The whole truth about Beajolais. Beajolais Nouveau is your Wine Expert. Wine experts explain why Beaujolais Nouveau is a scam Burgundy Beaujolais
The first and foremost thing that every true rooster should know is that Beaujolais is made from the pathetic and useless Gamay grape variety. Secondly, the soils in the blasphemous Beaujolais are excellent - granite-slate-sandy with some admixture of clay in the south, which does not at all prevent the production of wines bright in their simplicity and weakness from its territory.
A long time ago, when old Europe was still a young red-cheeked girl, Philip IV the Bold ruled in the then kingdom of Burgundy. Despite the fact that everyone was cut out by censorship from the dukes de Armagnac, the counts de Loignac, the marquises de Luignes, the Capetians and other future Valois, they called the kingdom of Burgundy just a duchy, this kingdom, thanks to the holy Catholic faith well rooted on its territory, was dense dotted with monasteries, which in turn, being in form more fortresses than holy cloisters, ensured the complete independence of Burgundy from the petty feudal principalities and kingdoms surrounding it.
So, we say, in those blessed times, Philip the Bold ruled. He was called brave for his military prowess, but we love him not for that at all. Monsignor Philip of Burgundy did perhaps more for world winemaking than anyone else - he ordered Gamay to be cut down in all of Burgundy, which had previously dominated the entire territory of the glorious kingdom. Instead of the blasphemous Gamay, Philip chose the magnificent Pinot, shone with divine light, leaving the Savoyard variety (and here we are forced to mention that Gamay comes from Savoy) a relatively small area in southern Burgundy, which we now know as Beaujolais. In the future, if our readers are willing to spend time reading notes like these, we will return to the glorious Pinault, and now we will deal more closely with the brainchild of Antichrist named Beaujolais.
Beaujolais. Beaujolais Nouveau. Beaujolais Village. Cru Beaujolais. All these names are directly related to the topic of our conversation. The dogma of faith says that we should be patient as our sufferings increase, for each of them is only a steeper rung on the ladder to Paradise. However, contrary to this dogma, we will begin with the highest suffering that lies ahead of us, namely, Beaujolais Nouveau.
For a long time in the region of Beaujolais there is a tradition to get drunk to the state of a monk - an Augustinian on the feast of the Holy Gifts (this holiday was canceled by the barbarian government of the First Republic). This tradition dates back to Roman times, and in Beaujolais it acquired a form Bacchic in form and Hermes in content, for the amount of wine drunk on that day undoubtedly makes Bacchus's mouth break into the widest smile, and the amount of money spent on this young wine causes a sardonic smirk on Mercury's lips.
This holiday is celebrated on the third Thursday of November and is called the feast of young wine. Slightly unfermented, but continuing to ferment, Beaujolais Nouveau flows like water and hits the heads of the villagers who are seated at large communal tables and snack on fresh sheep's cheese and ham. The feast often continues until the morning, and sometimes smoothly flows into the next day and even night.
So, what attracts inexperienced roosters Beaujolais Nouveau? Firstly, it is an extremely soft, almost incorporeal wine, with a strong aroma of bananas and chewing gum, which is due to the use of a Dutch yeast culture harvested from golden apples, or, simply put, from tomatoes. Although unfermented, Beaujolais Nouveau has a decent strength, not allowing you to stand up after two or three bottles. It should also be mentioned that Beaujolais Nouveau is prohibited from sale after the first of March of the year following the harvest, because there is a very high chance that this unripe wine will turn into vinegar after the period specified in French law. True, the author of this essay once had the opportunity to try Beaujolais Nouveau 2013 in early May 2014, and was very surprised: in extremely rare cases, and even then, only in some bottles, Beaujolais Nouveau can move to a qualitatively different stage and approach Beaujolais Village . It is impossible to predict this transformation until the bottle is opened, and therefore we do not recommend readers to spend time and money searching for such bottles. Now if the reader will deign to follow us in our narrative, we will move on to the next category - the basic Beaujolais.
So Beaujolais. Its main difference from the previous exhibit is that the Beaujolais is fermented to the end, so the timing of its implementation significantly exceeds the Beaujolais Nouveau. Beaujolais also acquires a somewhat greater body, losing its primary girly fruitiness, acquiring instead a berry-floral one (wild berries plus peony, narcissus, acacia), remaining, however, just as uninteresting, a simple wine. There is no reason to argue that Beaujolais can be harder than regular table wine, even though it has an AOC category. We have examples of miserable wines of the highest category all over the world, and, above all, in Italy, where Asti, Chianti and other rabble have the DOCG status.
