Beaujolais Nouveau is supposed to be a fun, rather than serious wine, and meant to be enjoyed in just the month or so after release (traditionally, the third Thursday in November).
In 2001, Abarbanel's Beaujolais Nouveau was simply excellent. Not only did I and my guests enjoy this wine, but the Wall Street Journal rated this inexpensive, kosher wine as one of the five best they'd tasted that years of all the nouveau wines.
Abarbanel's 2002 vintage was very disappointing; the wine tasted like blueberry juice with a little kick, a caricature of itself. Abarbanel's supplies of nouveau were much better in 2002 than in the previous year, which makes me wonder if the winery responded to the previous year's popularity by simply pushing wine out the door without making certain it was any good.
The lesson is very simple: each vintage is a rule unto itself, and every winery can have a bad year.
Beaujolais Nouveau is supposed to be a fun, rather than serious wine, and meant to be enjoyed in just the month or so after release (traditionally, the third Thursday in November).
In 2001, Abarbanel's Beaujolais Nouveau was simply excellent. Not only did I and my guests enjoy this wine, but the Wall Street Journal rated this inexpensive, kosher wine as one of the five best they'd tasted that years of all the nouveau wines.
Abarbanel's 2002 vintage was very disappointing; the wine tasted like blueberry juice with a little kick, a caricature of itself. Abarbanel's supplies of nouveau were much better in 2002 than in the previous year, which makes me wonder if the winery responded to the previous year's popularity by simply pushing wine out the door without making certain it was any good.
The lesson is very simple: each vintage is a rule unto itself, and every winery can have a bad year.