I’ve been hearing good things about the 2016 Beaujolais Nouveau releases — and can now confirm that, yes, they might be on to something.

As usual, Georges Duboeuf is first out the gate with this ultra-young, ultra-fruity wine, but the nose features a lightly bitter astringency that one doesn’t usually find in Nouveau. While the nose is candylike and jammy, the body is more refined, offering some tannin and tea leaf to complement blueberry and strawberry notes. The finish is surprisingly clean, though not without a touch of lingering bubble gum, which is a helpful way to make you forget, at least in part, the clip-art appearance of the bottle label.

B+ / $12 / duboeuf.com

2016 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

$12

8.5

Rating

8.5/10