The next lot in our little auction is Beaujolais Village. This wine almost completely loses its taste and structure lightness, becomes denser than its own aroma and, as a result, is rarely well balanced. Aromatics are often plum, interspersed with strawberry-currant tones, the wine is practically not capable of developing in a glass. Speaking of the technical side of things (and we are obliged to mention it, despite the poetic and speculative nature of our story), in Beaujolais Village for the first time there is such a thing as the control of yield and harvest time. Both of these things, excellent in themselves, give almost no results in Beaujolais, except to count as a positive result an increase in the intensity of the berry dominant.
And, finally, as a logical conclusion of our conversation, let's talk a little, trying not to fall into the sin of foul language, about Cru Beaujolais.
Cru Beaujolais is the best of the worst, may the reader forgive us such a free oxymoron. Wines from the top ten vineyards, from different terroirs, and with more or less different characters. Of these, we are only interested in three Moulin a Vent, Morgon, Fleurie. The first is the best Cru Beaujolais, the most structured and the most intense and complex of the ten. A really powerful, but too dense structure allows us to talk about the potential of ten or twelve years, and the aromatics already have some complexity. Morgon has the distinction, and if you like, the advantage over the rest of the Beaujolais cru, being the longest aged wine, with a potential of up to twenty years. This is where its merits end. Fleurie is Saint Julien from Beaujolais - that is, it is the most feminine, delicate and gentle.
Now, with the silent consent of the reader, let's draw a line to our reflections. Beaujolais is a bright, simple, straightforward wine that is good to drink on the spot and with the same local cuisine, which makes it similar to the basic Chianti, and such a comparison does not paint either wine. The pitiful attempts of marketers to create a buzz around Beaujolais Nouveau and present as something unique Cru Beaujolais fully corresponds to the essence of their profession.
Is there a more French wine than Beaujolais? What other name so convincingly conjures up in our imagination the appearance of a pastoral, mustachioed Frenchman, always in a beret, blue and white striped T-shirt, nonchalantly drinking with a flask of sparkling red wine? All foreigners' stereotyped thoughts about the French revolve around this irreverently splattering wine from southern Burgundy.
Of course, this is not the same Burgundy - the grape varieties are different, the soil and winemaking technologies have changed a long time ago. And the people of Beaujolais have changed too. They are richer and smarter now that the rest of the world, after a long journey, has accepted their local wine. They can afford to sit still and enjoy the beauty of those hills that have made this area the most attractive and romantic of all. Beaujolais was an amazing market success.
I say "had" because times are changing. Beaujolais Nouveau used to be the first wine of the new vintage, sizzling and fun. But then other parts of Europe climbed onto the Nouveau pedestal, with novellos from Italy and other nouveaus from the rest of France. Then Australia started releasing its new vintage wines - and now we are drinking the first wine of the new vintage in Nyun. And beaujolais, meanwhile, everything rises in price.
And suddenly it became not at all healthy to pay a rather big price for wine that had lost its magical radiance. And the rest of the Beaujolais began to seem not particularly valuable. Prices are rising, and standards seem to stagnate. And anyone who yearned to taste the fruitiness of Beaujolais wines could get them at a lower price in the wines of Southern, Central or even Eastern Europe. Then we turned again to high-class Beaujolais Cru wines. Some of them may be more serious, concentrated, but not so serious for the prices that are asked for them.
Today things are getting better in Beaujolais. Prices are still too high for what is essentially a banal, everyday wine. And the reason for this is also that not only the French, but also the wealthy Swiss drink everything they can get. Demand is high, especially for Cru wines. In the end, and winemaking began to pay a little more attention.
GRAPE VARIETIES AND WINE STYLES
In fact, there is a fairly good white Beaujolais with an astringent dryness that is closer to northern Chablis wines than to the oily, soft and sunny wines of Southern Burgundy. And the grapes are also the best of the Burgundy white Chardonnay varieties.
Best producers: Charmet and Duboeuf. You can, of course, make white Beaujolais from black Gamay grapes, but it has a more important purpose - it is the only grape from which it is allowed to make "le Beaujolais", which in the eyes of the whole world is red, red, red!
