Beg pardon. We don’t mean that kind of nouveau riche. Ambitious arrivistes, pretentious parvenus, up-from-nowhere nabobs are the furthest things from our minds this time of year. Rather, we bring our progressive trifocals to bear on our beloved Beaujolais shelf, where we eagerly await and then rejoice to witness the arrival of France’s celebrated first responders: Beaujolais Nouveau, or, occasionally, Primeur. It’s all the same, you see.
The fresh-squeezed Beaujolais that’s released each year on the third Thursday in November was still ripening on the vine just weeks ago. How, in so short a time, grapes transition into wine that is not only drinkable but delightful is a kind of miracle in a vat. The agents of this mad annual race against the clock are enzymes, nature’s little hurrier-uppers, who initiate their own proprietary fermentation clandestinely, deep in the sealed-off environment of an intact grape, well before yeasts even enter the picture.
To facilitate the process, winemakers take pains not to damage fruit by crushing, rough handling, or removing stems (which leaves a tiny perforation in the crown). The enzyme-driven fermentation that begins spontaneously in berries still huddled in their bunches only achieves 2-3% alcohol, but it has the effect of tenderizing the tannins to such a degree that, once a subsequent yeast fermentation consumes all remaining sugars, the new wine needs only a little time to settle itself down before it’s ready to bottle, ship and slurp.
(NB: A kind of ersatz Nouveau is made in industrial quantities with the aid of coloring, heavy doses of sulfur dioxide and the assistance of commercial yeasts specifically cultured to pump up fruity flavors, notably banana. Thanks, but no thanks. We’ll take our Nouveau sans additives and minus the blowsy tropical fruit, made, if you please, with nothing but healthy, ripe grapes grown by folks dedicated to producing the most natural, delicious wine possible.)
This year, we’re featuring a pair from two of our favorite, most admired, producers: Pierre-Marie Chermette and Rémi Dufaitre.
A veteran of 40 vintages, the man we respectfully call Père Chermette crafts vibrant, textured Beaujolais from all estate-grown fruit. His appealing roster of cuvées includes both the charming Les Griottes – sourced from the estate’s youngest vines — and Origine, from older stock. Both are longtime favorites here.
Husband and wife team Rémi and Laurence Dufaitre are, relatively speaking, new to the game. They began purchasing fruit in the Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly crus in 2008, and sold their first vintages to local co-ops. When they felt that the yeast populations in their little cuverie were sufficiently developed, they began bottling under their own label. Today, the couple enjoy a devoted fanbase in Paris’ red hot natural wine scene.
Judging by these early birds, the 2021 vintage in the Beaujolais looks to be strong across the board. Wondering how to choose between them? We strongly suggest you spread the wealth (or, if you prefer, give in to your inner oligarch) and take two, one of each, at a discount that would warm any billionaire’s heart — or at least the vacant chamber that once housed it.