Having already taken on the unprecedented problem of publishing (and thereby endorsing) an in depth information to Paris’ greatest Beaujolais Nouveau events, the editorial crew determined to place its cash the place its Mouth is and attend as many as potential in a single night time.
Meg Zimbeck known as it “the Beaujolais Dying March”: a tipsy trek from the 14ème to the 11ème. Alongside the best way we met winemakers, shared bottles with strangers, used automotive roofs as bars, and, fully accidentally, obtained actor Willem Dafoe’s opinion on Beaujolais Nouveau (“I desire full-bodied reds,” he mentioned, earlier than ducking into an nameless café in an unsuccessful bid to keep away from paparazzi).
Most significantly, we tasted as a lot high quality Beaujo Nouveau as potential alongside the best way.
We made it to 10 events in complete earlier than inevitably factioning off, a few of us in quest of grander wines, others heat beds, and nonetheless others – nicely, simply this creator – a closing spherical and a few oysters at Aux Tonneaux des Halles at 3AM.
What follows is a by-no-means full, however I hope principally competent evaluation of the pure Beaujolais Nouveau of 2013: the events, the individuals, the wines.
The Itinerary
Thursday November 21
12:30pm Caves Augé – A tasting of vin primeurs from round France. Chatted briefly with Jean Foillard in regards to the classic. Winemakers have been bottling wine from barrels introduced for the event.
A household affair: Jean Foillard’s son & Eric Pfifferling’s spouse Marie at Caves Augé
Winemaker Jean-François Nicq at Caves Augé
Wine tasted
Jean Foillard – Beaujolais Nouveau 2013. Foillard’s Beaujolais Nouveau is sourced from vines in Courcelles positioned simply 200m from the bounds of the Morgon appellation. So it’s debatable whether or not the impressively mineral, darkfruited, briary qualities of the 2013 Nouveau derive from some unclassified cru terroir, or slightly simply from Foillard’s impeccable home type. His unsulfured and unfiltered Nouveau tastes as structured as lots of his friends’ regular, non-nouveau Beaujolais. Foillard deems 2013 an “virtually regular 12 months,” although the viticultural calendar was delayed by a cool, humid spring.
6:30pm La Cave des Papilles – This wine store held a tasting of vins primeurs from round France. But it surely was terribly organised, so we didn’t keep lengthy. There was simply nowhere close to sufficient house within the wine store itself, and no different shelter from the sunshine rain exterior, aside from a small tent over the jazz band, who at that hour have been honking desultorily to an viewers of 1 cameraman.
Sober cameraman at La Cave des Papilles
Wine tasted
Nicolas Testard – Beaujolais-Villages Primeur “Le Lapin “ 2013. Testard is an up-and-comer of the Beaujolais new-wave, having begun his practicing-organic domaine in simply 2008. He sometimes makes use of no filtration or sulfur at bottling. I nonetheless have a tendency to search out his non-nouveau wines a bit delicate and reserved – which is why his primeur’s ebullient, vigorous purple fruit this 12 months comes as a pleasing shock. It’s like returning to Elliott Smith’s early fist-pumping Heatmiser recordings after a day spent snoozing to Determine 8.
7:00pm La Quincave – A splendid occasion. La Quincave had pushed their tables to the facet and provided wines solely by the bottle that night, with the consequence that each one attendees mingled and shared wines freely. I interviewed younger winemaker Kevin Descombes.
Fred (at left), the charming proprietor of Le Quincave
Kevin Descombes, the younger maker of Cuvée Kéké at Le Quincave
Wines tasted
Damien Coquelet – Beaujolais Nouveau 2013. Damien Coquelet is pure winemaker George Descombes’ 26-year-old step-son. I needed to bum a glass from Café de la Nouvelle Mairie founder Bernard Pontonnier, as a result of even early within the night, La Quincave had run out of Coquelet’s primeur. Inasmuch as a Beaujolais Nouveau may be mental, Coquelet’s 2013 is: it’s pointed acidity is perceptible on the nostril, and the wine general is leaner and greener than its friends, although not in a foul approach. It made for a refreshing savoury counterpoint to the wine’s pure pale fruit.
Karim Vionnet – Beaujolais-Villages Primeur 2013. Vionnet is a half-Algerian former baker who lower his enamel with Beaujolais legend Man Breton earlier than founding his personal domaine in 2006. His 2013 primeur is without delay trustworthy and imprecise, like a dialog with pal who’s drunk. There’s a smudge of grime amid the purple fruit and violets, and maybe a bit much less acid than I’d have preferred. Grapes for Vionnet’s nouveau manufacturing come straight out of these allotted for his Beaujolais-Villages; this 12 months, he made little or no nouveau with a view to fulfill demand for the latter wine.