Gamay makes a good round wine in most other areas of France as well, but if grown just a little bit north of Beaujolais, it makes an unappealingly heavy and tart wine. But, nevertheless, on these granite slopes, stretching to the French Massif Central from the Saone Valley, one of the most juicy, drinkable and bubbling wines that can be found in this world can be obtained.
Since there were no complaints about "gamy" as a grape, there were no complaints about Beaujolais as a wine. It should be drunk young, in large sips and with pleasure. And while some top class wines improve over the years, most do not. Yes, they are not given a chance to ripen: they drink right on Christmas, like Beaujolais Nouveau.
CLASSIFICATION
Classification is very important for Beaujolais, which is divided into three geographical categories.
BEAUJOLAIS/ BEAUJOLAIS SUPERIEUR
This is the name of all major wines. The term Superieur means that the wine contains a higher percentage of alcohol, and this is not a guarantee of a good wine at all. Almost 2/3 of the crop goes to Nouveau production, so the rest of the Beaujolais is quite thin, reedy.
Best producers: Cellier des Samsons, Charmet, Drouhin. Duboeuf and Jaffelin.
BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES
This appellation includes 39 villages that produce above average wines (especially Beaujeu, Lancie, Lantignie, Leynes, Quincie, St-Etienne-des-Ouillieres, St-Jean-d'Ardieres). The wines are good and usually have a strong cherry flavor.
Top producers: Aucoeur, Descom-bes, Domaine Perrier and Pivot.
BEAUJOLAIS CRU
These Cru or Growth are upper class villages, so each of their wines should be given a separate characterization.
St Amour. When attacked, the wine usually has a fresh peach aroma and ripe fruit flavors. In most cases, this is the most reliable and enjoyable Cru.
Top Producers: Billards, Patissier, Revillon and Spay
Julienas. Might make a top class wine, but most of her best wines are reminiscent of the blend of fresh red fruit and soft chocolate tones that make a good Fleurie. It does not get worse with age, but it is better to drink young.
Top producers: Descombles, Duboeuf and Pctletier.
Chenas. Another strong, strong wine. In principle, it is as good as Moulin-a-Vent, but when aged, it tastes more like Burgundy.
Top producers: Braillon, Champag-pop, Lapierre and Daniel Robin,
Moulin-a-fent. Refers to heavy wines. These wines, solid and strong, should be aged for 3-5 years, or even more. They are distinguished by a strong plum, partly Burgundy style. Rarely respond to the typical look at Beaujolais: it is too serious for this.
Top Producers: Champagnon, Char-vet, Chauvet, Duboeuf, Janodet, Chateau du Moulin-it-Vent and La Tour du Bief
Fleurie. Generally soft and round, with cherry and chocolate flavors and strictly low amounts of tannin and acidity.
Top producers: Duboeuf, Fessy, Fleurie and Paul.
Chirnubles. Light, fragrant, cherry tone wine is ideal for early drinking.
Top producers: Duboeuf. Javernand And Passot
Morgon. Some of these wines deserve to be among the famous Beaujolais. When young, they are rough and darkish, with age they can acquire a luxurious plum-chocolate depth. Most, however, are light and ripen quickly.
Best producers: Charvet, Descombes. Lapierre and Savoye
Regnie. In warm years, this youngest Cru is very attractive, but the grapes do not ripen in cool years.
Top manufacturers: Duboeuf
Brouilly. Usually the lightest of all the Crus. The best time to drink it is between the ages of nine months and a year.
Top producers: Fessy, Hospices de Deaujeu and Chateau des Tours.
Cote de Brouilly. These are the hillsides in the middle of the Brouilly area. The wines here are fuller and stronger, as these are the southern slopes.
Top Producers: Conroy, Geoffray, Ravier and Thivin
BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU
Nouveau is a young vintage Beaujolais wine that goes on sale in the vintage year. It starts on sale at midnight on the third Wednesday of November, already at the age of 2 months. It usually improves in the bottle for several months, and in good years it can be stored until the next summer.
ORGANIZATION
Trading houses play an important role, and some are better than others. Some growers bottle their own wine. The cooperatives are also important, they sell most of their wine to merchants and tourists.
READING THE LABEL
If it is a wine from a trading house, make sure it is bottled in that region. Others tend to be more anonymous. The label with the name of only one vineyard is a good sign Duboeut produces most of these wines.
ABOUT TASTE
Gamay produces a strong, bright red, frosty-fresh wine. It smells of cherries, raspberries and peaches and has a rather rare feature for red wines - it quenches thirst well.
