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We joined in with the worldwide celebrations on Thursday 20th November, the third Thursday in November – Beaujolais Nouveau Day, with a tasting in the Garden Cafe at Ballymaloe Cookery School.

 

New for all of us this year also, was a Muscadet Nouveau – a Muscadet Primeur AC 2014 from Château Coing de Saint Fiacre, Véronique et Aurore Günther-Chereau. Muscadet primeur is well-known among the wine-making families and workers of the Nantais, but little-known outside of these local circles. This year's primeur, with grapes picked under perfect September weather and made to the meticulous standards of the Günther-Chereau family – aromatic, light-bodied and fresh, with aromas of white peach and grapefruit with a crisp acid finish.

 

Back to Beaujolais, we had a pair of Beaujolais Nouveau to taste – first up was Domaine de la Plaigne de Gilles et Cécile Roux Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2014. 2014 looks to have been a successful harvest for Beaujolais and Cécile Roux, with wines that are deeply coloured and very perfumed. We followed this with one of the star producers of the Beaujolais region, Jean Foillard Beaujolais Nouveau AC 2014. This comes from about 4ha of organically tendered vines in Courcelles located just 200m from the limits of the Morgon appellation. Unsulphured and unfiltered, the style is one of juicy, dark cherry fruit and delicious drinkability!

It was a fun tasting and enjoyed by all – very much in the spirit of what Beaujolais Nouveau is all about – a celebration of the year’s harvest in the vineyard and a taste of the new seasons wine. Slainte!

 

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