The 2022 vintage

For Bertrand Chatelet, director of SICAREX Beaujolais, the Beaujolais Institute of Viticulture and Oenology Research, the year 2022 "was still stressful for the vines with episodes of heat and drought in the spring and summer. While the vines adapted to this hot, dry and sunny vintage by moderating their production, the producers also showed adaptation by starting the harvest historically early." In fact, the earliest after 2003! So yes, the wines are powerful, fleshy and for the most successful, intensely fruity which is good news to remember, especially for the primeurs...

Inter Beaujolais - Prestafood and Com

The Beaujolais nouveau 2022

Or rather the Beaujolais Nouveaux, as the style changes from one sample to another: after a hundred samples tasted, we realize that the task was not so easy for the producers as the traps were numerous in 2022. Explanations:

- Water stress, especially in the South, sometimes resulted (not always fortunately!) in dry tannins which, on Beaujolais Nouveaux, you will agree, is not of the best taste.

- The desire to "put in" a little more, as they say over there! Understand, the grape is magnificent, I will be able to take everything (to extract). The result: tannic primeurs wines, with the profile of a wine for ageing; good wines indeed, but irrelevant as far as the third Thursday of November is concerned. In the extreme case, astringent and unbalanced wines that have gone too far in the maceration process during fermentation.

- When it is ripe, it is more fragile... And here, we touch a sensitive point: control. Making a primeur, as simple as it may be, is not as easy as it seems. The proof is that 2022 is also a year where deviations of acetate (nail polish) or volatile phenols (stable, ink, leather) were abnormally high. And for good reason, many of the samples presented were vinified without sulfite dioxyde (we have nothing against it, on the contrary!), increasing the risks of deviation in such a context.

The good news!

So how is 2022? Well, when it is good, it is very, very good! Fleshy, pulpy, terribly juicy and intensely perfumed, here is the 2022 primeur at its best. A treat, we are not exaggerating, but you still have to choose the right one. Come on, we help you, we tasted them for you!

Olivier Borneuf

The masterpieces

Winery	Wine	Appellation	Note	Price
Domaine Richard Rottiers		Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Nice nose of juicy red fruits, pulpy palate, bright, salivating and floral. Nice Primeur fruit, greedy and consistent.	9,00€
Domaine Jean-Marc Lafont	Éphémère	Beaujolais Nouveau rouge	Marshmallow, dried flowers, lily of the valley. In the mouth: unctuous, fleshy, a treat.	8,00€
Maison Coquard	Le Coq	Beaujolais Nouveau rouge	Black fruits, blackberry, elegant nose. Nouveau in style in the mouth with structure in the finish. Very 2022 in style.	7,50€
Maison Jean Loron	Tradition	Beaujolais Nouveau rouge	Black cherry, elegant, crisp, very pure palate, juicy and lively.	8,00€
Domaine de Colette	Natur'Elle de Colette	Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Fine in the nose, smooth in the palate: blood orange, flowers, refreshing.	11,50€
Domaine des Nugues Gelin Gilles	Sans soufre	Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Nice juicy red fruits, ample and velvety, full, juicy and kirschy finish. Full and not a wrinkle!	9,50€
Maison Piron		Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Pure, clean, lacy and at the same time full of flesh. It is elegant and very like a primeur wine. We like it.	10,00€
Manoir du Carra	Dame Nature	Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Dashing nose, very fresh introducing a supple, appetizing and consistent palate. A generous nouveau.	11,00€
Domaine Romuald Petit		Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Discreet nose of small red fruits, very supple, easy and generous, in all lightness, pleasant. With a structured touch in the finish. Stylish.	9,00€
Domaine de la Madone Famille Bérerd	Pérréonissime	Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Redcurrant jelly, raspberry, juicy as desired, very pleasant and ample, good.	8,50€
Domaine Julien Aucagne		Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Cherry, red currant, fleshy and smooth at the same time, juicy finish. Serious and full of charm.	6,20€
Domaine de Thulon		Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Floral, cherry, all caressing the palate calling for the second glass.	7,50€
Cave de Clochemerle		Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	We bite into the juicy and fleshy cherry. It is indeed a primeur.	9,00€
Domaine des Combiers Savoye Laurent		Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Menthol, cherry, candy, in a consistent, juicy, fresh and subtly tannic style, very well crafted. Classy.	7,00€

The "very good"

Winery	Wne	Appellation	Note	Price
Domaine de la Simonde	Essen'Ciel	Beaujolais Nouveau rouge	Raspberry, clean, tasty and velvety mouth, a suave primeur.	5,00€
Domaine du Guélet Puillat C et D		Beaujolais Nouveau rouge	Classic, marshmallowy, unctuous, straightforward, charming and well within the vintage with structure in return.	7,50€
Maison Agamy	Domaine de Solémy	Beaujolais Nouveau rouge	Appetizing red fruits, nice touch, crunchy, full, very pleasant, with a touch of firmness but primeur in style.	7,00€
Maison Coquard	69	Beaujolais Nouveau rouge	Red fruits, quite precise, fresh, nice nouveau, but really structured!	7,50€
Domaine Jean-Paul Dubost	Beaujolais Lantignié	Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Floral nose, cherry, velvety texture, quite long and tannic finish, a new serious, almost for ageing, good wine.	8,50€
Maison Agamy	Louis Tête Tradition	Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Classic cherry nose, quite ample, consistent palate, quite juicy finish, generous. Good value.	8,00€
Famille Mélinon	Tirage Précoce	Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Original nose, buds, red fruits, fresh and simple, with a loose finish. Pleasant.	8,00€
Domaine Guénael Jambon		Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau rouge	Redcurrant, strawberry, ample palate, original finish, on blood orange, tannic return. A salivating primeur... Which can be kept!	7,50€
Domaine Frédéric Berne		Beaujolais Nouveau rouge	Infused gamay juice, simple and thirst-quenching, quite consistent, very primeur, in the spirit of 2022, good wine.	12,00€
Domaine des Marrans Famille Mélinand		Beaujolais Nouveau rouge	Juicy red fruits, unctuous and caressing wine, very seductive.	10,00€

The very good classics