2018 Beaujolais Nouveau

Update 12.11.2020(13.11.2018)billn


 Image: Courtesy ‘InterBeaujolais’

2018, in general, was the continuation of 2017; an early harvest. The Beaujolais grapes had super maturity, and no blockage to their maturity was reported despite 4 very dry months before the harvest. ‘Fermentations went really very fast in most places. A richness of sugar was apparent – unsurprising giving indications of 14° – yet still with a fresh side,‘ was the basic description given to me by a local vigneron

That’s the basic version of-course, but as we will see, here at the lowest level of the Beaujolais hierarchy, in practice not all is sweetness and light.

Last year was the first time that I had sat down to evaluate ‘Nouveau‘ and I was, frankly, amazed at the quality of the wines that were set before me – even more-so the new (to me) appellation of Beaujolais Villages Nouveau. This year 122 samples were arranged for me to blind taste vs 142 last year – Is that the volume at harvest or is the market for these bottles sufficiently strong that journalistic samples are less necessary? – Hard to say, I don’t think the market is growing – even with great vintages like 2017 and (supposedly) 2018 in succession. In 2017, “A roughly similar number of bottles of Nouveau were sold – 24 million*” – I noted 25.2 million last year – with half of that quantity exported from France – you can see the main countries in the graphic (courtesy Interbeaujolais) below:


2017 sales volumes in hectolitres (Hl) – from *InterBeaujolias

From the 122 wines I chose 20 exceptional wines:
 

The best Beaujolais Nouveau:

From 65 wines tasted I found many that were excellent, and some not that good, the quality was certainly more variable than was the case for the 2017s, some quite astringent and herbal wines were presented that lacked full maturity. But here are 8 that I unreservedly recommend:

Château de L’éclair
Tighter but deep, saline. Hmm, beautiful texture, direct, melting, intense flavour – ooh this is great! Super finishing – Bravo.
Collin Bourisset, Non Filtré
Boof – deep colour. Complex, plenty of freshness too. Concentration but always fresh, more structure, more tannin – depth of flavour – a BJN to wait for but it’s excellent! Bravo!
Domaine de la Revol Debourg CB et T
Red wax topped. A herby-saline, fruit mix – actually very inviting. Fresh – a shape and structure like a red Chablis! Lots of energy and tiny points of complexity – I find this excellent and the finish is even better! Non-standard but for me, fabulous. Bravo.
Domaine Forétal
Tight below but fine fresh interest to the higher aromas. Volume, good texture more energy and with flavour-complexity attached – this is mobile, and super over the tongue – excellent – the finish complex and involving – bravo!
Collin Bourisset, Nature
Hmm – freshness and very fine aromatic complexity – a lovely invitation. A hint of gas. Depth and concentration plus drive to this well-textured, impressive wine. A super finish – Bravo!
Ferraud et Fils
Hmm, another very fine nose with both width and depth of admirably fine dark fruit. A touch of gas again. Lots of energy and mouth-filling volume. Complexity of good flavour too. Super, mouth-watering finishing flavour – bravo!
Berthier Pascal, Vieilles-Vignes
Fine, beautiful, dark fruit and flowers. Silky entry, , concentrated wine, you leave this in the cellar for some time. Delicious and bravo.
O.Coquard, Nature
Deep colour. Pretty, fresh, dark-fruit notes – very attractive. Supple, depth of concentration. A modest depth of non-astringent tannin – serious wine with a purity of mid and finishing flavour. Will last for years – bravo!

