Navigating the delicate balance of presenting the inaugural red of the 2023 vintage as a Nouveau without confining it to a specific category is a challenge. The Car Car Glou Glou Akashita Carignane checks most of the Nouveau/Glou Glou criteria: undergoing carbonic maceration, boasting a vibrant, deep purple hue, possessing modest alcohol content, and offering a gentle texture that encourages easy consumption. However, it retains a serious undertone, suggesting that it will mirror the impressive trajectory of our recently sampled 2021 vintage, remaining compellingly delicious.

The label features Akashita [ – red tongue], a creature from the Bakemono Zukushi or Monster Scroll, an Edo Period Japanese collection depicting Yokai – spirits, phantasms, and fantastical beings from Japanese folklore. Depicted alternatively concealed in a dark cloud or near a floodgate, Akashita symbolizes both protective spirit and foreboding omen due to its association with farming and water. Glou glou conveys a wine to be enjoyed with the sound of glug glug echoing from the throat, emphasizing its consumable nature with wide-open mouths akin to a monster’s.