Not Quite Beaujolais, But Definitely Not Beaujolais Nouveau

At one time, gamay wines, to quote Snoop Dogg, were the “shizzizel” of the wine world. Beaujolais, which is synonymous with gamay wine, was the darling of French wine regions in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Its renown came, unfortunately, for the wrong reasons.

Beaujolais nouveau (new Beaujolais) is the first wine produced of the vintage. These young, fruity wines are common in many regions around the world and are used to celebrate the end of harvest or the impending Christian holidays. Georges Duboeuf generally gets credit for popularizing the new wines from Beaujolais, which are released on the third Thursday of November.

I’ve always appreciated the celebratory spirit these wines are opened with, but I’ve rarely enjoyed the product itself, which tastes of bubble gum.

The shame of it all is that Beaujolais produces other kinds of gamay wines, which get little attention. They’re called village wines or cru wines. These rarely disappoint. They offer a tart, grapey, smoky qualities. Put a slight chill on them and they are perfect wines for a barbecue on a sticky, summer evening.

I was reminded of all this by a wine called Torbreck Cuvée Juveniles from Australia. It is not made from gamay grapes, but from a blend of grenache, mataro and shiraz. It is a dead ringer for cru Beaujolais and lovely. If you see it on a restaurant wine list, don’t be shy: ask for an ice bucket and give it a five-minute bath.

2008 Torbreck, Cuvée Juveniles, Barossa Valley, Australia

• $25

• Two Thumbs Up

• Refreshing, bright aromas and grapey flavors with notes of smoke, dry earth, black licorice, cranberry and spicy strawberry. It has a barely perceptible hint of mint, which accentuates its refreshing qualities.