The best Beaujolais Villages Nouveau:

From 57 wines I found 12 that I could unreservedly recommend, but there are many more excellent wines in this much higher quality and significantly less variable selection (see later):

Trenel, Bio
Hmm, a depth of complex, cushioned, ripe-fruited deliciousness of aroma – yes! Round, supple, concentrated yet at the same time still transparent, wide and beautifully packaged . Bravo directly – not many of the last 65 could match this!
Lardy Lucien, Vignes de 1951
Hmm, a slightly muffled nose – big but – a slightly reduced, aeration brings more semblance and better definition to the aroma – it’s becoming ever-more attractive. Supple but fresh and concentrated. Lots of fresh complexity here with an admirable purity of fruit – this will be fabulous – it’s actually almost fabulous already today – bravo!
Domaine des Combiers Savoye Laurent
Fresh, wide, a little saline, slowly augmenting with florals. A wide, faintly astringent edge to the flavours but with such great depth and complexity of fruit flavour – ooh this is so good here in the middle. Long, layered – really great – bravo!
Domaine Nesme Mickael
Lots of colour. The nose is narrow and inky yet with a really attractive delivery. Supple, beautiful combination of texture plus depth of flavour. Ooh this is such a delicious wine with a great finish – bravo!
De Vermont Yannick
Deep colour. Hmm – I’ve been waiting a few wines, but here we are back to a very attractive nose with volume of pure, dark, fruit and plenty of saline and floral accents – lovely. Hmm – sleek, impressive, a little licorice. Bravo – will replay patience too.
Domaine du Clos du Ffief Tête Michel et Sylvain, Vieilles-Vignes
Red wax, sommelier bottle.
A pretty nose – wide, airy, fine fruit, though much more modest depth. Lots of very fine tannin, only a suggestion of astringency – really a depth of flavour – so much concentration. Rounder low sulfur style of fruit but simply a super wine – bravo!
Château de Vaux De Vermont Yannick
Very dark coloured. A nose that’s fresh, seemingly pure but also rather tight. Even more mouth-filling volume, some astringency, but layers of relaxed, pure, dark-fruited flavour. Bravo!
Manoir du Carra Sambardier, Dame Nature
Deep colour. Fresh and wide, slightly saline nose – inky but rather tight above and below the width. Hmm – this is fresh, beautifully textured wave – almost a wall of flavour. Almost supple, vibrant, full of complexity – ooh this will be great – bravo!
Château de L’éclair, L 18403
Hmm a weight of width to the fruit on the nose. Supple, weighty, growing intensity with lots of concentration – this is excellent. Long, with waves of fine finishing fruit – bravo!
Domaine de Rochemure Vermorel Philippe
Dark colour – very dark! A little fresh black licorice, some freshness and pepper, and an implication of silky black fruit below – but only an implication. Fresh but mouth-filling volume, very fine tannin, lots of modest energy, complex, fine flavour. Small waves of flavour that leach from the palate in the finish. A wine that just keeps getting better in the glass – for that I have to say – Bravo!
Trenel
A fresh, narrow, deep but pure nose – I really like the clarity with which the fruit is delivered. Good volume, melting, a touch of cushioning to the flavour. Little waves of bright finishing fruit flavour too – sweet gooseberry – which you sometimes find in Musigny! Bravo!
Jambon Guénael, Cuvée Nature
Sommelier bottle – grey-wax topped – you don’t see many of those.
Fresh, wide, a little pepper over a depth of sweet, dark fruit. More direct than many, very fine texture, melting freshness without too much strident intensity. I think very composed is the best description. Long, very tasty finishing. I would keep this – it’s great- bravo!

Click below to see notes for the remaining 102 wines:

The remaining wines from 65x Beaujolais Nouveau:

Vignerons des Pierres Dorées, Terra Iconia
Ooh deep, round, full, banana? Full, round, cliché banana style but depth, great shape and fresh concentration – impressive if you like the style.

Domaine Paire
A little less colour. Fresher, more airy, herbed. Wide, easy, some depth of flavour, less pure – less interesting, perhaps a suggestion of reduction or nature.

Duboeuf Georges, N°2
Deeper colour, a deeper nose too – inviting, partly floral aroma. Fresh, super concentration, not too much tannin, melting some banana (again), good faintly saline finish. Good stuff.

