29 Nov Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2023
The Thanksgiving meal is a perfect meal to open numerous bottles of wine. Each year I pull a handful of bottles that I want to drink that I know will pair with our Thanksgiving dishes. One wine I have never had at the Thanksgiving table until this year is Beaujolais Nouveau. The Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2023 was a perfect addition to the Thanksgiving table and is the Please The Palate wine of the week.
About Beaujolais Nouveau
Beaujolais is a region in France, located just south of Burgundy. The primary grape of Beaujolais is Gamay. Beaujolais has 10 Crus producing the best wines in the region. What is unique about the region is the winemaking style. In Beaujolais, the wine is made through semi-carbonic maceration, resulting in fruity aromas. Cru Beaujolais are serious wines appreciated by wine lovers and collectors. But what Beaujolais is most famous for is Beaujolais Nouveau.
Historically, Beaujolais produced a youthful, vibrant wine but it was only allowed to be sold after December 15th. But the release date rules were changed in 1951. This youthful style of wine was named “Beaujolais nouveau” and producers could release is on November 15th. A competition started with producers trying to get their wines on store shelves first. And by the 1970s, this competition started to gain international attention. By the 1980s, the rule was changed that Beaujolais Nouveau could be released the third Thursday in November, in order to benefit from large weekend sales. This day became known as “Beaujolais Day” and is falls just before Thanksgiving.
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau
The Duboeuf family has been producing wines for more than four centuries. Le Vins Georges Duboeuf was officially established in 1964. And Georges Duboeuf is a name synonymous with Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau. And while they have been making Beajolais Nouveau for many decades, the new tagline for the 2023 vintage is Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau It Never Gets Old. This is a fun play on words because Beaujolais Nouveau is bottled the same year that it is released and it is meant to be drunk between when it is released in November and the next three months. In that way, Beaujolais Nouveau should never be aged and should not get old.
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2023 Tasting Notes
The Gamay was sourced from the southern part of the Beaujolais region. Some of the grapes are picked by hand in whole clusters. Traditional semi-carbonic maceration took place over eight days, followed by malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine is a garnet color and has fresh aromas of black cherries and blackberries. On the palate, the wine is fruity and fresh with textured tannins.
Food Pairing
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2023is fresh and fun and can be enjoyed with a charcuterie board. But it also paired perfectly with the turkey and potatoes at our Thanksgiving table.
Where to Purchase
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2023 retails for $14 and can found in your local wine shop. But remember to buy and drink it before Valentine’s Day!