in style. The finish is a very good one – Just a very good wine…
Trenel
Hmm – that’s an inviting nose – nicely pure and slightly floral. Good scale in the mouth – tasty direct fruit with a lovely finish. A lovely Nouveau !!
Jean Loron, Tradition VV
Extra colour. A narrow nose but of fresh purity and floral accents. In the mouth this sits well – almost juicy darker fruit and the finish is very tasty too. A small velvet tannin to finis – Lovely again.
P. Ferraud et Fils, Cuvée d’Autrefois
Another with extra colour. Darker fruit – not large-scale but nice precision. In the mouth – here’s another that sits well on the palate – velvety tannin in support. This finishes well too – super – and that’s now 3 in a row!
Domaine JP Rivière
A Bordeaux bottle.
Modest depth of colour but no mistaking the depth of aroma – red fruit, floral, and with good purity. Depth, beautifully flavoured, slightly creamy – ooh – this is so good! Great Primeur – what a wine!
Anthony Pérol, Le p’tit Nouveau
Airy, more cherry stone aromatic. Darker, starting impression but quite red finishing fruit – slowly lingering. That’s a very tasty wine – Very good.
Maison Piron
A deeper, more inky depth of aroma. There’s a dark fruit in the flavours too – nicely textured and mouth-filling. The finish a bit more saline and structural but this is a very good wine…
Pierre-Marie Chermette, Griottes
Broad, darker fruit aromas – that’s a nice one. Good scale, fluid in style. The dark fruit holding well in the finish. A more linear wine but a super wine.
Château de Pizay
Airy width of darker-red fruit aroma. Here’s another wine that melts well over the palate a wine with proper structure and a faintly drying but not grainy tannin. The finish easing into the distance. Very good!
P. Ferraud et Fils
Extra colour. Darker red fruit high tones – tighter in the bass notes. Scale again, well shaped and structured. The finish long and quite tasty. More than very good!
Domaine de la Revol
Fresh, broad, attractive nose. Good shape again – there’s concentration here too. Structure good structure – and mouth-watering finishing flavour. A young but super wine.
2024 Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Domaine des Maison Neuves
A broad nose, saline and a little savoury. In the mouth the shape, depth of flavour and texture are good. The finish is very good – almost juicy. Very good wine…
Château de Poncié, Vinifié en amphore
Lighter colour. Also a nose of freshness and salinity. Lots of gas the red fruit is pretty though – indeed perfumed. Very good in parts!
Mickaël Nesme
A breadth of aroma – fresh and a little bubble-gum. Dark fruit flavour – with a frame of grained tannin. A young wine but the finishing flavours are lovely – I’d keep it a few months – very good…
Domaine des Nugues, Sans Soufre
Darker colour. Deep and fresh – that’s quite inviting. Nice in the mouth – precise – depth of flavour and a little structural tannin. Only in the finish is the flavour profile less to my taste – more savoury/beer in style…
Domaine Depardon, Cuvée Préstige
Lots of colour. Deep, faintly spiced dark fruit. This is lovely in the mouth – sleek but concentrated – the texture framed with an almost grainless tannin – velvety. Young but excellent wine!
Domaine des Crais, Réclame le rouge/ Leynes
Lighter colour. Pretty red fruit here. Lots of gas but also perfumed flavour too – half great – half beery/savoury in the finish – 80% a great wine…
André Colonge et Fils, Gastby Gamay
A dark width of aroma – inviting aroma. Scale and fine texture – this juicy wine finishing really well too – young, lovely wine…
Maison Thorin
Deep colour. Peppery freshness and dark fruit aromas. Fine scale again, and another juicy – redder fruit this time – flavour. This finish is very good – broad – a little tannic and tasty. Yes.
Christophe Coquard, Clochemerle
Dark colour. Broad, high-toned, here a little saline – then some bubble-gum. Relaxed but still with good energy on the palate – this is another fine purchase.
Julien Aucagne
Deep and rather attractive aromas here. Scale and energy – this is a lovely introduction. Love this long mouth-watering finish too…
Jean-Marc Lafont
Sommelier bottle and dark colour. The nose is not overdone though – there’s freshness and a precision of dark fruit. Broad – very well textured and clearly concentrated too. Broad and impressive finishing – top!
Domaine des Nugues
Fresh, more airy aromas. Broad, framed with a grainless tannin – and then with lovely dark fruit across the palate – hinting at a little beery-savouriness – so not the best here but very good.
