Beaujolais
An extra-ordinary vineyard
PRESS INFORMATION PACK
2011
Press contact: Inter Beaujolais
Mélina Condy – Tel: 33 (0)4 74 02 22 16 – (0)6 77 70 08 72
mcondy@beaujolais.com
1
The Beaujolais Crus
Terroir magic
Y
ou can either count them on the fingers of both hands, list them in alphabetical order or,
if you are more knowledgeable, cite them by their geographical area of production,
following the course of the River Saône. From south heading north, over mainly
granite terrain, they run on one after the other, each one clearly defined in a near perfect unbroken chain: Brouilly is followed by Côte de Brouilly, then Régnié, Morgon, and
Chiroubles, after which come Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, Chénas, Juliénas and finally SaintAmour, which marks the northern boundary of the Beaujolais region, before the Mâconnais
begins.
All the wines are made using one single grape variety, which has found its natural homeland
Beaujolais region: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc (the skin is red while the juice is white). The
handpicked bunches of grapes are vatted whole using a winemaking method that is specific
to Beaujolais.
The wines do in fact have a lot in common, but because of the distinctive characteristics drawn
from each appellation area terroir (an alchemy of soil, vine and climate), they are clearly distinct
from each other, each with their own unique personality: Chiroubles is an epitome of Beaujolais
with every typical Beaujolais characteristic intensified, here we say that Morgon “Morgons”
(ageing and filling out over time, so distinctive as to have its own verb), Moulin-à-Vent and
Chénas can take on a touch of ‘pinot’ after a few years of ageing in bottle, Côte de Brouilly has
mineral hints… When brought together, the Beaujolais Crus form wonderful palette of aromas
and flavours, each portraying the typical character of the Gamay grape combined with its own
local terroir, giving it its own unique style.
It is best to begin by tasting the tenderest wines in the range – those which are often described by
key words such as ‘light’ and ‘fruity’ - Chiroubles, Fleurie, Saint-Amour –and then finish with the
more full-bodied: Chénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent. There is no particular Cru hierarchy, as they
each have their own particular character due to the different soils and settings, and each illustrates
the skills and the personality of their winemaker.
However, one of the ‘golden rules’ respected by all producers is that “the Beaujolais Crus
should do their Easter Duty” before starting to drink them, as experience dictates that it takes
up until the Spring following the harvest for the aromas and full flavours of the wine to begin to
truly develop.
As a matter of fact, it is very often after a few years (from two to five years on average), that they
express their potential and their harmony to the full.
The official release date for the Beaujolais Crus is set for the 15th December following the
harvest. But years of winemaking experience has resulted in the winemakers preferring to leave
the wines to mature until Easter. Bottling is usually in March or April.
2
A single grape variety: wines that are cousins, distinct one from another
A – “SOFT AND LIGHT”
Chiroubles, the most “Beaujolais” of all the Crus
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; soil: rough granite, with some seams of granulite; appearance: ruby red;
aromas: floral aromas dominate with violet, iris, lily-of-the-valley and peony; tasting notes: the red fruits that are so
typical of the Gamay grape. Chiroubles is known as a gentle yet lively wine. AOC decree: 11th September 1936; hectares
under vine: 350 with 60 growers; average annual production: 18 000 hl
A
round Chiroubles, the village which lends its name to the Cru, “gore”, a type of sand
resulting from the erosion of the adjacent rocks, gives the Gamay grape variety near-perfect
growing conditions in which to produce the typical light texture, which Beaujolais lovers
describe as « glisser en bouche » (gliding down the throat). This also gives Chiroubles its
reputation for being the “most Beaujolais of all the Crus”. The wines are soft, light, fruity and
delicate, produced across very uniform terrain which is thin and shallow. When planting the
original vineyards in some of the plots, individual holes had to be bored into the rock for the vine
stock to be able to take hold.
Chiroubles is the also the Beaujolais Cru grown at the highest altitude: the vines are planted
on hills that are between 250 and 450 metres above sea level. The slopes are steep and ridged,
and soil erosion is a constant problem. The vinegrower digs shallow ditches into the slopes
between every 8 or 9 rows of vines, to channel the rain water down the hills. Large groups of
rocks are assembled as barriers in the ditches along the roads. And if soil or landslides do occur,
the soil is immediately shifted back up the hillside.