GOOD YEARS
Usually the most recent years are the best for Beaujolais, although 1996 and 1997 are still good for some Crus. Most Gamay wines are bright red, fresh, and have a full, fruity taste. But the fruity aroma can wear off quickly, and then, no matter what the label says, you won't feel like you're drinking Beaujolais.
HOW TO DRINK THEM?
You can drink it anytime, any way you want, with anyone and anything. You don't even need wine glasses - paper cups, tea cups, or glass slippers are fine. You can drink it warm or cold - I would still get to the refrigerator. But it's likely that for the price you paid, you'll want to drink it more casually, with frog legs or with a cheese sandwich.
BUYER INFORMATION
WHAT AM I PAYING FOR?
There is a great deal of worthless Beaujolais on sale, and in the hands of a carefree trader these ten Crus will hardly live up to their reputation. All Crus are extremely expensive, with the exception of the less fashionable Julienas and Cote de Brouilly.
AVAILABILITY
Some Beaujolais can be found in most retail outlets, although its decline in popularity suggests that its selection is much smaller than it used to be.
USEFUL INFO
Morgon Jean Descombes, 1998 (Georges Duboeuf) quality 7*, price 6*, value 7*.
Good Years: There is decent wine in every vintage, although in rainy years the main wine can turn out to be a bit thin. In general, wines can be drunk already in the year of bottling, although top quality wines can be aged for 3-4 years. Best 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996
Taste notes: Most Beaujolais are best drunk very young to capture that burst of fresh, tangy fruit with a cherry note. The best Beaujolai Crus, when aged, can take on a strong plum flavor reminiscent of Burgundy, but have a distinct Beaujolais smell.
Is there a wine more French than Beaujolais? This name in our imagination so convincingly evokes the appearance of a mustachioed pastoral Frenchman, always in a beret, a striped blue and white T-shirt, often drinking with a flask of red sparkling wine ... Standard thoughts of foreigners about the inhabitants of France revolve around such irreverently splashing wine, originally from southern Burgundy.
Of course, this is a different Burgundy - different grape varieties, winemaking technologies have changed a long time ago. At the same time, the inhabitants of Beaujolais also changed. Now they are smarter and richer, and the rest of the world, after a long journey, has accepted their national wine. They can afford to sit absolutely still, enjoying the beauty of the hills, which have made this area the most romantic and attractive of all.
Beaujolais Nouveau used to be the first wine of the new vintage, fun and effervescent. But then other parts of Europe were able to get on the Nouveau podium, Novello wines came from Italy and other Nouveaus from other areas of France. Then Australia began to produce its own new vintage wines. Meanwhile, Beaujolais is getting more expensive.
At some point, it became completely uninteresting to pay the already high price for the young French wine Beaujolais, which had lost its magical radiance. And the rest of the species began to seem not very valuable. Cost rises while standards stagnate. And anyone who wanted to try the fruity tones of these wines could get them much cheaper in the wines of Central, Southern or Eastern Europe. And again, let's turn to high-class Beaujolais drinks. Some of them may be more concentrated, serious, but not so serious for the prices that are asked for them.
Things are looking up for Beaujolais at the moment. Prices are still too high for what is essentially an everyday, banal wine. The reason for this is also that even the wealthy Swiss use everything they can get. Demand is quite high, especially for Cru wines. As a result, winemaking began to pay a little more attention.
Wine styles and grape varieties
There is actually a fairly good white Beaujolais that has an astringent dryness. It is closer to the northern Chablis than to the sunny, soft and oily wines of Southern Burgundy. In addition, the grapes are the best of the white Chardonnay varieties of Burgundy.
It should be noted right away that the best producers of red Beaujolais are Duboeuf and Charmet. You can certainly make white wine from black Gamay, only it has a more important purpose - this is the only grape variety from which you can make "le Beaujolais", and it is red in the eyes of the whole planet!
Good round dry Beaujolais wine is made from Gamay also in a huge number of other areas of the country, only if it was grown even a little north of Beaujolais, it turns out to be unattractively tart and heavy. Yet on these granite slopes, which extend into the Massif Central of France from the Saone Valley, one of the most bubbling, drinkable and juicy wines that can be found in the world can be obtained.