Maison Piron
Fresh, broad higher tones with a little pepper. Silky, becoming more velvet. Finishing very well indeed – lovely wine…
Domaine le Fagolet
Airy and fresh – a little redder fruit here. Supple – quite broad, textural wine. There’s a slowly fading style to these cushioned flavours. It’s a very good one…
Vignobles Jambon
Another nicely high-toned invitation to take a sip. Dark fruit – almost a little stewed on the palate. Long with darker flavour. Very good.
Château de Varennes
A more cushioned dark-red fruit aroma. This fills the mouth very well with juicy dark-red fruit flavour. Tasty finishing through a modest tannin. Very good.
Nicolas Boudeau, Vernay
Broad and red aromas. Large in the mouth and with a juicy, tasty, character. A subtle hint of savouriness in this finish but a very good wine.
Domaine de la Milleranche
Lots of colour. Airy freshness. Brighter red berry fruit. Again there’s that savoury character in the finish of this – not my favourite for sure – otherwise this a very good wine.
Agamy, Cuvée Bernard Pivot
Good scale and energy – a little bubble-gum aromatics. A stronger structure here – not quite austere – but the fruit is delicious and pure – an excellent wine that you can keep !!
Famille Descombe, Granite
Paler in colour. The nose has some energy but also a slightly reductive, rubbery, impression to the red fruit. There are plenty of finishing bitters here – it will improve with age but I’m still not sure I’ll be describing it as delicious.
Maison Passot Rémy & Fils
A fairly tight nose – a rarity! – slowly showing some red berry fruit. A strong, graphitic start to the flavour but this a wine that relaxes over the palate is is actually very nicely tasty in the finish. Keep it 6 months – I think it more than very good!
Domaine Chevalier Métrat
A depth of more inky dark fruit – nice! Large in scale – juicy again. Growing in intensity and then finishing well – it could be the brother of the last – this just a little more accessible today. Tasty wine!
Domaine Longère
Narrow and deep – a small reduction in play here. Fresh – plenty of acid-red fruit – really vibrant finishing too. For keeping again – maybe 6+ months. Very good!
Domaine Cyril Ansaldi, Les Loyses
Here’s a nice depth of aroma – dark fruit with a small cushion. Scale, some fluidity – I really like the flavour energy – the wine flirts with some savouriness in the finish – but it’s not overt. This is otherwise an excellent wine.
Domaine Monts D’argent, Lantigné
Breadth and depth – that’s a very inviting nose. Juicy width of fruit here – a little acid-led this fruit and saline finishing energy – that’s excellent!
Marie Bereziat, Domaine de Saint-Ennemond
Here’s a heavy bottle!
Some perfumed top notes here. Large in the mouth – some density to this wine, finishing with plenty of bitters too. But the last flavours are clean and dark fruited – I’d be tempted to wait at least a year for this one…
Domaine Romuald Petit
A more approachable, sweet red fruit with a little perfume. Mouth-filling with a little accent of bubble-gum. Broad over the palate and slowly fading on a more mineral note. Not quite delicious yet but this seems to have all the (other!) attributes – just give it 6-12 months time in the cellar…
Pierre André Dumas
Bright darker-red berry fruit nose. Juicy wine again – a very open, mouth-filling style. Plenty of finishing salinity but also fresh flavour energy too – I lie but it’s not ready yet!
Guillaume Joncy, Fanchon vieilles vignes
A narrower beam of aroma but of darker, precise fruit. Panoramic in the mouth – really long but with the savoury finish…
Domaine du Clos du Fief
A pretty and precise width of higher notes here. Good scale and flavour that melts over the palate – slightly mineral and with plenty of dimensions to the flavour. Vibrant finishing too – that’s super…
Domaine Joncy
Another nicely vibrant dark-red fruit nose – a good invitation. Great texture and some fluidity of style too. Bright, intense, clean finishing – to wait a small time for but that’s excellent.
Richard Rottiers
A crystalline depth of fine fruit – yes! Fluid, hardly any tannin – juicy, and really growing in intensity before slowly fading. Creamy finishing – some oak? But that’s an excellent wine.
Trenel
A fine width of energtic, quite complex aromas of dark fruit. Scale in the mouth again – a wine to have patience with – framed with a modestly drying but essentially grainless tannin. I love the flavour in the finish but currently it’s fighting with tannin – wait another 6-12 months…
Domaine des Combiers
Deep colour – the nose more of finesse than the colour had suggested. Good scale again – plenty of tannin but less drying and even smoother. Finishing really well. Keep it again!
Domaine du Penlois, Tu m’fais tourner la tête
Higher tones but still with depth. IN the mouth more red fruit and plenty of (not jarring) acidity. Slowly fading after a good intensity in the finish. Very good!