Temperatures in Chiroubles are lower than in other parts of the Beaujolais, which means that the
vines are some 5–10 days behind the normal growing cycle. Harvesting generally starts around
one week after the official go-ahead is given for the region (the banns).
A famous child of Chiroubles was Victor Pulliat, renowned for saving the vine. In 1874, Beaujolais
was hit by phylloxera. This disease developed rapidly and devastated the vines. A local man, Victor Pulliat,
keen on botany and the study of the vine, founded “La société de viticulture” in Lyon. He was also a
member of the research team set up to study the disease. The first treatment used to counter the terrible
epidemic was carbon disulphide. Those who chose to use it were subsidised by the state. Victor Pulliat had
other ideas. Through testing various theories, he became the head of a team which called itself the
“américanistes”: their idea was to use a technique which involved grafting the vine onto American
rootstock, a technique which was more costly and took longer to take effect as they had to wait for the
vine to develop… However it was highly successful and saved the Languedoc region, and later the
Beaujolais, from ruin. Since 1980, the local Chiroubles people have annually honoured “the man who
saved the vines”, during the Fête des Crus du Beaujolais. Since then, they are also proud of their claim of
being at the forefront of technological progress in the region.
3
Fleurie, elegant and velvety, born of pink stone
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; soil: exclusively granite (pink granite); appearance: deep carmine red; aromas:
floral and fruity (iris, violet, rose, red fruit, vine peach); tasting notes: elegant, refined, silky smooth body. As it
matures, it develops hints of spice. Many winemakers use a technique called gridding (maintaining the cap under the
surface of the juice during maceration in order to extract even more colour and tannin from the skins).
AOC decree: 11th September 1936; hectares under vine: 857 with 180 growers; average annual production: 33 200 hl
I
n the north of the region, Fleurie sits in a specific geographical area, a group of small
hillocks, backing onto a range of ridges (Fût d’Avenas, Col de Durbize, Col des Labourons and
Pic Reymont), which fall sharply from high points of around 450 m, before gently sloping off to
an altitude of 220 m. This appellation – whose name has nothing to do with flowers but is named
after a Roman legionary – covers an unbroken area of 857 hectares within the boundaries of the
commune of Fleurie.
The soil is almost exclusively made up of granite, a pinkish coloured stone which is unique to
this part of the Beaujolais. This pink granite gives rise to an elegant and fruity style of wine.
The area can be divided into two zones. In the higher, steeper areas of the appellation – at the
foot of ‘La Madonne’, a hill which dominates the Cru and gives a wonderful view out over the
surrounding vineyards - the soil is thin, acidic and dry. This produces very light and aromatic
wines. Below the main village, the terrain is deeper with a little clay: these wines are more fullbodied and age well.
Fleurie has 13 different “climats” (named vineyards), as recorded by the I.N.A.O (Institut
National des Appellations d’Origine), and as many different terroirs, each producing a specific
style of wine. These are (from north to south): Les Labourons, Poncié, Les Moriers, La Roilette,
Les Garants, Montgenas, La Madone, La Joie du Palais, Grille-Midi, La Chapelle des Bois, La
Cote, Le Bon Cru and Champagne.
Their size varies: from the smallest; La Joie du Palais (5 ha) to the biggest; La Chapelle des Bois
and La Madone that both cover 50 ha. Their characteristics are just as diverse.
Of the 13 ‘climats’, 5 are particularly renowned, as they are the ones the most used by
winemakers making ‘terroir’ cuvées. They are:
CLIMAT
LOCATION AND
SURFACE AREA
La Chapelle des Bois In the south of the
appellation area. Altitude:
250 to 300 metres above sea
level. Aspect: south-southeast. Surface area: 50 ha .
La Madone
In the west of the
appellation
area,
it
overlooks
the
whole
appellation. Altitude: 300 to
400 metres above sea level.
Aspect:
east-south-west.
Surface area: 50 ha.
GEOLOGY AND
TYPES OF WINE
SPECIFICITIES
Sandy granite on the Fresh and lip-smacking.
surface; granitic rock Enjoy within 2 to 4
subsoil.
years.
Sandy granite on the Lovely mineral
surface; granitic and characteristics come
porphyry subsoil.
through.
Enjoy within 2 to 5
years.