Kevin Descombes – Beaujolais Nouveau “Cuvée Kéké” 2013. Kevin is pure Beaujolais winemaker Georges Descombes’ 21-year-old son, who made his first wines underneath his personal title this 12 months from a mixture of rented vines and new winery holdings. The 1h20ares of the latter that yield the “Cuvée Kéké” are located on sandy soil within the commune of Courcelles. Atypically for Beaujolais Nouveau, the wine noticed 15 days’ fermentation : it’s comparatively weighty, lacquered profile has extra in widespread with strong Beaujolais normale than a vin primeur. Solely it’s 11.5% alcohol and its glimmeringly contemporary fruit betray its youth. Briefly, a fabulous début, and for many people, the wine of the night time.
Jean-Claude Lapalu – Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2013. Jean-Claude Lapalu takes the bizarre step of most of his non-nouveau manufacturing in Bordeaux bottles, slightly than the Burgundy form most well-liked by most within the area. The character of Lapalu’s general oeuvre – sturdy, muscular wines that, like Bordeaux, can sometimes lack aerial grace – provides one to suppose the choice is critical. So right here I’ll observe that his 2013 Beaujolais Nouveau performs fully in opposition to sort: it’s in a Burgundy bottle, and it’s a bit diffuse and wishy-washy, turbid within the glass with a fruit-mousse nostril. Completely nice, however gained’t change hearts and minds accustomed to being underwhelmed by Beaujolais Nouveau.
8:30pm Café de la Nouvelle Mairie – By this time we have been famished. We sat away from the band within the eating room, the place we devoured daube de boeuf beside importer turned winemaker François Ecot and Tavel winemaker Nadia Charmasson. Outdoors we bumped into Vezelay winemaker Catherine Montanet and her Paris agent Sylvie Chameroy, in addition to Paris espresso maven Hyppolite Courty and a former proprietor of Café de la Nouvelle Mairie, winemaker Nicolas Carmarans.
Importer turned winemaker François Ecot and Tavel winemaker Nadia Charmasson.
Winemaker Catherine Montanet (third from left) with wine agent Sylvie Chameroy (second from proper) and buddies at Café de la Nouvelle Mairie
Daube de boeuf at Café de la Nouvelle Mairie
Hyppolite Couty from L’Arbre à Café & winemaker Nicolas Carmarans
Wine tasted
Man Breton – Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau “Cuvée Fanchon” 2013. I envy the Japanese. They appear to get a approach larger allotment than Paris of pure Beaujolais legend Man Breton’s masterful “Cuvée Fanchon.” Crisp, pure, and limpid, with an acid construction as intricate as the inside of a Swiss watch, the wine’s ringing purple fruit was adopted, on the end, by an entirely nice dab of bubblegum. Within the context, it felt lovingly ironic, like James Murphy’s mid-2000’s affection for cowbell percussion.
10:00pm Les Pipos – None of us had any burning need to go to Les Pipos’ occasion, as we anticipated (rightly) that it could be filled with vacationers. But it surely was proper across the nook, and on the best way to our subsequent vacation spot, and I knew we may depend on discovering winemaker Georges Descombes’ primeur there. We splashed down a bottle and toasted the guitar participant and moved on.
Guitar participant at Les Pipos
Revelers at Les Pipos
Wine tasted
Georges Descombes – Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2013. Pure Beaujolais patriarch Georges Descombes’ 2013 nouveau is, oddly, not as exact on the palate as his son Kevin’s. It’s lengthy, rounded darkish fruit appeared a contact overripe on the end. However just like the “Cuvée Kéké,” it’s darkish, extracted type may cross for non-nouveau in a heartbeat. The wines are a bit like when recording artists launch, as bonus tracks, demo variations barely distinguishable from album tracks.
10:30pm Le Garde Gown – Occasions have modified since Le Garde Gown threw a rocking block occasion on rue de l’Arbre Sec in collaboration with the now-shuttered Spring Boutique. Whether or not as a result of Paris’ majority inhabitants of grouch neighbors, or to over-cautious Paris police, this 12 months’s occasion was a shadow of its former self. There was a stand exterior for onion soup, however no crowds. We stayed simply lengthy sufficient to greet Sancerre pure winemaker Sebastien Riffault, who occurred to be passing via.
A quiet night time at Le Garde Gown
Me and winemaker Sébastien Riffault
10:45pm Aux Tonneaux des Halles – Patrick Fabre’s bistrot had remodeled right into a pirate competition in full swing. Les Barriques Aux Rouges – a pseudonym for a well known French dixie jazz band – occupied absolutely half the terrace. None of us needed to go away, however I knew the occasion would final some time and was already considering we may loop again later…
Musicians on the terrasse at Aux Tonneaux des Halles
Road scene at Aux Tonneaux des Halles
Revelers at Aux Tonneaux des Halles
Wines tasted
France Gonzalvez – Vin de France “Le Nouveau” 2013. Gonzalvez is a younger winemaker primarily based in Blacé, who started by working with pure Beaujolais winemaker Xavier Benier earlier than establishing her personal domaine in 2008. Most of her wines, for no matter motive, don’t obtain AOC approval, and one will get the impression she has largely stopped asking. Her 2013 primeur was admittedly form of an odd duck: resin notes dominated the nostril, and the just about ungainly ripeness of the fruit was adopted by a caramel end. Not disagreeable, however definitely uncommon.