Domaine Chermette Pierre Marie, Griottes
Narrower but there’s an interesting fresh depth to this nose. Round, depth of flavour, a little tight, but the finish also has depth and interest – concentration too – faintly reductive but long. Will be better in 3 months…

Dupperay Jean Baptiste, Vieilles-Vignes
Hmm narrow again but with fine depth, a little graphite on the nose, below is some good fruit. A hint of astringency, lots of volume and energy – a fine clarity of fruit. A good finish again – the best part for most of these wines.

Fessy Henry, Surnaturel
Hmm, a little natural impression to the nose, becoming purer and purer in the glass. Way too much gas to enjoy – but interestingly long flavor.

Loron Jean, Domaine des Vieux Marronniers
Also very deep colour. A hint of salt, depth, faintly spiced. Volume, complexity – lots of interest here, long, melting, super flavour – an excellent wine.

Loron Jean, Tradition Vieilles Vignes
Very deep colour. A floral, airy, interesting nose. Silky, depth of flavour – a little compact in the middle but this has fine potential – excellent again.

Mortet Jean-Pierre
Quite deep colour. A hint of reduction on the otherwise fresh nose. Reduction on the palate too – modest – less energetic and fresh but with concentration. Good.

Loron Jean, Domaine du Passe Loup
Boof – deep colour again. Faintly spiced airy freshness. Concentrated, lots of freshness, with layered, waves of flavour. A little tannin. Super finish. Excellent.

Martin Pierre, Vieilles-Vignes du Père Martin
Medium colour in this company. Airy, light but pretty red fruit nose. Deep, herby, melting freshness of flavour. A hint reductive in the finish too.

Domaine des Générations Collonge Fabien, Vieilles-Vignes
A more subdued but a round and well fruited nose. Direct, but always growing in width. Nice finishing here.

Dupré Jean Michel, 1929
Hmm, that’s completely lovely and floral fruit – yes. Depth of flavour, great texture – not a big wine, but a lovely wine – very Fleurie style…

Fellot Emmanuel, Vieilles-Vignes
Hmm, fresh, pure fruit, blood too – a great nose. Fresh, faintly astringent, some bitters – quite serious. Less directly sweet than most but a fine width of finishing complexity. Requires a little patience.

Collin Bourisset Henri Louis
Inky depth but nicely airy above. Concentrated, penetrating flavours. Intense, but still of modest of energy. Needs to open more but the finish is super…

Dupond Pierre, Non Filtré
Deep, dark, saline nose. Direct, frank, faintly astringent, growing in volume – BJN du garde! Lots of material and very well made – but be patient.

Domaine Romy, Le Moufflet
Very deep colour. Inky nose. Good volume, a little depth of not astringent tannin. Layers of good flavour. This will be excellent – but again, give it a few months.

Fessy Henry
Pretty and open nose. Volume, freshness, good energy. Slowly melting delivery of flavour. Fine – not distinguished in any particular direction, but nice enough.

Descombe Florent
A deep nose but of inviting complexity – yes! A little spritz on the tongue. Plenty of energy, good flavour too – the nose is, by far, the best part. Good.

Large David, Massai
A heavy bottle. Concentrated high-toned aromas – not super inviting. Concentrated in the mouth too, very good texture – indeed very concentrated. I’m not a great fan of the flavour profile but a lot of effort went into this!

Loron Jean, Tradition Non Filtré
Very deep colour. Hmm – energy and fresh interest on this attractive nose Volume in the mouth, surrounded with a faint astringence, but the flavour has delicious depth. Excellent wine! Super persistent!

Domaine Falche Sornay
Hmm – attractive, mobile, complex nose – yes! Fresh, direct, less fruited than the nose suggests, a direct, melting flavour that I would give a little patience – the nose is great the palate currently more modest, finishing less ripe – herby.

Domaine des Nugues Gelin Gilles, Sans Soufre
An intriguing nose – white mushroom is my most overt reaction, maybe some pepper too. Depth of flavour, nicely packaged and layered. This tastes nicer vs the nose and has a lovely texture.

