Beaujolais Nouveau 2018

Thursday, November 15, 2018.  It is World Philosophy Day.  If you happen to be in Belgium, then it is Koningsfeest or King's Feast. In Germany, it would be Feestday Duitse Gemeenschap or German Community Day. If you happen to be in France, or, more specifically, just outside of Lyon, it would be Beaujolais day ... or, the day that George DeBoeuf releases "the first wine of the harvest."

This is not the first time that I have tried and reviewed a Beaujolais Nouveau. In that post, I discussed how the wine was made, using Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc grapes or Gamay grapes. The laws governing the wine require the grapes to be picked by hand.  The whole grapes are fermented in a carbon dioxide rich environment, which results in the juice being fermented inside the grapes. The resulting wine is then "aged" for a brief period of time and bottled 6 to 8 weeks after the harvest. This is as young as a wine can get and one of the few reds that comes with the instructions, "drink on sight." 

The Beaujolais Nouveau pours a dark berry in color, with garnet or ruby tones. Those dark hues fade quickly toward the edges of the glass, turning a light maroon and even becoming a very light red along the edges.  

The aromatic elements of this wine start with a little tart cherry or cranberry, which subside as the wine opens. There is a slight earthiness, trending towards slate or pebble.  There is also perhaps some pencil shaving in the nose of the wine. 

They say that the Beaujolais Noveau may change a little from year to year. Back in 2012, I found some tart and sour cherries, which, as the wine opened, ripened into more full cherries. The complete opposite of what may have found, such as cherries, raspberries and other light red fruits. For 2018, the wine was not as tart.  Rather, the most prominent note was that cranberry. The wine is kind of a reminder that Thanksgiving in the United States, which often features a cranberry dish on the table, is just one week away. There are some other elements, such as some raspberry, that become more pronounced. As with the 2012 vintage, the tartness fades and the fruit ripens as the wine sits in the glass.  

Since it was released today and it is Beaujolais Nouveau Day, it is available at many wine stores. I paid a little more than $11.00 per bottle.  

ENJOY!