Every third Thursday of November, wine lovers gather to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau—a young, fruity wine made from Gamay grapes in France's Beaujolais region. It’s a simple wine, bottled just weeks after harvest, meant to be enjoyed while it is still fresh and fun. But what if we tried to make a version of this wine grapes from Las Brisas? That’s where the idea of a Carneros-style Nouveau of Pinot Noir came in, offering a fresh take on a classic style.
What’s Special About Beaujolais Nouveau?
Beaujolais Nouveau isn’t about complexity or aging. It’s about bright, juicy flavors and capturing the freshness of the harvest. Made using carbonic maceration—a process that enhances fruitiness and reduces tannins—it has notes of strawberry, cherry, and sometimes hints of banana. Serve it chilled, and it’s ready to enjoy, no special handling required.
On Beaujolais Nouveau Day, celebrated annually on the third Thursday of November, the world marks the release of the year's first Beaujolais Nouveau wine. At precisely 12:01 a.m. local time, bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau are officially released for sale. This strict timing is part of French law, ensuring that everyone gets their hands on the wine simultaneously.
In the Beaujolais region of France, the day is marked by festivals, parades, and fireworks. The town of Beaujeu, considered the heart of Beaujolais, hosts the Les Sarmentelles de Beaujeu, a multi-day festival that includes wine tastings, live music, and the ceremonial uncorking of the first bottles. The day isn’t just about wine—it’s a celebration of French culture and the joy of the harvest. It’s common to hear people shouting, “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” (“The Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived!”), signaling the start of the festivities.
Not only is this event celebrated in France, it is celebrated everywhere. Restaurants, wine bars, and retailers across the globe (even in Napa and Sonoma!) organize special events, tastings, and dinners to showcase Beaujolais Nouveau. It’s a chance for wine enthusiasts to gather, taste, and toast the new vintage together.
Why Try a Carneros Nouveau Pinot Noir?
Now, imagine this style applied to Pinot Noir, especially from our Carneros vineyard, Las Brisas As we know, Carneros is an AVA known for producing vibrant, high-quality Pinot. At our last fall club pick up party, we poured a barrel sample of our 2023 Pinot Noir, only weeks after harvest, and our members loved it so much, we decided to try bottling it for this release.
A Nouveau of Pinot Noir shifts the focus to freshness and pure fruit flavors. Carneros’ cool climate produces Pinot Noir with crisp acidity and bright red fruit flavors. In a Nouveau style, the wine showcases these qualities in a fun, unpolished way, and with Thanksgiving and holiday meals coming up, a Nouveau Pinot’s light, fruity profile pairs beautifully with turkey, cranberry sauce, and sides.
We usually think of Pinot Noir as elegant and complex. In a Nouveau style, it’s youthful and easygoing—perfect for casual sipping or introducing friends to wine. With a hint of underlying spice from the oak, it really is only there to carry the notes of bright red fruit to the end.
We hope you try our version of Carneros Nouveau of Pinot Noir!
From our vineyard to your table! Production images of our Nouveau of Pinot Noir.
Shop our
2024 Nouveau of Pinot Noir Carneros