Since the moment when there were no complaints about the “gamy” and grapes, there were no complaints about the Beaujolais wine either. It should be drunk young, with pleasure and in large sips. Some premium drinks improve with age, most of them don't. And they have no chance to ripen: they are drunk immediately, like Beaujolais Nouveau.
Wine "Beaujolais": types
Now let's deal with the varieties of wines. The classification for Beaujolais is very important - it is divided into 3 geographical categories.
Beaujolais Superieur
The name applies to all major wines. The word "Superieur" indicates that the drink contains a high percentage of alcohol, which is not a guarantee of quality wine. Almost 2/3 of the harvest goes to the production of Nouveau, therefore, the rest of the Beaujolais is cane, rather thin.
The best producers are Charmet, Cellier des Samsons, Jaffelin Duboeuf and Drouhin.
Beaujolais Villages
This appellation includes 39 villages producing above average Beaujolais wine (especially Lancie, Beaujeu, Leynes, Lantignie, St-Etienne-des-Ouillieres, Quincie, St-Jean-d'Ardieres). Drinks are good, usually they have a pronounced cherry flavor.
The best manufacturers are: Descom-bes, Aucoeur, Pivot and Domaine Perrier.
Beaujolais cru
These Growth or Cru are high-class villages, so each of their wines must be given a separate characterization.
Julienas. Capable of producing top notch Beaujolais wines, but the bulk of her drinks are reminiscent of the blend of soft chocolate tone and fresh red fruit that characterizes a quality Fleurie. It doesn't get worse with age, it's only better to drink young. The best producers are Pctletier, Duboeuf and Descombes.
St Amour. This Beaujolais wine usually has ripe fruit flavors and a fresh peach aroma when attacked. Basically, this is the most pleasant and reliable Cru. The best manufacturers: Patissier, Billards, Spay and Revillon.
Chenas. Another strong, strong wine. When aging, it tastes like Burgundy. The best producers: Champag-pop, Braillon, Daniel Robin and Lapierre.
Moulin-a-Vent. This is a heavy wine. These drinks, strong and solid, need to be aged for about 3-5 years. They have a very strong plum, somewhat burgundy style. They do not often respond to the usual look at Beaujolais: the wine is too serious for this. The best producers: Char-vet, Champagnon, Duboeuf, Chauvet, Janodet.
Fleurie. Mostly round and soft, with chocolate and cherry flavors and a small amount of acidity and tannin. The best manufacturers are: Fessy, Duboeuf, Fleurie and Paul.
Morgon. Some of these wines deserve to be among the famous Beaujolais. Rough and darkish when young, they can acquire a plum-chocolate luxurious depth with age. The main amount, however, matures quickly and is very light. The best producers are: Descombes, Charvet, Savoye and Lapierre.
Chirnubles. Fragrant, light, cherry tone of this wine is ideal for early drinking. The best manufacturers are Passot, Javernand and Duboeuf.
Wine Beaujolais Regnie. This is the youngest Cru in warm years, incredibly attractive, but the grapes do not ripen in cool years. The best manufacturers: Duboeuf.
Cote de Brouilly. It grows on the hillsides in the center of Brouilly. Here the wines are stronger and fuller, since these are the southern slopes. The best manufacturers: Geoffray, Conroy, Thivin and Ravier.
Brouilly. Basically the lightest of the Cru. It should be drunk in the best way at the age of one year. The best producers: Chateau des Tours, Hospices de Deaujeu, Fessy.
Beaujolais Nouveau
This is a vintage young wine, which goes on sale in the year of collection. It starts on sale on the 3rd Wednesday of November at midnight, at the age of two months. Basically, it improves in the bottle for several months, while in good years it can be stored until the summer.
Companies
Trading houses in the sale of drinks play an important role. Some growers produce and sell their own wine. Also important are cooperatives that sell most of their own wine to tourists and merchant houses.
Reading the label
If the wine comes from a trading house, you need to make sure that it was bottled in this region. But many seek anonymity. At the same time, the label with the name of one vineyard is an excellent sign of Duboeuf, which produces the bulk of such drinks.
About taste
It is worth noting that from the "gamay" a bright red, strong, fresh-frosty wine is obtained. It smells of peaches, raspberries and cherries and has a rare feature for red wines - it perfectly quenches thirst.
How to drink?