Domaine Pertuizet, Gégé
Tighter in the top notes but with good breadth in the bass notes. Mouth-filling, a little extra depth to these flavours vs previous bottles – without extra negatives. Some graphite complexity in this very good finish. I really like it!
Domaine de Croifolie
That’s a tempting nose of fresh dark fruit – lovely clarity. Large in the mouth – really wide. I love the intensity of this finish – unfortunately with some of the savouriness – still, a very good wine.
Domaine de Colette
Fresh, dark fruit and bubble-gum. Fine scale again – some dryness of tannin but there’s no grain. The finish is clean and has some lasting power – very tasty wine!
Cave du Château de Chénas
Also a nose of fresh width coupled to good depth. Mouth-filling, juicy dark fruit flavours. Intense again – and keeping the finishing flavours clean too – Super!
Domaine du Penlois, A l’ancienne
Lighter colour goes in tandem with more airy, acid-red fruit. This is actually rather silky, the flavours with a tiny cushion and finishing well – very good!
Bernard Jomain, A Cœur joie!
A less ripe width of herby red fruit. Good scale in the mouth though – and not obviously lacking ripeness or sucrosity – in fact that’s a pretty good finish despite some herbs here too.
Emmanuel Fellot, Vieilles Vignes
Lighter colour. This narrower nose actually just more vertical in style. Excellent width, and quite silky too – the finish is satisfying with a small grain of accompanying tannin. That’s more than a very good wine!
Jérôme Lacondemine, Cœur de Raisin
Much deeper colour. A slightly inky depth to this darker fruit. Mouth-filling, energetic, framed with ripe, small-grained tannin. I really like the depth of flavour and the flavour energy in this finish – it’s excellent!
Famille Gauthier, Parcelle Les Bois
A redder fruit not the widest but with good clarity. Nicely textured – almost no grain of tannin. The finish is long and satisfying – super…
Famille Mélinon
A small cushion to this freshly dark-fruited nose. Mouth-filling and another that’s quite silky in texture. Here with an extra depth and flavour energy in the finish – almost some savouriness in the finish – so drink it faster!!
Domaine Despés
Airy, fresh width of darker fruit. Large in scale – plenty of tannin framing this wine. Really extra scale here – but extra young too. Keep it a year before drinking!
Château Gaillard
Not a large nose but actually a nicely perfumed nose! Bubbly energy to this more red fruit – finishing structurally but with no faults – it just needs 6 months+ of patience.
Château de Corcelles
Hmm – that’s not bad – I recognise the strange shape of the bottle too! In the mouth here is good depth of pretty flavour and a very well made texture – this is a well-crafted wine. Tasty!
Domaine Foretal
Forward, fresh red fruit. Broad, the flavours framed with plenty of velvet tannin – a little drying today. Fine and intense finishing though – this could be excellent if you have some patience!
Yannick De Vermont, Château de Vaux, Sans Sulfites Ajoutées
Much deeper colour. Some perfume over a tighter base – and some graphite too. Lots of scale that’s pretty good.
Julien Bertrand
Ooh – a lighter colour and a more accisible, quite airy nose – but that allows you to see the pretty complexity. Wide, fine texture, red bubble-gum fruit. And very, very tasty – almost too easy in this company / context!
Domaine Béroujon
Plenty more colour. A deepr nose, this inflect with some nice florals. Large in scale – and very, very tasty – that’s a lovely wine!!
Domaine Burnichon
Deeply coloured. A little graphite and floral in this aroma. Concentrated and framed with a fine grain of tannin – but not too drying. Wide and satisfying in the finish – that’s quite a complete wine – but better in 6+ months…
Georges Duboeuf
Deep colour again. Tighter top notes but plenty of aromatic depth. Large in the mouth – the structure more obvious – the tannin for sure – yet there’s hardly any grain. For keep without a doubt – but a finish of concentrated dark fruit – it will be excellent…
Domaine Victor Sornin
A nose that’s more overtly red – and forward. Supple, actually much nicer in the mouth than the first aromas suggest. Wide, fine finishing and just a little more accessible than the previous wine. Super
Château de Lavernette, Le Jeune
Red wax-topped – but rather a light colour. A nose of width but at least to start with, not much energy. Supple and quite silky. The finish has good dimensions of flavour more than very good – but not quite excellent…
Domaine Chardigny
A vibrant nose – and of depth that suggests a little reduction. Large in the mouth – some bitters already showing in the first flavours, but with a cushion to the red-fruited favours – a hint reductive in the finish too – Certainly very good – but like this not ‘special.’