Tweedpipe

Gaillac primeur (and Beaujolais) will be on sale world-wide from tomorrow - traditionally an event held the 3rd Thurs of Nov.
Tonight at midnight is the annual uncorking ceremony of the first barrel of primeur. Always a big event in Gaillac.
Although I'm a great lover of Bordeaux (and Languedoc wines), one thing a good primeur does is refreshes, and does it well due to it's light and fruity nature. The low tannins produced being a result of the type of grape and the very short fermentation process.
For those who prefer a white wine, there is a little-known regional grape known as Loin de L'oeil which when blended is quite pleasing. Loin de L'oeil or 'far from the eye' relates to the position of the clustered grapes on the stem in relation to the oeil (eye) or bud.
You may have to try several of these new wines before finding one you like, but it's good fun trying. The better primeurs are usually a little more expensive, which is generally the case with most wines.
Enjoy, as they say......."avec moderation". Bonne santé!

dmu

Hi, our fruity Languedoc Primeurs have been around since October, but are running out. Luckily the Beaujolais Nouveau can take over!

Peabrain

Tweedpipe, that's a very interesting post. Alas, however, I wouldn't touch Beaujolais Nouveau with the proverbial bargepole as it's almost always undrinkable. I've never been able to see the point; why not just buy stuff that has reached maturity instead of grape juice? I've always seen the primeur thing as just a marketing ploy to get the Japanese to buy up excess production. Perhaps someone will come along and prove me wrong one day, but my heart always sinks when I get invited along to a B.N. party.

Tweedpipe

Agreed, I've tried some B.N. too, which without being actually undrinkable, wasn't particularly pleasing. But this is one of the interesting things about wines - primeur too, that it can be so different between individual winegrowers. In my particular location there are the large 'cooperatives', and also many excellent independent vineyards who's production of primeur can be very pleasant.
I've never been to a B.N. party but I'd wager that a great many of them - frequently business ventures - are organised for the masses to have a good time and be merry on a very 'ordinary' sample of new wine that above all ensures great profitability. I often wonder how many of these 'revellers' then over the next month or so seek out to find those elusive winegrowers who can and do succeed in producing a fresh, great new wine. My personal experience has shown it can be very satisfying.
As an example, someone not familiar with cheeses may try say a Vieux Boulogne, be horrified, and declare that French cheeses are terrible, which would be a grave mistake.
Similarly imho with wines, full-bodied or primeur, the variety and qualities in both categories can differ considerably, and merit to be discovered in greater depth.
Cheers!

Novocastrian

Tastes vary, but your heart shouldn't really sink. B.N. is made by a very different process than other red wines. It's called "carbonic maceration" in which exposure of the Gamay grapes to high CO2 levels results in internal fermentation not mediated by yeasts mixed with a juice.

It's a once a year treat.

dmu

Hi, we tried some B.N. today and must admit that it wasn't anything to write home about. We'll try a different bottle tomorrow to compare..
We much preferred our local Primeur but must wait until next year now...

Tweedpipe

Interesting. I looked for some Languedoc Primeur but could find nothing.

Went into a large hypermarche around lunch-time today and there was a stand set-up to taste 3 different B.N. and several local (Gaillac) primeur. I think the guy in charge had just walked away to serve someone else so I waited for him to return. After 5mins he still wasn't there, and I was just about to help myself when O.H. pulled on my sleeve saying, "You can't do that, we'll come back later!"
Unfortunately on this occasion I listened to 'Her Who Should Stay At Home', and we crept away for lunch. Came back to the same wine area, and of course all the trial bottles and glasses had been packed away, and nobody manning the stall.
Swore at the O.H (politely of course) and put 4 different B.N into the shopping trolley to try at home. Will advise findings in due course.
Moral of story: Never listen to your Bag for Life!

le plumber

I find that it always smell of bananas

Tweedpipe

le Plumber, now there's a very perceptive comment.

Beaujolais Nouveau and other French primeur wines are primarily associated with the Gamay grape and one of it's characteristic aromas is one often described as - wait for it - "banana candy". Other aromas are complex, often strongly chemical and fruity-like, cranberries etc.
The natural, powerful carbonic maceration process which is particular to the new Gamay wines, produces quite a number of chemical flavours which is why the wines taste so 'different'. To shrug this 'difference' off as "undrinkable" is common, but these brief notes may help a little. (I remember years ago the first time I tasted natural yogurt. I thought it was terrible! But persevered until I became hooked).

For what it's worth, I noticed on quite of number of video clips, revelers caught up in the harvest frenzy at B.N. parties, downing the wine as soon as it was poured from the bottles, with never a hint of appreciation of the often very complex bouquet. This imho is a great shame, as it can be a very rewarding part of the wine-tasting ritual, even with a wine as fresh and body-less as the primeurs.

I have purchased a number of B.N. and a variety of local primeur wines, and have just started making appreciation notes of these.
Now we all know that tasting and appreciation is very subjective, however imho judging by the first two bottles from different vineyards, the B.N. doesn't appear to be faring too well.
A suivre.......

Novocastrian

Last night we drank a bottle of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau, one of a small handful of BNs available in Ontario this year. Is this one you've tried Tweedpipe? I was surprised at how much body it actually had given what it is.

Tweedpipe

No, not yet.
Although I bought 2 bottles of G.D. Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau (12%vol), I havn't tried one yet. I'm hoping - and it should be - better than the G.D. Beaujolais (AOC) 12.5%vol we tried at the weekend which - in our household at least - was given the thumbsdown. The most favourable of the two we've tried so far is a Pisse-Dru Beaujolais (AOC) 12%vol.
No.1 son in Quebec, bought a bottle of G.D Nouveau (not sure exactly which) as he does most years more to savour than to 'guzzle'. Result was a thumbsdown. He looked in many SAQ's for a Gaillac Primeur first day of release, but couldn't find one.
Slightly off-topic of primeurs, but somewhat to my surprise most years I've found a rather nice Gaillac AOC 13%vol (Chateau Lecusse) in several SAQ stores in Montreal. Unsure about Ontario.
Enjoy.

dmu

Snap, except that it wasn't Beaujolais-Villages! I'll look elsewhere for a "Villages" this week, but didn't see any last week.
Our Languedoc Primeurs have a melony/raspberry taste...

Novocastrian

I'd be curious as to what you paid for G.D B-VN in France? $C14.95 here, (about 10.60 euro).

Edit: I just looked at the other bottle of the Village I have, and interestingly it claims 12.5%. I wonder if this actually different from the one you have?

Thanks for the tip on the Chateau Lecusse, but I didn't notice it on the LCBO website. I'll look again.

Tweedpipe

Here in France I paid 5.90 euro ($C8.27) for a G.D B-VN. The label displays an artists impression of red (poppies?) and mauve flowers with gold highlights. It was a 12.5% by the way - to be tasted this weekend together with one of my favourite Gaillac primeurs.

Tweedpipe

Would like to try one. Even the largest Leclerc in Blagnac didn't have any Languedoc Primeur. I'll search in a few smaller wine stores at the weekend.