This wine can be drunk when, how and with anyone. You don't even need glasses - glass slippers, teacups, or paper cups are fine. You can consume it cold or warm, although it is still better to get to the refrigerator. It can be assumed that for the amount you paid for a bottle of Beaujolais, you will want to drink it more quietly, with a cheese sandwich or frog legs.
good years
In general, the most recent are the best years for Beaujolais, but 1996 and 1997 are still good for some Crus. Most Gamay wines are fresh, bright red and have a fruity, full taste. Only now the fruity aroma can fizzle out very quickly, and then you no longer feel that you are drinking real Beaujolais.
What am I crying for?
There are a lot of worthless Beaujolais on the market today, and in the hands of a bad dealer, these 10 Crus will hardly live up to their reputation. All Crus are very expensive, with the exception of the less fashionable Cote de Brouilly and Julienas.
Availability:
Some wines can be found in most stores, but its decline in popularity shows that the selection is much smaller than it used to be.
There is decent wine in every vintage, but in rainy years it can be quite thin. Wines are generally drinkable in the year of bottling, only top quality drinks must be aged for at least 3 years.
Most wines are best consumed very young to experience that explosion of tangy fresh fruit with a slight cherry note. When aged, the best Beaujolai Crus can take on a strong, plum flavor, more like Burgundy, while still smelling distinctly Beaujolais.
Feast of the New Beaujolais
Beaujolais Nouveau Day appeared in the country in the middle of the last century and had an exclusively commercial basis. Wine from grapes "Gamay", which is traditionally grown in Beaujolais, is noticeably inferior in quality to the products of Bordeaux and Burgundy winemakers.
Some monarchs even called Beaujolais "disgusting swill", forbidding it to be served at the table. Basically, Beaujolais is not suitable for long-term storage, but it matures much faster than Burgundy or Bordeaux wines, and at a young age it has a fairly rich aromatic and flavor bouquet.
Winemakers, on reflection, decided to turn the shortcomings of their product for good and proclaimed the third Thursday of November as a holiday for Beaujolais wine. As a result, this advertising and marketing move turned out to be a success, and now the day of the appearance of Beaujolais Nouveau on sale is already celebrated in many countries of the world.
Beaujolais: reviews
Judging by the reviews, this is not the most refined wine imaginable. But many people say that it is thanks to the New Wine Festival that they manage to get together with a company of relatives and friends and spend the evening joyfully and as carefree as in their youth. Of course, the drink is not as noble as the rarer, more expensive and aged wines. But due to its amazing youth and lightness, it fills everyone who has tried it at least once with fun. And therefore, it is not at all surprising that almost all over the planet, lovers are so actively waiting and celebrating the day of the young Beaujolais wine with pleasure, and in Russia in particular.
Everyone knows about Burgundy - the notorious historical region of France. How many wonderful drinks the local winemakers gave to the world. But one of the regions of this wine-growing province cannot boast of good climatic and soil conditions for growing vines, and its name is Beaujolais.
In this region, winegrowers would be better off growing apples, but how could it be, a part of Burgundy without its own special wine? Local farmers found a solution and chose the most unpretentious Gamay grape for planting. This variety has some advantages:
- Unpretentious.
- Ripens early.
- Brings a lot of harvest.
Gamay grapes begin to be harvested at the end of August, while other varieties ripen only in October. In addition to the advantages, "Gamay" has a significant disadvantage, which should repel winemakers, namely, drinks from such grapes cannot be stored for a long time. In half a year, all the wine must be sold and drunk, otherwise all the work was in vain. If other wines only get better with age, gradually revealing their taste, then for Beaujolais time plays a disservice.
Winemakers in the Beaujolais region have no problem selling their early young wine Beaujolais nouveau, as a young wine day allows you to sell almost the entire drink!
Millions of people not only in France, but all over the world every year anxiously wait for the third Thursday of November to visit the largest Beaujolais festival. This is the day of young wine in France, which, despite its popularity, still causes controversy among consumers. Someone thinks that young wine is an unusual and unique drink, which deserves a holiday in honor of its unique taste. Other people say Beaujolais day is just a highly successful marketing ploy by Burgundian winegrowers that helps them make big profits every year by selling a mediocre drink to an inexperienced public.
Of course, no one can judge the sides of this heated dispute. Each person has the right to decide for himself which explanation is closer to him. But still, no one can argue with the fact that the Beaujolais holiday is a wonderful tradition, which is one of the main decorations of the amazing country of France. Every year, Beaujolais Day brings together many people with one goal - to visit as many pubs as possible and drink at least a glass in each unusual young French wine.
