Les Beaujolais Nouveaux sont arrivés

Beaujolais has reported an excellent if small 2017 harvest as the first young wines arrive to mark Beaujolais Nouveau day.

Traditionally the date when the region’s growers released some of their new wines to earn some early money and generate some excitement about the coming vintage, the release of the ‘nouveaux’ wines eventually took on a life of its own.

For a long time there was even a race to be the first to bring the new wine back to cities such as Paris and London and the whole thing was treated as an excuse to celebrate wildly.

In time this image of Beaujolais through the prism of Nouveau did the region a great deal of damage as it was long considered to produce thin, bubblegum-esque reds of little consequence.

But Beaujolais has battled back with a vengeance and has regained its reputation for producing both supremely delicious and enjoyable reds as well as more serious, terroir-driven wines.

The arrival of ‘nouveaux’ wines is being somewhat recaptured in its old form but, increasingly, Beaujolais Nouveau Day is a chance to drink and enjoy all of the region’s wines.

Beaujolais was as touched by this season’s frost and heat as nearly all of Europe’s vineyards were.

Frosts struck in late spring, followed by hailstorms at the beginning of summer and then a widespread drought.

The harvest began in late August in some parcels but rain in late August and September brought a certain amount of relief to vines and growers alike relieving the hydric stress in the former.

Although losses from the frost and hail lowered the physical size of the crop and the summer heat meant the berries were small and lacking in juice, this is somewhat counteracted by the concentration in the fruit and the fact that the dry summer meant rot and mildew were practically non-existent.

Bertrand Chatelet, director of Sicarex (The Beaujolais Institute for Viticultural and Oenological Research), summarised the early wines thus: “The maturity curves produced by the maturity network are looking very much like the 2015 vintage. The first juices confirm it, but definitely with more crispness, more elegance.

“The first wines are showing a gain in vitality and freshness.”

Various restaurants and bars in London, Edinburgh and Brighton have had a Beaujolais theme all week but to mark Beaujolais Nouveau Day itself, those wanting to celebrate the arrival of the new vintage can attend the following:

• Noble Rot returns with their Fête du Beaujolais for a second year, with Simon Hopkinson taking over the kitchen. Justin Dutraive, Santini Frères and Le Grappin pouring their Beaujolais in the bar and outside from 3pm until 8pm
• All day long, Terroirs and Soif will be pouring Nouveaux from Dufaitre and Landron
• Bleecker Burger sees Neil Rankin take over the kitchen, and BojoNuvo takes over the taps
• BojoNuvo will be poured on tap in Brunswick House, Blacklock City, Blacklock Soho, Clipstone, Hop Locker South Bank, Magpie, Pidgin, Temper Soho and City, Stokehouse, Som Saa, Streatham Wine House, Weino Tap Room, Forest Road Brewery, Chang, Canton Arms, 161 Food + Drink, Llewellyn’s, and the Sympathetic Ear
• BiBs of BojoNuvo will be served at the 10 Cases, Naughty Piglets, Draper’s Arms, Brauhaus Edinburgh, Ham + Friends Leeds
• Bagnums of BojoNuvo will be sold at The Fromagerie, Wrights, Cork + Cask, Park + Bridge, Butchery, Mons in East Dulwich, as well as at the markets of Brockley, Herne Hill and Oval
• 1909 in Brighton will be celebrating Nouveau for £20 at the door, which includes two glasses of wine and food. Pascere in Brighton will also be pouring Beaujolais – four different growers including Nouveau, with small plates, for £45 per person.