Deschamps Philippe
Hmm, fresh, exciting, floral – this nose has flashes of greatness. Fresh, volume, good texture, the flavour is slightly anonymous vs the expectation from the nose, but keeps improving as you go through the middle into the finish – overall, excellent though.

Earl Dupperay, Les Dupperay
Not full force but a nose with a subtle complexity. Good texture, nice depth od flavour. Very good – nothing to criticize – indeed a fine finish here.

Manoir du Carra Sambardier, Vin du Mois
An airy, spicy, nose. Direct and fresh, flavour growing from the core. A little drag of tannin over the tongue – hardly astringent, modest but long flavours. Good wine.

Domaine Chermette Pierre Marie, Origine Vieilles Vignes Non Filtré
Almost a meaty spice to this nose. Hmm, lovely over the palate – wide, layered, growing in fresh complexity – this is super.

Domaine de Champ Fleury
A more modest nose – faintly saline. Fresh, plenty of volume, fresh-flavoured, growing in intensity, good texture. Mineral, finishing quite long – but a modest wine.

Duboeuf Georges, N°1
A deep nose, tighter above. Wide and with a growing intensity, slightly cliché-banana fruit but friendly and with fine energy – particularly the finish – yum!

Château de Buffavent Chilliet
Deep, quite vibrant but also a suggestion of over-ripe fruit. Gas. Volume but probably extra because of the gas, actually good flavour with a modest accent of astringency. Rather bready flavours in the finish.

Domaine Paire, Anima Vinum
Again a little vibrance of ripe, almost volatile aroma. Depth of concentrated flavour, non-standard, a little natural – but fine texture and depth. Long. Good.

Thévenet et Fils
Fresh, open, quite deep nose, herby. Gas. Good energy, plenty of structure but not too much tannin. A wine not yet in place – wait for it to come together – assuming it does…

Château de L’éclair
Hmm, a lovely and inviting nose that mixes fruit and flowers – Fleurie style. Supple, layered flavour of freshness and easy appreciation. An easy but delicious wine – still with some depth and concentration.

Domaine Gaget, Les Galets
Deep, concentrated, macerating – not that attractive – fruit. Plenty of scale and very good texture – fresh, architecturally scaled wine. Not my flavour profile but it’s excellently done.

Domaine Saint Cyr, French Kiss Kanon
Modest colour. A modest depth yet fine complexity of aroma. Wide, almost mineral style, finely complex, missing the bass notes of other wines – but elegant wine. Nice…

Vignerons des Pierres Dorées, Terra Iconia Bio
Narrow, practically tight but with good freshness. Fresh, lots of volume, depth of flavour. A modest wine but of good tasty line with a little finishing salinity.

Trenel
A non-standard nose of macerating but fresh red berry fruit. Lithe, nice texture, growing, melting character to the fresh flavour. Lovely, easy wine with a fine vibrancy in the finish.

Famille Chasselay
Another nose of rather macerating, this time dark red fruit. Mineral, direct flavour in the mouth – fruit seems an afterthought as the wine melts over the palate – but there is growing intensity and fine concentration here. The finish is excellent – very tasty – I like this a lot.

Perol Anthony, abracada boum
A tighter if less attractive nose but still with plenty of depth. Wide, fresh, plenty of energy, a hint lactic but with a depth of pretty cherry flavour too. A good wine that leaves a coating of tannin on your tongue as a reminder.…

Perroud Robert, Vieilles-Vignes
A nose of modest scale but attractive and complex all the same. Good volume and fine texture – layers of fine flavour – easy – excellent wine.

Savoye Laurent Domaine des Combiers
Another nose of modest volume, but again with freshness and attractive energy. Depth of flavour, less overt energy than most, good depth of texture and concentration. A wine that starts modestly but just keeps growing in stature – super.

Domaine Girin, Tradition
Very dark colour. The nose is rather tight – faintly spiced but little other of note. Faint gas, width and some energy. The finish is very nice – the best part.

