When it comes to most areas, I generally like to think that I have my “stuff” together. Sure, my wife (and kids, for that matter) might disagree with that assertion on occasion, but I think they would also concur with the stated premise.

Having said that, a couple of months ago I realized that if drastic measures were not taken, I would have soon found myself a year behind in tasting through samples. I know, I know, this is a “problem” that many people think they would like to have, but let’s just say that trying to catch back up has been difficult.

Last night, as I was going through said samples to pop open another (while I might be woefully behind, the bottles are in some sense of organization, although the casual observer, peering into my office, might challenge that assessment), I came across the bottle pictured below. More on that later.

I have plenty of reasons (some might call them excuses) for my current state of angst, including several funerals (which are never fun), a sharp increase in travel (most of that was “fun” but I have made seven trips over the last year, seven, to the state of Ohio–I was born in the state so I am allowed to assert that Ohio is, well, Ohio), and, at least based on my records, this last year I received a bunch more samples than previous years.

All that navel-gazing brings me back to the bottle of Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau that I (finally) opened last night. As I mention in the note below, Beaujolais Nouveau is supposed to be consumed fairly quickly after it is released on the third Thursday of November. It is not a wine that will improve with age, not a wine that one should spend any time contemplating. In fact, I usually deride anybody who still has a bottle of Nouveau in their possession once the calendar turns to the following year.

Well, here I was, nearly eight months after that “drop-dead” consumption date, staring down a bottle of Nouveau.

What a dope.

On the bright side, it was a bottle from Georges Dubœuf, the single person responsible for the resurgence and popularity of Beaujolais in general and Nouveau in particular. And even though Monsieur Dubœuef passed away a couple of years ago now, the company is in the more than capable hands of his son, Franck.

The wine? It was delightful. Now, while I doubt that it had improved over the last several months in my office, it certainly paired beautifully with our meatless Monday meal of black beans and rice, served with a healthy dose of embarrassment.

2021 Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau, France: Retail $12. Synthetic stopper. 100% Gamay. I am a complete moron, or at best an utter hypocrite. I have spent most of my wine-drinking life professing that Beaujolais Nouveau needs to be consumed in the 5-6 weeks following its release. It is a wine of the harvest, released within a few weeks after the grapes are brought in, traditionally a wine to celebrate the harvest. So by the end of November? Sure. The end of the year? OK. A few scant days before August? Um, well, no. So why? The simple answer is that this got lost in my samples pile (not entirely honest, but close enough). Another factoid: I am an unabashed fan of all things Dubœuf. Nouveau is supposed to be fresh, fruity, and uncomplicated. Bingo. And I might just be slightly disappointed about that–since nine months out, this is still all of those things. And more. I might need to adjust my assertion about the need to consume Nouveau quickly. Very Good. 88 Points.

Georges, me, and Georges’ son, Franck, back in 2016.

Yours truly, with three generations of Dubœuf, in 2019.