It's Beaujolais Day today !

Some say it's just marketing, other speak about fashion. I say it's just a very old tradition. Wine since it’s been invented was consumed young. Why ? Because wine before was very difficult to preserve and the consumption was higher than today so to have cheap wine you had to buy it just when it was release. (The principle of “primeur” in Bordeaux is based on the same rules). Everything changes with the progress in wine making but tradition is tradition. And the wines of Beaujolais are the one that need to be drunk very young.

Now Beaujolais Nouveau is a big event in France but also in the World, nearly the half of the production is sold outside France. This easy going wine with is strong flavor of fresh red fruit (some says Banana) was few years ago not so fashionable in is country. Lot of producers at this time was doing very bad product with artificial yeast and lot of sulfite. This was enough to give a bad reputation to Beaujolais Nouveau.

Since few years appear a new way of making those kinds of wines. With the organic, biodynamic or even natural movement growing in the Wine Industry, numerous producers make significant progress in making new wine of good quality.

The two Beaujolais Nouveau I choose are from the Domaine Joubert, both are made “à l’ancienne” it’s mean with indigenous yeast and no sulfites.

AOC Beaujolais-Village Nouveau 2010
With is pale purple dress, this wine release on the nose aromas of fruit cake and strawberry jelly, a hint of old roses to. The palate is clean and fresh, is directly driven by flamed bananas. It’s short but perfect for aperitif.




Foudre N°3 AOC Beaujolais-Village Nouveau 2010
This wine spend fifteen day in foudre (a kind of big barrel). The color is not deeper than the one before. The nose is very discrete with aromas of cherry and plum much more elegant. On the mouth, the wine is deeper in structure much more like a “cru” of Beaujolais. Aromas of red fruit fill your palate and a kind of smooth tannin gives you a kick at the end.