Domaine Girin
Dark colour. A spicy, saline nose of inky depth. Lots of volume and fresh energy, a halo of astringence – but not too much. The flavour is practically an afterthought to the great architecture of this wine – probably better in 6 months’ time – but excellent!

Brosette et Fils, Empreinte
Modest colour. Transparent red fruit nose. Supple, and with a growing volume plus depth of flavour – like the nose, a transparent red fruit. Nothing profound, but delicious…

Château de Corcelles
Even with the ‘bottle-sock’ I can see that this is an ‘original’ bottle shape. Plenty of colour. Concentrated, macerating fruit. A touch of gas. Good volume, the finish is vibrant and lovely – easily the best part today…

Sornin Victor, Je Suis Nature
A deeply concentrated nose – vibrant almost volatile dark, macerating fruit – just on the good side. Hmm, the depth and texture are palpable here – impressive wine, a little natural in flavour profile, but beautifully done. Wide and tasty finishing…

Collonge Fabien, Vieilles-Vignes
Hmm – saline – attractive fruit – a lovely combination. A round impression in the mouth. But the finish is narrow and miserly – if long – a wine quite unlike all the others!

Perol Anthony, Le p’tit nouveau
Nice volume of aroma, complex too, slowly adding an attractive extra dimension of florals. Depth of texture. Relatively tight on the palate only slowly leaching flavour into the finish. Modestly showing today.

Ferraud et Fils, Cuvée d’autrefois
Deep colour – but airy and modest of volume on the nose. Width and an extra depth of growing flavour – certainly vs the last – mouth-watering delicious dark fruit in the finish. Super…

Dupré Jean Michel, 1911
Red wax topped. A higher-toned red fruit is aromatically front of stage – with a more cushioned and guarded depth below. Good volume – nice flavour perspective – complex and changing – low-sulfur style, very modest tannin – lovely finishing. Excellent!

Collin Bourisset, Nouveau Terra Vitis
Hmm – a lovely high-toned nose but supported with fine dark fruit below. Some gas. Volume and freshness – but that’s also gas-related. Drives into a lovely finishing breadth of flavour – excellent here.

Henry Fessy
An attractive width of pretty aromas – below is tighter. Fresh volume, good energy, slightly saline. Hmm, this has a lick of tannin but long and very tasty. Lovely…

Domaine Chermette Pierre Marie, Origine Vieilles-Vignes
Narrow high tones but a broad base of still fresh aroma. Silky, good volume, saline and complex – less overtly fruited as most, but complex and a wine to think about – I like – Excellent!

Vignerons des Pierres Dorées, La Rose Pourpre
Sommelier bottle – but why?
Deep colour. Fresh, complex – attractive nose. Fresh fruit, growing in amplitude, the volume and texture are fine. Delicious wine with fine finishing complexity – excellent.

Famille Chasselay, La Marduette
Deep, macerating, almost overdone fruit notes. Full, mouth-filling, good texture, an impression of barrel, long finishing – really impressively finishing, actually. I still don’t know if I like it a lot – or don’t like it – Excellent!

O.Coquard
Plenty of colour. Wide, fresh, yet an impression of leather – though still attractive, A hint of astringency – lots of volume in the mouth. The flavour is a mix of direct and also broad. Vibrant finishing but in a more mineral and vibrant style. Singular and very good!

O.Coquard, Culotte de Velours
Another heavy, sommelier, bottle. A modest volume of aroma but a very fine nose of cushioned, pure, dark fruit and just an occasional suggestion of flowers. Full, silky, depth of concentration – not the freshest, yet fresh enough. Big in the middle slowly fading in the finish. Lots of up-front flavour here, a more modest diminuendo…

The remaining wines from 57x Beaujolais Villages Nouveau:

Collin Bourisset, La Cuvée à la Con
Deep, deep colour. Deep, deep nose too – almost inky with a very subtle higher tone. Round, depth of flavour, concentration – maybe more than the last but wrapped in a structure which you should wait for. For today, the previous wine should be your choice – but this is excellent and you can keep it for sure.

