The Nouveau wines are released today. I still look forward to this release every year. This year feels a little exciting and there is definitely something a little different about the 2017 vintage, especially from France. The wines this year are a little more austere and this may be a year where it’s worth tucking a bottle away for a year or so. I don’t normally enjoy spending a lot of money on these cheap and cheerful wines but the standouts are the Beaujolais Villages offerings from Drouhin and Duboeuf. The LCBO has added two new labels from France to the roster from Dubouillon AOP and Pardon My French. The Fool and The Hanging Man from Reif bring a couple bottles from Ontario to the Nouveau release. They are quite a bit sweeter than their European counterparts and are a little weaker than previous vintages but still something worth adding to the table. The Nouveau release, is supposed to be a peek of the vintage yet to come – I know in Beaujolais what survived hail in the spring made for high quality fruit, in Niagara the growing season was challenging with a warm end to September.
You can expect to find any of these bottles around my house, I enjoy keeping a Coq Au Vin light with some Nouveau in the pot. A light chill will help keep the fruit bright and refreshing.
Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Villages Nouveau – Vintages 113266 – $16.95 – ****
G. Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages Nouveau – Vintages 932780 – $15.95 – ****
Duboeuf Gamay Nouveau – LCBO 891846 – $10.95 – ***½+
Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau – LCBO 897934 – $13.95 – ***½
Dubouillon AOP Beaujolais Nouveau – LCBO 539734 – $14.95 – ***½+
Pardon My French Beaujolais Nouveau – LCBO 539742 – $13.95 – ***½
Negrar Novello del Veneto – LCBO 899955 – $9.95 – ***½
Mezzacorona Novello, Trentino – LCBO 443192 – $9.95 – ***½
The Fool Reif Estate Gamay Nouveau – LCBO 220483 – $12.95 – ***
The Hanging Man Reif Estate Kerner Nouveau – LCBO 408013 – $12.95 – ***
