Le Chant

We buy the 5-litre boxes here for a shade over €6. I haven't tried this year's BN, but I do like a Beaujolais Villages now and again. The last time I worked in London, I was in a bar just by Chelsea Bridge having a pint and a bloke burst in with a gang of mates carrying bowes, shouting "We won, we won!" Apparently, this was the landlord and his cronies who'd been on the BN run. First back to their pub wins. Hooray!

Ewood

About £1 a litre?? I think the VAT and excise duty comes to over £2 a 70cc bottle now

Tweedpipe

Andrea50, you stated:-
“That stuff should carry a government health warning!! Think I have tasted better rocket fuel........”

Knowing your wicked sense of humour I believe this was said with tongue partially in cheek.
Nevertheless do I assume you were referring to the 2008 Beaujolais Nouveau? If so I wonder which, and how many you sampled?
There are many different producers and imho big differences in quality and especially subtleties of taste.
Together with Gaillac primeur they are easily drinkable, i.e light & fresh. This is due to the particular winemaking technique which prevents the bitter tannins from being extracted from the skins of the Gamay grapes. Ideally the result is a fresh and fruity quality.
Unfortunately so many people try just one particular brand of primeur and declare it as “weak, cheap rubbish,” which is a great shame.

I’m spoilt here in the SW being surrounded by vineyards. I tried the local Gaillac primeur this lunchtime with a camembert filled quarter baguette. Sheer heaven! The wine was one of several I purchased from one of the increasing number of ‘Vignerons Independants’. Not surprisingly some are better than others, the pleasure being to try different winegrowers and finding one to suit your particular palette.
I’ve yet to try the Beaujolais Nouveau, but I’m sure that after shopping around I will track down at least one which I’ll find enjoyable.

If you’ve had an unpleasant experience with very cheap new wine, before shrugging off ‘Beaujolais Nouveau’ for ever, I would suggest that some of you may wish to try some primeurs from different regions- Beaujolais/ Beaujolais –Village / Gaillac / Cote du Rhone / or even Bardolino Novello. And if still displeased, you’re still spoilt with a wonderful choice of other more mature wines from your local supermarket or wine store.
Oh, and by the way, whatever you do, don’t go into a restaurant and do a Rodney Trotter – asking the waiter for a Beaujolais Nouveau – 2002!!

Ewood

What a plonkah! Seriously, you have the advantage in being surrounded by the BN, and as you say, people are influenced by the first bottle they try, in the main. Happy tasting

Novocastrian

You mean Chateau Val de Carentan is no more? This is a tragedy. I might as well put the house up for sale now.

Andrea50

Yep, you got it, although the partially stuck tongue was probably the result of the immense dryness which didn't rock my boat much. No it wasn't a 2008, we were over in France for 2005 and 2006, and they turned up during our first Autumn so must have been 2005. And the 10 bottles could well have been all different, and me as a complete phillistine didn't realise to start with they were all different - wine's wine to me - there are only four types, red, rosy, white and Bloody 'Orrible, so they could have been those primeur dona things you were on about or could have been purple plonk from Netto for all I knew about it.

Our neighbour said you can tell a good wine by the strength of your hangover the next morning: if you can't move at all and think you have died, it's not good. If you can move but don't want to, it's not bad, and if you jump up singing Le Marselleuse and cut three acres of grass in 8 minutes it's a cracker!

One of the bottles did however strip the varnish off an old hi fi unit better than decapitant, so wasn't complaining exactly ................

val50

Don't worry - found they have at St Lo, so I can stock up before you get back
Have a good trip back to that other place (I can't even say
the name)

Novocastrian

G'wan. Force yersel'.

I leave Germany tomorrow morning and hope to be back in C*n*d* on Sunday.

val50

They were selling Beaujolais Nouveau for 1.97 euro at our local Carrefour today - letting it breath for a few minutes - will report back later - if capable.

Have a safe trip back - hope your flight is okay - I hear there are snow warnings for NS (15 cms tonight) so I might not be able to get back to "the land that time forgot" although that might be wishful thinking

Bon voyage Novo

Novocastrian

Merci Madame, a bientot.