History of appearance
The celebration of the new harvest of Beaujolais began in France recently, around the middle of the twentieth century. Thanks to the wonderful taste of young wine and its unique atmosphere, this holiday in such a short time was able to achieve recognition not only in France, but throughout the world. Thanks to this, New Harvest Day has become a global tradition.
The start of the celebration begins with the small town of Beaujo, where the Burgundian winemakers, armed with burning torches, march in a single formation to the main square of the city, where everyone is already waiting barrels of wine from the new Beaujolais vintage.
The Day of Young Wine is a grandiose celebration, it pleases and amazes everyone who comes with its scale. Exactly at midnight, the barrels are uncorked and everyone can fill their glass with a delicious and unusual drink. You can easily guess how events develop further, but it’s still better to visit this gorgeous and exciting festival once than hear or read about it a hundred times. There are no analogues to this event all over the world, except perhaps a beer festival in Germany, called Oktoberfest might come to mind.
Already, many fans of Beaujolais Nouveau are in anticipation of the celebration, which will take place on November sixteenth in two thousand and seventeen and on November fifteenth in two thousand and eighteen.
Beaujolais nouveau, or Beaujolais Nouveau in French, is an amazing young wine created in Burgundy from Gamay grapes. "Gamay" is an early ripe black grape that gives drinks a unique aroma and ruby color. Sommelier, tasting the young Beaujolais distinguish the following notes of such berries in it:
- Red Ribes.
- Raspberries.
- Cherry
Beaujolais Nouveau is distinguished by tart notes and has a twelve percent fortress.
There has been a lot of controversy around the taste of this drink for a long time. They are caused by the age of the wine, because Beaujolais nouveau goes on sale immediately after fermentation ends. That is, between the harvest and the appearance of the drink on sale, literally a month and a half passes. For wines, this state of affairs seems more than unusual.
Nevertheless, Beaujolais nouveau has a multi-million army of fans who adore this drink for its unusually light, but slightly harsh taste.
Manufacturing
To create a great wine Beaujolais Nouveau, bunches with whole grapes are placed in special tanks, and then filled with carbon dioxide. This is done in order to extract grape juice from the berries without any additional influences. This process is called carbonic or carbonic maceration. It lasts five to six days. After the end of maceration, the juice is filtered, and the skins of the berries are driven through a press so as not to miss a single drop of liquid.
After that, the future wine proceeds to the next stage - fermentation, that is, fermentation. It lasts a very short time, about twenty-five to thirty-five days. When the wine has finished fermenting, it is immediately bottled, labeled and sent for sale.
The most common brands of young wine are:
- Albert Bisho.
- Domain Yvon Metras.
- Georges Duboeuf.
- Louis Jadot.
- Jean-Paul Thevenet.
How to drink young wine Beaujolais
Beaujolais is a wine with a short shelf life. All lovers of this unusual drink know that it can last only four to six months from the date of readiness, and then it will become unusable and it will no longer be possible to drink it. Therefore, if you have purchased this wine and decided to let it brew in order to improve the taste, you know, you should never do this. Otherwise, your French young wine festival will end before it starts.
Also pay attention to the production time even when buying a drink. Real Beaujolais wine is sold only until the first spring month following the year of manufacture.
Before proceeding with the tasting of Beaujolais Nouveau, it should be cooled to twelve or thirteen degrees Celsius and poured into classic wine glasses. In such cases, you can fully experience the taste of the drink and enjoy its astringency, lightness and versatility, which have already conquered many people.
What to drink Beaujolais with
In France, they are accustomed to attribute Beaujolais to versatile drinks that can be drunk in the morning, afternoon and evening, at lunch or dinner, at romantic events and in a friendly atmosphere. Therefore, there are a great many varieties of snacks for this wine.
But like all good wines at Beaujolais There are several traditional dishes that are usually served when drinking this drink. These include:
Fans of Beaujolais Nouveau recommend those who decide to try this wine for the first time to start tasting with Beaujolais Village. This drink is bright pleasant taste and rich aroma, suitable for various snacks, and will also come in handy at any celebration.
I tried many different wines in my life, the turn came to Beaujolais Nouveau. After the first glass, I decided that I expected more from French wine. After the second tasted and realized that the drink is not for everyone. In general, I was more than satisfied, the wine is universal and I think it will go well with almost any snack.
