Georges Dubouef, Beaujolais Nouveau 2009, France
I fancied reviewing a Beaujolais Nouveau on my on Friday November 20th, as the 19th was ‘Beaujolais Nouveau day’ – the Nouveau is always released on the third Thursday of November. However I had a devil of a time tracking some down – I called most of the supermarkets and several Scottish merchants, and where they bovvered? It seems the once colourful tradition of rushing to get the first Nouveau into the UK is pretty much a thing of the past. Partly that is down to the ropey quality of much of this five or six-week-old wine, rushed through winemaking using the system of Carbonic Maceration that enforces a rapid fermentation. However, when this stuff is good – like this example from Maestro Dubeouf – it is joyous stuff, noit meant to be taken seriously, just enjoyed. This brims with cherry, raspberry and watercolour paint-box aromas and has a bouyant palate of bright red fruit nicely lifted and cut by acidity, with a hint of chocolate in there and no real tannin to speak of. Match it to roast chicken or some cold roast beef and it is a treat. 5.99, Majestic.