4
Poncié
Les Moriers
La Roilette
In the north of the
appellation area, it marches
with Moulin-à-Vent.
Altitude: 280 to 320 metres
above sea level. Aspect:
south-south-east. Surface
area: 30 ha.
In the east of the
appellation area. Altitude:
250 metres above sea level.
Aspect: east. Surface area:
28 ha.
In the east of the
appellation area. Altitude:
250 metres above sea level.
Aspect: east. Surface area:
13 ha.
Granitic rock with Predominantly
floral.
seams of manganese.
Structured wine.
Enjoy within 2 to 7
years.
Deep clay and siliceous Powerful and floral.
soil with quartz.
Enjoy within 2 to 7
years.
Silty-clay sands with Complex and aromatic.
seams of manganese.
Enjoy within 2 to 8
years.
The oldest wine co-operative in the Beaujolais region. Founded in 1927, La Cave des Producteurs des
Grands Vins de Fleurie today produces around one third of the total for the appellation as well as also
producing Morgon, Beaujolais Villages and Moulin-à-Vent. The cellar has been managed by the same
family through 3 generations since its foundation in 1930: the Chabert family. After François, came
Marguerite - the first woman President of a wine co-operative! - who took over the running of the
business and brought her own particular stamp to the history of the Cru and its vines. Today the Cave’s
biggest market is Switzerland, also the biggest export market for Fleurie, followed closely by the UK and
Holland. The Cave produces wines by terroir and climat (La Madone, Les Garants, La Chapelle des Bois)
as well as a special cuvée “Cardinal Bienfaiteur”, in honour of the Cardinal of Fleury (1653-1743) who was
a minister to Louis XV. . These cuvées have been vinified by a woman since 2006: Audrey Braccini,
who was promoted to maître de chai in 2008.
5
Saint-Amour, the romantic Cru
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; soil: granite and clay intermingling, schist and limestone; appearance:
sparkling ruby red; aromas: red fruit, peony, peach, kirsch, spice, mignonette, depending on the style of wine; tasting
notes: fruity and floral, a soft wine, with degrees of soft tannins and body depending on the wine.
AOC decree: 8th February 1946; hectares under vine: 313 with 115 growers; average annual production: 12 000 hl
W
ith its highly romantic name, this most northerly of the Crus – grown in the far north of
the vine-growing region in the Sâone-et-Loire department and skirting the borders of
Saint-Véran and the Mâconnais – is a sure winner. Certainly that was the firm belief of the
craftsman who was responsible for the creation of Saint Amour after the war in 1946 and went
on to become one of its most energetic protagonists: Louis Dailly.
Today, the Saint-Amour appellation area, made up of granite, clay and schist-based soils,
produces two types of wine, depending on the vinification method used by the producer:
-
Light, fruity wines, very typical of the appellation, complex, produced by quick maceration
and to be enjoyed young within 12 to 15 months following the harvest.
-
More powerful, fattier wines, with aromas of kirsch, spice and mignonette. These wines are at
their best after 4 to 5 years ageing, depending on the vintage.
The unrivalled wine for Valentine’s Day. With an area under vine of just 320 hectares and an average
annual production counting for just 5 % of the total for Beaujolais Crus , Saint-Amour is the smallest of
the Beaujolais appellations. Dynamic and creative, it has cleverly promoted itself around the Valentine’s
Day event, producing each year a special cuvée for romantics, with a romantic label depicting a charming
Cupid design. The result: 20 to 25% of its total production is sold for this special date in the calendar, not
only in France, but all over the world. In Europe - Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Belgium and the UK
account for 35 % of exports of Saint Amour. In the USA, where Valentine’s Day is particularly popular,
sales of Saint Amour are also doing very well. It is also doing well in Japan, where it is very popular for
weddings. For a few years now, in association with the Cru’s winemakers, the Mairie (Mayor’s office) has
been organising marriage confirmation ceremonies for couples who request it. This is really popular.
6
B – THE “MORE FULL-BODIED”
Brouilly, the big brother
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; soil: thin, acidic, dry, poor, mixtures of 4 different types which lend different
characteristics to the wines, depending on the local terroir: pink granite around Saint-Etienne-la-Varenne, Odenas and
Quincié, less acidic diorite on the hills, with layers of limestone-marl around Charentay, alluvial deposits with traces of
crystal and clay from the rock erosion; appearance: deep ruby; aromas: more fruity than floral, Brouilly brings to mind
red berries, plums with occasional mineral notes; tasting notes: red fruit, typical of the Gamay grape. With its soft
tannins, Brouilly is an elegant wine.