Domaine Boudeau Nicolas La Grume, Esprit Nature
Hmm – concentrated and tightly inky below, but above this nose has some pretty fruit and floral notes. Wide, intense, fresh – wine to let relax in your cellar. Long and direct in the finish – fine, but a baby.

Château de la Grand’Grange, Vieilles-Vignes
A heavy bottle. Deep, faintly spiced fruit of inviting complexity. Wide, super-complex, a modest tannin texture. The tannin much less modest in the finish – but this is really excellent – and needs some time in your cellar. Super wine – Excellent.

Brosette PA et Fils, Empreinte
Not the deepest colour. The nose is complex and very attractive with faint flowers and spice overlaying the fruit. Wide, fresh attack, a grain of tannin, but also lots of energy. Mouth-watering, long, subtly flavoured but long. Excellent.

Domaine des Ronze, Vieilles-Vignes
Not a large-scaled nose but one of pretty depth of fruit. Hmm – fresh, complex energy, almost a mineral style – brightly intense – hmm – such a wine of complexity rather than concentration and power – a beauty – excellent!

Château de Corcelles, Vieilles-Vignes
The same ‘original’ bottle shape noted in the BJNs, previously.
A slightly macerating fruit, but above a lovely floral component. Good volume, red-focused fruit, though a certain strident quality to the fruit – this should relax with a little time in bottle, but today it’s behind the others. If you must drink a BJVN today – then probably not this one…

Domaine Monternot les Jumeaux
Quite a heavy bottle.
A width of complex aroma, perhaps a hint of pyrazine in the high-toned mix – only perhaps. Good attack and intensity. Growing width and fine energy. Such a young wine to keep, drink others ahead of this, but it’s excellent.

Domaine Boudeau Nicolas La Grume
Deep colour with an equally deep and complex nose. Supple, with depth of concentrated flavour – the structural tannin is secondary, but the mouth-watering, growing complexity of fine finishing flavour is rewardingly primary – super wine.

Les Vins du Penlois Besson, Tu m’ fais tourner la tête
A depth of aroma but couched in a little reduction – there’s an attractive floral note that is growing with aeration though. Wide, concentrated yet with super energy and complexity. Successive waves of fine finishing flavour. Excellent…

Jambon Père et Fils, Beaujolais Stars
A deep nose with a biscuit style of reduction. Direct, energetic wine, more direct astringency to the tannin than most before, if not particularly excessive – to wait a little for. Complex and fine finishing – really the most attractive part of the wine – so there’s much to be patient for here.

Dupré Jean Michel, Vignes de 1940
A salty nose, with an impression of reduction. The palate has fine depth of flavour, furry but not astringent tannin, layers of fine finishing flavour. Long and tasty with a modest but not astringent rasp of texture from the tannin. Lovely wine…

Duboeuf Georges, N° 2
Deep colour. Bright fruit with lots of depth and clarity. Ooh – big, concentrated, Long, lingering flavour of fine intensity. Really excellent.

Domaine du Barvy Bouillard Dominique
Plenty of colour, though a tighter nose than most. Intense, very fine texture – a wall of flavour but no hard edges, just a wine to be patient with – super!

Domaine du Penlois
Ooh – beautiful berry fruit – some vibrancy of depth. Wide, but with a mouth-watering depth of flavour. Saline, melting, more composed and contemplative finishing. Another super wine.

Loron Jean, Vin Nature
Deep colour. Deep nose, of modest width, but fresh notes escaping the glass. Lots of mouth-filling volume, here with a little more astringency of tannin. Long, saline-inflected finishing flavour. A little patience again – but another excellent wine.

Fellot Emmanuel, Non Filtré
A modest volume of aroma but lovely pure notes of dark fruit. Lots of volume again – some tannin and some bitters. A wine of concentration that would benefit from time in the cellar – not too long but the pure flavours flex their muscles in the finish with a certain aplomb…

Collin Bourisset Henri Louis
Deep colour. A tight nose. More supple on the palate, a little more drive to the flavour despite plenty of width. Fresh, frank but pure flavour. Super but be patient.