11:30pm Ma Cave de Fleury – We simply missed the fanfare band at Morgane Fleury’s wine bar. So we pounded down a bottle of vin primeur from the Rhône and set about scheduling Uber automobiles to take us to the subsequent vacation spot.
Morgane Fleury pouring at Ma Cave de Fleury
12:30am Le Repaire de Cartouche – Right here, too, we missed the band. In truth proprietor Rodolphe Paquin appeared within the midst of making an attempt, very half-heartedly, to cease serving. However we bumped into Mary-Jo Mimoun of Moroccan pure wine restaurant Le Tagine and influential Rhône winemaker Réné-Jean Dard, so we stayed and consumed one other bottle of Man Breton’s primeur. Mimoun shortly disappeared and Dard started talking in Japanese.
Winemaker Réné-Jean Dard (proper) at Repaire de la Cartouche
1:30am L’Entrée des Artistes – Homeowners Edouard Vermynck and Fabien Lombardi for the second 12 months in a row threw the densest, darkest, most insidery pure Beaujolais occasion. The bouncer deserves particular point out for being the one bouncer in historical past who, when informed by these standing exterior that they know the homeowners, really went in to examine with the homeowners, who promptly allow us to in. The bar had run out of wine glasses, however we made do, as did Jean Foillard, Mary Jo Mimoun, Loire winemaker Jean-Pierre Robinot, La Buvette’s Camille Fourmont, Vivant’s David Benichou, Verjus’ Laura Adrian, half the workers of Bones and a bunch of different wine personalities.
Wines tasted
Michel Guignier – Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau “Festivitas” 2013. Each point out of this Michel Guignier – the biodynamic, sulfur-free one primarily based in Vauxrenard – should essentially be accompanied by the reason that he’s not the different Michel Guignier, the merely natural one primarily based in close by Villié-Morgon. The previous Guignier’s primeur, the unfortunately-titled “Festivitas,” is commendably consultant of his home type: rainwater contemporary, with a eager vitamin crunch underpinning the wine’s red-fruit tang.
Benoit Camus – Vin de France 2013. Camus is a younger winemaker primarily based in Ville sur Jamioux, within the southern finish Beaujolais. His 2013 primeur is burly and intense, stylistically far faraway from the norm. Whereas I applaud its stolid black fruit and rocky core, I additionally don’t need to drink it as a Beaujolais Nouveau, in a sizzling sweaty wine bar filled with individuals listening to funk music at 2AM. Which is after all how we drank it.
2:30am: Aux Tonneaux des Halles – They have been nonetheless at it. The band had moved inside and have been enjoying a diminished set-up. Proprietor Patrick Fabre promptly poured me a glass of wine and shared a plate of bushy, mussel-laden oysters. He launched me to Café de la Nouvelle Mairie founder Bernard Pontonnier; I shared a closing discovered with him and winemaker Georges Descombes earlier than zigzagging fortunately dwelling on a Vélib.
Late night time banjo at Aux Tonneaux des Halles
Georges Descombes and Bernard Pontonnier at Aux Tonneaux des Halles
Extra Pure Beaujolaises Nouveau of 2013
Wines tasted on two days following the official launch of Beaujolais Nouveau:
Pierre-Marie Chermette – Beaujolais-Villages Vieilles Vignes “Cuvée Tim” 2013. The story is that Tim Johnston, founding father of pioneering Paris wine bar Juveniles, selects a particular cuvée of vin nouveau from Pierre-Marie Chermette of Domaine de Vissoux annually. This 12 months, as in different years, plenty of Johnston’s buddies within the Paris wine scene additionally provided the cuvée. The 2013, whereas not unpotable by any means, is a bit brackish and joyless compared to each different pure Beaujolais Nouveau I tasted.
Xavier Bénier – Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2013. I’ve the sensation that Xavier Bénier tends to be unfairly classed as a pure Beaujolais also-ran, in all probability as a result of his lamentably unfocused and ill-marketed wine labels, any one in every of which may function a suitable visible theme by itself, however which, when taken in sum, look determined and nonsensical. Cursive on the Beaujolais Blanc, a contemporary contact on the cuvée “XB,” and a faceless bland beige factor for the Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau, which latter cuvée, I’m happy to report, is nonetheless terrific: rainfall-fresh, with buoyant darkish fruit.
Laurence et Remi Dufaitre – Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2013. Laurence et Remi Dufaitre based their property on the best financial institution of the Saône in 2001, and have since grow to be protogés of Jean Foillad and Jean-Claude Lapalu. Their 2013 Beaujolais-Villages is swooningly pretty: a holographically mimetic rose nostril, and a marvelously limpid palate of purple berry fruit. For me this ties Man Breton for the most effective Beaujolais Nouveau of the 12 months.
Isabelle et Bruno Perraud – Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau “Brut de Cuve” 2013. Vauxrenard-based winemakers Isabelle and Bruno Perraud’s unfiltered, unsulfured “Brut de Cuve” primeur shows a high-toned mountain fruit just like that of their neighbor Michel Guignier. The Perrauds’ is much less crisp, and considerably extra lush; what it lacks in agility it recovers in persistence.
