Thibault & Dimitri Ducroux Beaujolais Nouveau 2026

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

Thibault & Dimitri Ducroux Beaujolais Nouveau 2026 is exactly the kind of Nouveau we love to see: joyful, juicy and made for immediate drinking, but coming from a grower who treats even his most accessible wine with the same thoughtful, low-intervention approach as his Morgon and Fleurie. The cuvée is 100% Gamay from a three-hectare parcel at Pizay, with vines averaging around 40 years old and farmed according to organic principles. Grapes are picked entirely by hand and undergo traditional whole-bunch carbonic maceration for just three days at low temperature in concrete, followed by a very slow pressing. Fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts, and the finished wine is neither fined nor filtered, with only a tiny amount of sulphur added at bottling if required. Jenny & François describe the style simply as “very juicy and fruit-forward”, which is really the point: this is fresh harvest Gamay in its most immediate form, with bright red berries, supple texture and the kind of freshness that makes serving it lightly chilled almost compulsory. The final 2026 tasting profile will only be known once the wine is made and released in November, so the notes below reflect the established character and production of this cuvée rather than pretending the finished vintage can already be tasted.

Thibault & Dimitri Ducroux Beaujolais Nouveau 2026, Producer

The domaine is based in Villié-Morgon, right in the heart of a part of Beaujolais closely associated with natural wine. Thibault Ducroux grew up around wine as the son of a Beaujolais grower and learned the fundamentals in his father’s cellar before completing formal viticulture and oenology studies at St-Jean d’Ardières. A major influence came through discovering the writings of Jules Chauvet, the Beaujolais chemist and négociant whose work became foundational to the modern natural-wine movement. Thibault subsequently spent time with growers including Jean-Claude Lapalu, Michel Guignier, Isabelle and Bruno Perraud and Valentin Morel, before working for Julien Sunier, where he deepened his experience of organic farming and low-intervention vinification. He purchased his first 1.25 hectares in 2019 and gradually expanded the domaine through estate holdings and long-term rentals.

Today Thibault farms around 10.5 hectares across Beaujolais, Morgon and Fleurie, producing approximately 40,000 bottles annually. His brother Dimitri Ducroux handles the commercial side of the business, and the company now operates under the Thibault & Dimitri Ducroux name. The vineyards are farmed organically or are in conversion, with high-density goblet-trained Gamay and an average vine age of around 60 years across the domaine. In the cellar the philosophy remains deliberately simple: hand harvesting, carbonic maceration, indigenous yeasts, concrete tanks or older barrels, no fining or filtration and only very small sulphur additions when necessary.

Thibault & Dimitri Ducroux Beaujolais Nouveau 2026, Terroir & Winemaking

Jenny & François identify the Nouveau as coming from Pizay, from a three-hectare parcel of Gamay with vines averaging around 40 years old. Their current profile describes the soils as clay-silt, while Thibault’s own 2024 Nouveau technical sheet describes the soil as clay-limestone. As the two sources use different terminology, I would keep that distinction rather than trying to merge them into a single unsupported soil description. Both sources agree on the 40-year vine age, organic farming approach, manual harvest and 100% Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc.

The winemaking is particularly simple and fast, as it needs to be for Nouveau. Whole bunches are placed into concrete tanks and undergo carbonic maceration for approximately three days at low temperatures. Fermentation is spontaneous with native yeasts, after which the grapes are pressed very slowly. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration and receives no more than a tiny sulphur addition at bottling – Jenny & François specify a maximum of 2ppm. There is no extended élevage because the purpose of Nouveau is to capture the taste and energy of the harvest as directly as possible.

Thibault & Dimitri Ducroux Beaujolais Nouveau 2026, Tasting Notes

The finished 2026 wine is not yet released, so a definitive vintage-specific tasting note would be premature. Based on the established cuvée, expect a bright, translucent ruby-purple colour and a highly expressive, fruit-led nose, with fresh raspberry, strawberry and crunchy cherry supported by darker berry notes and a subtle floral lift. Jenny & François describe the wine as particularly juicy and fruit-forward, and the short, cool whole-bunch carbonic maceration is specifically designed to preserve that vivid, youthful Gamay character. The palate should be light, energetic and supple, with very soft tannins, lively acidity and an almost thirst-quenching quality. Served chilled, the emphasis should be firmly on fresh fruit and immediacy rather than structure or oak, with a clean, lively finish that makes the second glass arrive remarkably easily.

Food Pairing Suggestions: Lyonnaise-Style Sausages with Warm Mustard Potato Salad.

*Please bear in mind that these wines won’t reach our stores until the 19th of November: they are released for sale on the third Thursday of November as per French laws. We will get in touch once these are ready to be dispatched for deliveries and collections.