AOC decree: 19th October 1938; hectares under vine: 1 327 with 530 growers; average annual production: 60 000 hl
B
rulius, a Roman army lieutenant posted to the region, gave his name to Mount Brouilly. It overlooks the most
extensive and most southerly stretch of Beaujolais Cru vines (Mont Brouilly – 485 metres above sea level)
and is one of the geographical markers of the winemaking region. With its 1,327 hectares, Brouilly covers
20% of the total area of Beaujolais Crus, and produces an average annual volume of 60 000 hl (over 9 million
bottles) of a wine which has a reputation for being joyously elegant.
Brouilly is produced in 6 communes, none of which carry the name of the appellation: Cercié, Saint-Lager,
Charentay, Odenas, Saint-Etienne-la-Varenne and Quincié, the smallest of the production zones. Little villages that,
as far back as 1769, these little villages were already actively involved in winemaking: they were among the 16
Beaujolais parishes which were authorised to sell their wines to Paris. However at that time, wine was far from being
the most important product of their agricultural labours – milk was more important than wine. Just 1/5 of the land
was given up to wine production.
For example in Odenas, François de la Chaize d’Aix acquired a property of over 500 hectares, but wine production
did not play any significant role on the estate; not surprising really, a native of the Loire region, this particular noble
was not a wine lover. It was not until the 18th century that the estate began producing wine and today it is one of the
biggest Beaujolais Cru producers. It also has one of the region’s most beautiful vaulted cellars: listed as a historical
monument in 1972, it is 104 metres long. When visiting the estate you can admire the original château architecture
which Mansard, the architect for the Château de Versailles, is said to have designed and the formal French garden
designed by Le Notre.
Like in the rest of Beaujolais, Brouilly locals are great lovers of stories and myths: there’s the one about Gargantua
who created Mont Brouilly by emptying his hod full of stones; another about Pisse-Vieille, and how the only official
‘climat’ or named vineyard in this Cru covering 22 hectares of south-facing vines in Cercié, got its name.
But Brouilly also has a firm grip on the real world: spearheading Beaujolais Cru sales, it makes the largest volumes
and is consequently well-known around the world. This Cru has made major leaps forward in terms of direct
sales: 32% today compared to 18% ten years ago. 20% of its total production is sold to Parisian on-trade.
Pisse-Vieille. The only official ‘climat’ (named vineyard) in Brouilly goes by the unusual name of PisseVieille. It has its origins in the legend of a good woman who went by the name of “La Mariette”, a very
pious winemaker’s wife who regularly went to confession. But Mariette had very little to confess. So one
day, the local priest told her to go in peace saying “Go! And sin no more!” The pronunciations of pécher
(to sin) and ‘pisser’ (does this really need translation?) are very similar in the local dialect and Mariette,
being a little hard of hearing, got a little mixed up, you can imagine the rest. The poor dear was only
relieved of her burden when her worried husband went to see the local priest to clarify the situation …
when he returned home, he shouted out to his wife from the bottom of the hill “Pisse Vieille (old
woman), the priest said it’s alright!”. Thus is born the stuff of legends. The soil here is sandier, giving very
refined wines that are some of the first of the appellation ready for bottling.
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Côte de Brouilly, the elegant wine on the hill
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; soil: granite, diorite (plutonic rock) and schist; appearance: crimson; aromas:
fresh grape and iris; tasting notes: delicate and lively, these wines are best after a little cellaring, which adds to their
elegance on the palate.
AOC decree: 19th October 1938; hectares under vine: 322 with 50 growers; average annual production: 15 000 hl
I
n Odenas, in the heart of the Côte de Brouilly appellation area (note that this Cru is always referred to in the
singular as in “Côte”) the buildings are built using unusual mottled blue appearance stone, a constant reminder
of the diorite-rich soils on the slopes of Mont Brouilly. Diorite is a very hard volcanic rock from the Palaeozoic
era, which varies in colour from very dark green to black. This is the famous blue stone of Brouilly, sometimes
also known as “corne verte”, which lends the Cru its specific characteristics.