But at first my woman did not like Beaujolais, as she is a big lover of sweets, and it is sour and bitter. But drinking their favorite cake for her turned out to be quite a pleasant experience, so I think that by the next romantic evening we will take another bottle.
We accidentally learned that all of Europe celebrates the day of the young wine Beaujolais nouveau in autumn. I was very surprised that there is such a drink made from grapes that does not adorn age. So we decided to buy and try.
On the bottle it was indicated that the wine has berry notes. I can’t call myself a connoisseur of such drinks, but I didn’t feel anything like that. Beaujolais is not very sweet, with sourness, but I do not like sugary drinks. It’s bad, of course, that such wine can only be bought in winter and autumn, since I really liked it.
Beaujolais Nouveau is a very boozy wine. Even I need a bottle to feel ready. This is my wife's favorite wine, so in the autumn-winter season it is often on our table. She even adds it to marinades, and it turns out very well.
I, as an old-school person, cannot understand the fact that wine can be stored for only five months, if not less. But this is an insignificant minus, in general, the drink is good and makes me very happy with its democratic price.
Let's guess: you also belong to the very category of "connoisseurs of haute cuisine" for whom the word "Beaujolais" is, if familiar, only in combination with the word "Nouveau". Well, like a young wine. Kind of like French. If yes, then now you (as well as ourselves a week ago) will open a brave new world.
So, 10 facts about Beaujolais wines, the knowledge of which, quite possibly, will color your life with completely new colors.
Beaujolais - as is often the case with wine - is the name of a region. Indeed, in France. The name "Beaujolais" itself comes from the town of Beaujoux, founded in the 10th century. The first vineyards in this region appeared in the 9th century. Wine made from local Gamay grapes is highly praised by the world's leading wine critics today, because in recent years there has been a real revolution in the quality of wines. The "youth" inherent in them is connected precisely with the peculiarity of the variety - the wines from it are obtained already very bright, complex and deep, in order to still allow them to mature in the cellar, usually relying on 10-15 years.
One of the key things to know and say out loud about Beaujolais wines is that they are amazingly gastronomic. Gamay wines are almost universal in terms of the palette of food pairings - they are organic with meat, fish, soup, dessert, and everything else. In other words, if there is a risk of goofing up with the choice of wine for an important dinner, Beaujolais will be the best and win-win option.
Beaujolais can be white, and pink, and, as most often happens, red.
Beaujolais has a unique vinification method that is not widely used anywhere else in the world. It's called carbonic maceration. The technique is thought out so that the entire fermentation is explosive in nature - the juice quickly takes away all the fruitiness, but does not have time to extract tannins from the skin, which is especially useful for wine that is drunk young. In general, if the opportunity arises, remember - the trick of Beaujolais is the absence of tannins.
Wines Beaujolais - one of the best choices in terms of "price - quality." Objectively: wines from more expensive price categories, as a rule, have the same high taste and aroma characteristics that Beaujolais receives from connoisseurs.
If you want to show off your erudition, say the word "cru" in the context of Beaujolais. What is a cru? These are ten designated zones in the north of the region, where soil and microclimate features make it possible to make wines of the highest quality. All cru are very different, and venerable sommeliers can talk for hours about the specifics of each, but we can remember the key: cru is a kind of cream of the whole category.
A bit of mythology in the subject to enhance the charm. According to the legends of those places, the Crusaders went to the Promised Land not at all for the Holy Grail, but for new varieties of grapes, among which was Gamay. From ourselves, we note the everyday plausibility of this version of events.
In Beaujolais, most of the vineyards are small plots (from 1 to 12 hectares) owned by independent growers who sell their harvest to merchants. However, the number of small farms bottling wines under their own brand is growing, and this is one of the factors of the qualitative revolution in the region.
The Beaujolais Vineyard Road passes between 150 castles and 177 wine cellars, which are happy to welcome all travelers. During the year, more than 20 festivals and holidays of wine and food are held in the region, where everyone can taste the wines of all communes, communicate with winemakers and generally join the general festivities.
And finally, if they force you to name all the passwords-appearances, about specific names. Let's simplify our task: in general strokes, all Beaujolais wines can be divided into three categories. For passionate natures - "powerful and strong" wines, for example (well, suddenly remember something) Chena, Côte de Brouilly, Julien, Morgon and Moulin-à-Van. For romantics - "thin and fragrant": Chiruble, Fleury, Rainier, Saint-Amour. And finally, for real gourmets - "delicate and fruity" like Beaujolais Village.
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