Each year, on the third Thursday of November, Les Vins Georges Duboeuf releases its Beaujolais Nouveau wines to the world. Bottled just a few weeks after the harvest, these wines are meant to be enjoyed young, in celebration of the year’s vintage.
Per French law and tradition, Georges Duboeuf 2020 Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé and Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau will all become available worldwide at midnight on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020.
Les Vins Georges Duboeuf was founded in the 1960s, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that the brand grew to international recognition when Georges introduced the local Beaujolais Nouveau tradition to a global audience. Though he passed away earlier this year, the legacy that Georges began survives through the dedication of his son, Franck.
“The exceptional sunshine and high temperatures this year have worked wonders on the grapes, which have produced world-class wines,” says Franck, CEO of Les Vins Georges Duboeuf. “Imbued with warmth and harmony, these wines are packed with flavor and rich texture—the perfect antidote to the gray times we’re living in.”
The 2020 lineup includes:
- The 2020 Beaujolais Nouveau is a garnet color with a touch of purple. The palate provides red and black fruits, the company says, with a note of candy. The fresh expression of fruit follows through the finish.
- Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau is a shiny purple color with red and black fruits aromas, the company says, with a fruity finish.
- With a shiny clear currant color, the Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé exhibits aromas of red fruits, strawberry and vine-ripened peach, the company reports. There is a touch of sweetness on the finish.
“Even though holiday gatherings will not be occuring in the traditional sense this year, we still expect to see a very high demand for our Beaujolais Nouveau wines,” says Dennis Kreps, co-owner of Quintessential with his father, Stephen D. Kreps. Quintessential is the exclusive importer of Georges Duboeuf wines in the U.S. “Nouveau Day provides us all with a reason to celebrate, and to toast the holiday season with ‘The First Wine of the Harvest’.”
Over one million bottles of the 2020 Beaujolais Nouveau wines sold in the U.S. come adorned with the artwork of this year’s Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Artist Label Competition winner, Maeve Croghan. Her painting, Russet Vines, was selected by public vote from over 1,000 pieces of original art submitted this year. In addition to the new label, every bottle of 2020 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau contains a special cork this year, each printed with an individual code.
“We’re hoping to make the holidays a bit more joyous with the introduction of our First Wine of The Harvest Cork Sweepstakes,” Dennis says. “Duboeuf fans will have a chance to win limited edition branded gear and to be entered into the grand prize drawing for a premiere personal wine cellar.”
To see if a cork is a winner, and for complete rules and regulations, visit firstwineoftheharvest.com. All entries will be automatically submitted in the grand prize drawing.
Although most in-person gatherings are canceled this year, several online events are set for Beaujolais Nouveau Day 2020. To participate in the global celebration, follow the Duboeuf Instagram account or visit quintessentialwines.com.
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau is available through Minibar Delivery (where available) and at most wine retailers nationwide with a suggested retail price of $13.49 per 750-ml. bottle, along with the Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé is (SRP: $12.99) and the Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau is (SRP: $14.99).
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