Dupond Pierre, Seconde Nature
Another practically black wine. A deep nose, slightly cushioned, full of guarded very dark fruit. Round, transparent, depth of dark fruit, edged with a sheen of tannin, a long line of finishing flavour too. For the patient but everything is well in place. Excellent!

Domaine de Colette Gauthier Jacky
A little less colour. A big, forward nose – fresh with a leading edge of almond inflected fruit. Full, simmering but fresh concentration of fruit. Very wide, a fine intensity too. Again some patience required but super wine.

Henry Fessey
A more open nose than the last – pure, fresh dark fruit on display. Good volume, another wine with a faint astringency of tannin, but here with more open freshness and drive. Really mouth-watering finish to the penetrating flavour. Another ‘wait for’ wine but potentially another excellent one…

Château de Pougelon
Plenty of colour. Hmm, a super width and heft to the aroma here – very inviting – less overt volume below. Lots of volume again – the tannin has another level of fineness yet still with an accent of astringency. Still a structural finishing wine for sure – you should wait 6 months or-so…

Domaine des Nugues Gelin Gilles, Cire
Sommelier, wax-topped bottle – given the name, of-course!
A nose of really impressive depth – less-so of width. Supple concentration, plenty of growing, saline-edged tannin, but beautiful flavour resides in this concentration. Fine…

Domaine du CLos du Ffief Tête Michel et Sylvain
A little less colour. A fresh but relatively tight nose. Wide, lots of growing volume – an astringent accent to the fresh volume of aroma – the structure bosses today – but there is a vibrance to the complex finish where the fruit is much more obvious – it will be excellent if you are patient.

Henry Fessy, Tradition
A cliché bubble-gum red-fruit nose. Supple, very fine texture, relaxed muscle and salinity in the flavour here. A long line of mouth-watering flavour – of modest intensity but a super persistence to this diminuendo. Fine…

Domaine des Nugues Gelin Gilles, L 17/10 2018
A little bready reduction with saline accents. Wide, supple impression, a suggestion of minerality, long but very narrow. A wine that seems very pure and with good intensity, but needs to show more than today.

Deschamps Philippe
A modest volume of aroma but there’s a clarity and pretty, fresh impression. Bigger in the mouth than the nose suggests, melting, with fine energy to then flavour – less overt structure, just a touch of finishing tannin. Certainly easier than the last few wines to drink today – very nice…

Domaine Bertrand
Plenty of aromatic width, but today not showing either definition or clarity to those notes. A touch of gas. Very silky depth of texture, low-sulfur style of flavour. A nice width of finishing flavour, good but otherwise rather unremarkable…

Cave de Clochemerle
Deep colour. A spicy nose, heavy with dark fruit. Supple, lots of volume and concentration – a drag from the tannin but hardly any astringency. Hmm, that’s a very lovely fading finish – the nose could be more elegant, but excellent!

Manoir du Carra Sambardier, Vieilles Vignes Parcelle 505
Modest top notes – plenty of width and a textured, inky depth of aroma. Fuller than the nose suggests. Concentrated, almost cordial, flavour. Very long if very narrow at the end. Finer and more interesting than the nose suggested.

Domaine des Nugues Gelin Gilles, Le Vin des Copains
Deep, macerating, high-toned dark fruit – not hyper-attractive. Good textured depth to the flavour and with plenty of volume too – a relaxed delivery of excellent flavour. Some bitters in the finish. Excellent – if the nose improves, then even better!

Cave du Château des Loges
A deep, fresh and slightly muscled dark fruit – quite attractive. Good fresh volume – the density and concentration slowly growing over the tongue. Faint bitters and lots of mouth-watering, faintly astringent length. Super…

Domaine de Rochemure Vermorel Philippe, Les Devants
A fresh width of aroma – airy above, tight below. Lots of volume, faint astringency, pretty fruit flavour only really making its presence felt in the mid to finishing flavours. Lots of wine here, but mainly to wait a little time for – 6 months…

Manoir du Carra Sambardier, Vieilles-Vignes
Not a full volume nose, but with a pretty freshness and admirably pure dark fruit. Big, round, lots of energy, lots of mobile, changing flavour – layered in the finish. Ooh this is really excellent – perhaps bravo!