The terrain is largely uniform across the whole area of the Cru. Only on the western slopes is there a little pink
granite mixed in with the soil. Although quite limited in size, the appellation brings 4 communes under its standard:
Saint-Lager, Odenas, Quincié and Cercié.
The fact that the slopes are so steep means that any mechanical work in the vines is done using a winch attachment
to the tractor, which is parked and anchored on the relatively level vine track above the plot being worked on. There
is also a constant battle against soil erosion. Like in Chiroubles, the vinegrowers on the Côte dig channels into the
slopes in order to drain off the water and they regularly mulch in between the vines.
With much lower volumes than its brother Brouilly down the hill, the winemakers have made enormous efforts in
the areas of direct sales and in the on-trade. The appellation is showing strong growth: 41% of the Cru is sold
direct to its main European markets of Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and England - countries which appear to
appreciate this bright crimson wine, which is both classically elegant and meaty.
The Pasteur Institute and wine. In the heart of Côte de Brouilly, in Saint-Lager, the Institut
Pasteur has owned the Château des Ravatys and its 30 hectares of vines since the 1920s. At that
time the then-owner, Mathilde Courbe, left the institute her entire fortune. A strong–willed,
efficient businesswoman – her wine won a bronze medal at the World Fair Agricultural show in
1900 - she left her estate to the Institute in a non-transferable legacy. Today, all of the Institute’s
profit-making activities on the estate (from wine to business seminars) are used to finance medical
research. The Château produces both Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly and recommends that the latter
be left to mature some time in bottle.
8
Juliénas – the ‘bon viveur’
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; soil: granite in the west, alluvial clay deposits in the east; appearance: deep
ruby red; aromas: strawberry, violet, cinnamon, red currant and peony; tasting notes: weighty and full-bodied, hints of
spice, with good length.
AOC decree: 11th March 1938; hectares under vine: 586 with 120 producers; average annual production: 14 000 hl
T
he starting point of vinegrowing in the Beaujolais region, Juliénas can trace its wine roots
back more than two thousand years. Juliénas and Jullié, two out of the four communes
which produce this appellation, take their name from Julius Caesar himself. We know for
sure that vines were grown on the surrounding hillsides in the Gallo-Roman period. Today they
spread out at between 230 m and 430 m above sea level.
In the far north-west of our winemaking region, marching with the Mâconnais winemaking
region in the south of the Saône-et-Loire department, the appellation area is set in four villages:
Juliénas, Jullié, Emeringes and Pruzilly, the latter just putting a toe into the Saône-et-Loire
department.
Juliénas gets one of its characteristics from the wide range of different terrains within the
appellation area. It is said by local growers declare it to be “one of the most varied in the region”.
This appellation is divided between granite-based soils in the west and ancient alluvial deposits in
the east, with some sandy clay soils bringing the clay content up as high as 20 to 30%. This
produces wines which should be left to age for two to three years, in order to bring out their
delicious flavours of vanilla and spice.
In the Hercynian area – created in the Palaeozoic era – are also porphyry and seams of
manganese.
These are powerful wines worth laying down. Juliénas is an earthy, weighty wine, with a
colourful past. Tales are still told today in the region of two particularly interesting
‘ambassadors’: Toto Dubois and Victor Peyret. Before getting into winemaking, the former
was a journalist for ‘Salut Public’ in Lyon, and worked with the director of the ‘Canard Enchaîné’
newspaper, Maurice Maréchal. Victor Peyrat managed a small wine brokering business at Château
des Capitans and was friendly with the designer Henri Monnier, who in turn introduced him to
artists and performers in Montmartre. Juliénas benefited from the regular attention of these
fashionable Parisians – who were only too happy to come visiting the vineyards - and it fast
became known as ‘the journalists’ favourite Cru’; many a lively article published in the Canard
Enchaîné of that time contributed to this reputation. In November 1963, the Victor Peyret award
was set up and is awarded every year to a writer, academic, journalist, designer or humorist who
has used his or her talents to support the Juliénas Cru.
La Cave des Producteurs de Juliénas. Above the village, directly above the narrow winding
road that leads to Prusilly, is an imposing building: an ancient priory adjoining a more modern
construction. This is the Cave des Producteurs de Juliénas where close to 1/3 (7 000 hl) of the
appellation is produced in a very modern winery, from grapes grown by some 200 member
vinegrowers who work an area of 245 hectares. Committed to a system of traceability and respect
for its different terroirs, the Cave des Producteurs de Juliénas is the largest producer of Juliénas,
producing cuvées by named area, giving wines with very typical characteristics of their particular
terroir.
