Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais Nouveau 2026

This product is available to pre-order for delivery after 19th November

Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2026 is a more serious take on Nouveau, bringing together all the joyful, immediate fruit you want from the style with the depth of old vines and one of Beaujolais’ most distinctive granite terroirs. Made from Gamay grown on the dramatically steep slopes of Le Perréon, the vines average more than 50 years old, with many considerably older, climbing to around 450 metres above sea level. Semi-carbonic fermentation and indigenous yeasts preserve the grape’s vibrant personality, while maturation in stainless steel and concrete keeps everything pure and unoaked. Expect the hallmark Madone combination of cherry, raspberry and darker berry fruit, lifted by violet, gentle spice and a subtle mineral edge, all carried by bright acidity and supple tannins. This is Nouveau that absolutely delivers on fun and drinkability, but there is enough vineyard character underneath to make it considerably more interesting than a simple fruity red. Serve it lightly chilled, open it with friends and enjoy it exactly as Nouveau was intended: young, energetic and full of life. The 2026 bottling is already listed as the estate’s Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau ‘Perréon’, although its final tasting profile and alcohol level will only be confirmed once the wine is finished and released in November.

Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2026, Producer

Domaine de la Madone is a family estate based in Le Perréon, in the hills of Beaujolais-Villages. The Bererd family has been established here since the 1940s, and brothers Olivier and Bruno Bererd have become particularly associated with the steep vineyards surrounding the village. This is demanding viticulture: the slopes can be extremely severe, the granite soils are poor and many parcels are too steep for conventional machinery. Yet those same conditions help produce Gamay with unusual concentration and freshness. The vineyards include vines well over 75 years old and some approaching or exceeding a century, while farming has increasingly focused on organic methods.

The domaine has built a reputation for wines that feel both genuinely Beaujolais and distinctly Burgundian in their precision. Vinification is gentle, extraction is kept under control and ageing tends towards neutral vessels rather than obvious oak. La Revue du Vin de France describes the domaine’s wines as sincere, pure and precisely shaped, and highlights the remarkable quality found in the steep vineyards of Le Perréon. The Nouveau follows the same philosophy, just on a much faster timetable: it is designed for immediate enjoyment without losing the character of where it comes from.

Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2026, Terroir & Winemaking

Le Perréon sits in the hilly northern section of Beaujolais, immediately west of the cru villages, and the domaine’s vineyards are unusually steep and high for Beaujolais-Villages. The vines used for this cuvée average more than 50 years old, with many between 75 and 100 years, and reach approximately 450 metres above sea level. The soils are based on decomposed rose-coloured granite, giving Gamay excellent drainage and naturally limiting vigour. These high, exposed vineyards help retain freshness, while the old vines bring greater concentration and depth than you might normally expect from a wine released only weeks after harvest.

Previous releases of the Perréon Nouveau have followed semi-carbonic maceration with indigenous yeasts, a classic Beaujolais approach that encourages vivid fruit and perfume while keeping tannins soft. Maturation takes place in a combination of stainless steel and concrete rather than oak, preserving the youthful Gamay character. The 2026 wine is already registered by its US importer as 100% Gamay, Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau ‘Perréon’, from vineyards farmed using organic practices. As the wine has not yet been released, I would keep the exact maceration duration and final analytical information open until the 2026 technical sheet becomes available.

Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2026, Tasting Notes

Based on the established character of this cuvée, expect a vivid ruby-purple colour and a wonderfully expressive nose built around raspberry, strawberry, red cherry and darker blackberry fruit, with violet, peony and subtle spice underneath. On the palate, the style is juicy and energetic rather than heavy, with soft but vibrant tannins, refreshing acidity and enough depth from the old vines to give the fruit real substance. Previous releases have shown more savoury touches of liquorice, herbs and granite-derived minerality beneath the immediate fruit, which is what distinguishes Madone’s Nouveau from more straightforward examples. La Revue du Vin de France described the 2025 as combining the joyful character of Nouveau with a genuine sense of Le Perréon, praising its generous texture and lively tannins.

Food Pairing Suggestion: Toulouse Sausage, Mustard Lentils and Caramelised Onions.