Georges Duboeuf 2017 Beaujolais-Villages ($12)

Clear, dark purple almost all the way to a clear garnet edge. Blackberry and raspberry with focus on the black fruit on the nose, but red fruit, raspberries and blackberries, becomes a little more prominent on the palate. Abundant, juicy fruit is well structured with fresh-fruit acidity, a whiff of stony minerality, and a surprising levels of firm but palatable tannins. It’s a medium-bodied wine that shows its fruit thanks to vinification in stainless steel tanks without exposure to oak. A good, balanced Beaujolais and a versatile food wine at 13% alcohol. U.S. importer: Quintessential LLC, Napa, Calif. (Jan. 23, 2020)

FOOD MATCH: “Great as an aperitif, this Beaujolais-Villages works with appetizers and charcuterie, such as prosciutto and other salty meats, pulled pork sliders, soft cheeses and light pasta dishes,” the importer says. We sipped it as an aperitif with mild cheese, which worked well to balance its tannic structure.

WHEN TO DRINK: The producer suggests drinking it within one or two years; that said, this 2017 model is drinking well, and I have no reason to fear that it will fail in the next year or two. Still, drink soon.

VALUE:
My local price matches Wine-Searcher.com’s $12 average U.S. retail for the 2017 vintage; it’s a fine value at this price.

WEB LINK
Here’s an importer’s fact sheet (PDF format) on the 2017 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages.

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