Domaine Béroujon
Wide, plenty of volume – really an augmentation of the floral here. Lots of volume and energy again- here a hint more astringent. Long fading flavour – I find this directly excellent…

Jambon Père et Fils
A quite good width but a super depth – very inviting. Big, a little bitters here, lots of vibrant flavour, wide and long. Super.

Ferraud P et Fils
A pretty nose that’s very nicely BJ, almost but not quite bubble-gum. Volume, silk, less overt energy, practically a mineral extra. Fine length.

Cave de Clochemerle, L2
Plenty of freshness, some depth, more limited width. Full of gas. Saline – really particular – the finish is quite good but the gas destabilises this for my palate…

Domaine de Croifolie Crozet Gérard
Airy, a hint floral, but essentially a little inconsequential. Supple, wide, good, growing intensity. Incisive in the finish – lots to commend here – almost excellent!

Duboeuf Georges, N°1
A fine texture and depth to the aroma here – engaging if a little narrow. A little less sweetness than most, direct, fine tannin – only accented with astringency. Wide, a wave of finishing flavour, slowly fading into the distance. Very good.

Domaine de la Milleranche Corsin Roussot, Anima Vinum
Another narrow nose but with some depth and high-toned freshness. A supple, enticing entry, melting flavour that’s cool but not lacking sweetness. Wide and hold quite well in the finish. All good…

Domaine Burnichon
Black – opaque – the only one today. The nose is high-toned but all that attractive – a simmering, high-toned fruit. Nicer shape in the mouth than I expect but the flavours are more black olive than black cherry – not particularly tasty I find…

Domaine de la Milleranche Corsin Roussot
Quite nice volume of aroma, but nothing special here. Good mouth-filling volume, but like the nose hard to be enthusiastic – maybe the last black-olive wine spoiled my palate for a time! But the mid and finishing flavour are very tasty – indeed delicious. Holding a good persistent note.

Domaine Gaget, Vinum Memoria
A Sommelier shape bottle though not too heavy in this case.
A width of aroma and some very attractive sweet fruit high tones too. Silky, supple, plenty of volume – this is very fine in the mouth too – some saline accents to the long intense finish – Excellent – almost bravo and certainly more accessible than many!

Rottiers Richard
A hint of mushroom but also a transparently pretty fruit. Supple again, volume, melting fresh fruit that’s concentrated but never fat. Long, lingering with just a little tannin in the mix. Excellent…

Domaine le Fagolet Girard Paul et Valérie , Pur Jus de Granit
Deep colour – almost saturated. The nose is not particularly wide but has really impressive depth. Full volume, open flavour of fine fruit, long, less sweet than many but persistent.

Agree? Disagree? Anything you'd like to add?

There are 2 responses to “2018 Beaujolais Nouveau”

  1. Philip Connolly16th November 2018 at 10:50 amPermalinkReply

    I tell you, it’s pretty difficult to buy Nouveau in the UK. Yes the usual suspects – Majestic and Waitrose – have some, but I’ve been underwhelmed in the past. The only one from your list I could find was Deschamps and that’s only being sold by the 12 bottle case (rather more than I want of any particular Nouveau).

    I have started a moan at the Wine Society for not playing the game. When I asked at Justerini last year they looked as though I had farted in church. When did drinking wine lose a place for fun? That’s why I switched from Bordeaux to Burgundy, the latter has a higher fun potential.

  2. David Bennett16th November 2018 at 5:54 pmPermalinkReply

    Philip, (& Bill by proxy) Get thee to Pierre Hourlier in Derbyshire (also online) for some BoJo action from Domaine de Nugues 🙂 Ps tell ’em I sent you. !

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