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The Lowdown:  Nouveau, Primeur or Novello? ©
By Michael Vaughan
Thursday, November 15, 2001

So here it is the release day and I am at the LCBO Queens Quay ready to attack the nine new wines hitting the shelves.  To check on my own consistency and/or possible label bias, I repeat the tasting blind - nine unmarked glasses a few hours later in the day.  Fortunately, the results are quite similar giving me the confidence to go “public”.  Having said that, only one of the wines was what I would call unacceptable.  The balance could be quaffed and enjoyed without problem.  And if they are well chilled, then the differences become minimal.  

I enjoy nouveau wines with their bright, crisp, somewhat acidic flavours.  This year ~ 2001 is the 50^th anniversary since their launch.  Today one bottle in three is Nouveau with half of it being exported.  There are lots of copycats – some better, some worse.  Once you have tasted the true thing at its best, however, you’re inevitably a fan.  Perhaps this is just a state of mind.  Certainly today’s wines are inevitably better (albeit less idiosyncratic) than the ones I flirted with decades ago.  The slightly yeasty, petillant notes, which suggest the wine is still working, has been banished to make the wines more stable and safer.  Brian Banyard, the agent for Mommessin, points out that Beaujolais Nouveau sales are 25% of what they were 10 years ago!  “Nobody bothers to bring in on a consignment basis anymore.  I stopped five years ago because the LCBO minimum was 250 cases and it simply wasn’t worth the effort and expense.”  Another problem is the apparent failure of French to aggressively promote it properly!  That and changing tastes along with its relative high cost has hurt its sales.  There’s no question that one can purchase more accessible wines for the same amount of money.   Rated out of 3 stars.

GENERAL LIST

France

** Recommended ~ A Best Buy!                         Scored 88 points
Jeanjean Saveurs D’Autumne Primeur 2001
$8.80  (2, 200 cases)  (12.5%)
Fairly deep purple colour. The first bottle of this dry, bright, 100% Syrah-based red bristled with a zesty, almost petillant, taste.  Second and third bottles sampled were more demure. Its very crisp, dried cherry-berry fruit flavours make it a perfect refresher for steak and frites.  This wine was released on October 16^th in France.

*+ Crisp, Bright & Light Bodied                            Scored 86 points
Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau 2001
$12.95  (2,250 cases)  (12%)
Medium violet-red colour.  Youthful, fresh, slightly doughy, lemony-plum nose.  Spicy, bright, light/medium-light bodied, refreshing red cherry flavours with a somewhat malic finish.  Better than last year!

*/*+ Slightly Tart                                                    Scored 84.5 points
Duboeuf Gamay Nouveau 2001
$9.45  (1,100 cases)  (12%)
Light violet colour.  Youthful, slightly wooly, peppery nose.  Very dry, slightly tart, dusty, dried apple flavours.  Not up to last year’s performance.

Italy

* Tangy                                                                   Scored 84 points
Negrar Novello del Veneto 2001
$8.95  (2,500 cases)  (12%)
Medium cherry red colour.  Tangy, sour plum and blueberry notes with some fermentation notes (burnt paper) still present.  Very crisp, light bodied, tangy, slightly spicy, dried red cherry flavours with some red apple notes on the finish.

Ontario

** Recommended ~ A Best Buy!                           Scored 88.5 points
Chateau des Charmes Gamay Noir 2001 VQA
$8.95  (2,000 cases)  (12.5%)
Medium deep violet red colour.  Refined, bright, fresh red apple and cherry nose with some youthful doughy notes.  Well-balanced, dry, slightly spicy, fresh plum purée flavours with some dusty chocolate notes on the finish.  The best since 1998.

A Disaster!                                                             Scored 78 points
Pelee Island Gamay Noir Nouveau 2001 VQA
$8.95  (800 cases)  (12.4%)
Medium deep violet colour.  The nose is very herbal and dilly with lots of spinach – great for vegetarians.  The palate takes it a step further – thin, sour and very tart.  How did it ever get VQA status?  Avoid this one!

VINTAGES STORES AND VINTAGES SECTIONS

France

*+ Somewhat Thin                                                  Scored 84 points
Evaentail de Producteurs Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2001
$14.95  (400 cases)
By far the lightest in colour – medium light violet-red.  Ok nose, which is light with dried apple notes.  Very dry, crisp, somewhat thin with slightly tart, light-bodied, crisp, green apple flavours.  Not very good value!

** Recommended                                                  Scored 89 points
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2001
$14.95  (1,800 cases)  (12.3%)
Medium deep violet colour.  Youthful, somewhat dusty, fresh dried plum fruit on the nose.  Medium light bodied, very dry and crisp with some snappy, plummy, green plum and apple purée flavours.  A hint of strawberries on the finish.  Best Beaujolais Nouveau of the release. 

Italy

** Recommended & A Best Buy                          Scored 88 points
Mezzacorona Vino Novello 2001
$9.95  (800 cases)  (12%)
Medium deep violet colour.  Lively, fresh, ripe plum and green strawberry fruit on the nose.  Crisp, dry, medium-light bodied, bright, zesty, fresh plum flavours.  Well balanced and ready to enjoy.

Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada 2004
Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
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Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net