Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2011
Is this B-V Nouveau worth buying?...Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau
It’s new wine time. This Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau was hanging on the vine a few short weeks ago. Many of us remember when new wines, especially Beaujolais Nouveau, were a hot, hot marketing phenomenon. Times have changed. At least in our bailiwick you must keep your eyes really open to find them displayed this year. Have consumers finally wised up? Georges DuBoeuf is known as the roi (king) or even pape (pope) of Beaujolais and is the person most responsible for this phenomenon. They used to deliver BN to New York via the Concorde. Not any more; and not only because there are no more Concordes. Let’s not exaggerate, there are still a lot of New Wine parties and Beaujolais Nouveau is often the star, especially when it carries the higher class Beaujolais-Villages designation. You might want to check out the company web site and visit their wine theme park. The companion wine is an Italian Vino Novello costing a lot less.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2011, 12.5% alcohol about $15.
There were no marketing materials and the back label was silent so let’s quote the Duboeuf web site (only the non Villages offering was described). “For the nose, a veritable palette of bright floral aromas is interlaced among blackberries, wild strawberries and blueberries, with hints of black and red currants. Taste the Beaujolais Nouveau 2011 and revel in its full, smooth body with a fine, silky harmonious texture and exceptional richness.” And now for my review.
At the first sips these fermented grapes presented the taste of dark bubble gum. It was long. The initial meal featured slow cooked beef. This liquid’s acidity was raw. When paired with the accompanying potatoes our French friend’s bubble gum taste intensified. The other side dish was leeks sautéed in olive oil. In response the drink’s acidity was muted but I still noted some harshness. I doused the meat with Louisiana hot sauce and still got raw acidity.
My next meal started with a so-called pizza appetizer consisting of cabbage, carrots, and tomato paste in puff pastry. Now the Vin Nouveau was dark all the while presenting a tinge of bubble gum, slightly burnt bubble gum. Then came boxed Eggplant Rolatini that included Ricotta and Mozzarella cheese, tomato paste, and fresh tomatoes. I added lots of ground Parmesan cheese. In response to this disappointing dish the liquid was somewhat metallic. It was dark but not tasty.
My final meal centered on chicken meatballs. Now the libation was nutty and round but still had a raw aspect. The accompanying Basmati rice cooked with brown lentils had rendered the liquid long and I tasted black cherries. But it was raw. When paired with the other side dish of okra, garlic, onions, and crushed tomatoes the wine was round and almost tasty. Its harshness was gone but a tinge of bubble gum remained.
Final verdict. I can’t say never again as I am planning to do the 2012s. Maybe I should give some other winery a chance. Honestly I don’t think it matters much. If you ask this wine lover, six weeks of fermentation just doesn’t transform grapes into drinkable wine.
Access the companion wine A Wine Lover's Weekly Review Of $10 Wine - An Abruzzi, Italy Vino Novello 2011About the Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would
rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario
French-language community college. His wine websites include
www.theworldwidewine.com
and http://www.wineinyourdiet.com
Visit his website devoted to Italian travel
www.travelitalytravel.com
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