The third Thursday of November is Beaujolais Nouveau day. The tradition of releasing young wines more or less 'straight from the barrel' goes back for the best part of 100 years, but is still popular across the globe. The grapes for these wines were still on the vine in mid-September, so being able to drink them in mid-November is quite extraordinarily for red wine. One secret to that is that Nouveau is made with a proportion of carbonic maceration, a fermentation that keeps tannins soft and fruit to the fore.
Much Bojo Novo is at best inoffensive and quaffable, but a few aspire to something greater; if not more 'serious', then certainly more interesting. This wine - from the Villages appellation of the best vineyards - is fermented with wild yeasts, has no added sulphites, and is certified Terra Vitis, ensuring minimal synthetic chemicals were used in the vineyard. Deep, tooth-staining purple in colour, it weighs in with a hearty 14% alcohol. Forget the bubblegum aromas of some examples, this is deeply hued with plum and dark cherry, gravel and a lapsang-souchong note that is smoky and dark. In the mouth fruit is wonderfully sweet, plump and pure, yet crunchy too with enough tannin and a vivid acidity freshening the finish. It is a delight, and available for under £11 per bottle by the case - even cheaper for bulk orders.