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Régnié, the creative
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; soil: predominantly light and poor pink granite; appearance: cherry red to ruby;
aromas: raspberry, red currant, sloe, blackberry, blackcurrant, with a touch of mineral and spice; tasting notes: red
berries, balanced between freshness and structure. AOC decree: 8th December 1988; hectares under vine: 400 with 80
growers; average annual production: 15 500 hl
I
n 1988 after 10 years of hard work and commitment, the winemakers of Régnié-Durette made
a major step forward in winemaking. On the 8th December 1988, their wines were awarded Cru
status. “It took a whole generation to bring about a brand new appellation”. Today, more than 20
years since their “big day” the local growers in Régnié continue to work hard to promote a higher
awareness for their quality crafted wines. The majority of its 950 villagers are involved in
winemaking in one way or another and, to them, it more than just a job: they are passionate
about the wines they produce in their Cru area.
Set in the heart of vinegrowing Beaujolais, the Cru spreads over 400 hectares on pink granite,
mineral-rich light, shallow terrain. The vines are planted on the hillsides at altitudes of around 350
metres above sea level and are mainly south-east facing. These highly aromatic wines mature
early. A Régnié may be enjoyed early in the year and will keep for up to 3-5 years in bottle. The
wine is very aromatic and well-balanced, with good length. The winemakers achieve a subtle
balance between potency and the perfect fruitiness of the Cru by giving the grapes a slightly
longer vatting, as well as some drawing off of run-off juice and submerging the cap with a
wooden grid.
Régnié-Durette is a village where the spirit of initiative and conviction is part of the
inhabitants’ make-up. This is to be found in every one of the appellation area’s cellars, from
those of the famous Hospices de Beaujeu – the Cru’s number one estate with 80 hectares,
accounting for around 10% of the total production stewarded by Mommessin – to the smallest
of cellars. From big to small, a great many of Régnié vinegrowers use integrated and even organic
vinegrowing and winemaking techniques. For them, the key to great quality grapes and wine is
observation and analysis before action. They husband their land and vines for future generations
limiting the use of chemical plant health products doing only what they feel is best for the land,
the vine and the wine.
This is a wine where ‘terroir’ is at the fore, with small red and wild black fruit aromas and
flavours. Régnié is also justly looked upon as being a sporting Cru. The appellation champion at
hosting and organising races of all types: the Raid Bleu (off roading), the rallye des Vignes (car
race) the Marathon du Beaujolais, at Whitsun, and, in 2002, the Tour de France, with an
individual time-trial Régnié-Durette-Mâcon, on 27th July.
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C – “IMPROVING WITH AGE”
Chénas - a rare pedigree
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; soil: mainly granite in the higher areas, otherwise siliceous-clay; appearance:
ruby with garnet tints; aromas: floral (peony and rose), with spicy, woody hints developing with age; tasting notes: fullflavoured and full-bodied wines to lay down, soft on the palate
AOC decree: 11th September 1936; hectares under vine: 253 with 100 growers; average annual production: 7 600 hl
O
nly the name itself remains from the past when the commune of Chénas was surrounded
by dense oak forests. These were gradually cut down - firstly by the Gallo-Romans, then
by the monasteries and finally, under orders from Philippe V ‘le Long’, who ordained that all the
trees on the slopes of Mont Rémont should be replaced by vines - to the point where the site is
now surrounded by vineyards. To whom do we owe the original vineyards? Nothing is absolutely
certain, but we do know that during the Ancien Régime, the region’s aristocracy fought hard over
the local land in Chénas, due to the substantial revenues which were brought in by the vines. In
the 18th century, Chénas was well-known for exporting its highly valued wines to Paris, where it
was the favourite wine of Louis XIII. Brac de la Perrière, the first wine historian of the
Beaujolais region, said of Chénas in 1769 that it was one of the best vinegrowing areas in the
region.
And yet, ironically, the village’s AOC was almost not named after Chénas at all. In 1924 the
courts in Mâcon decided to set aside a large part of the commune’s vines for the neighbouring
Cru of Moulin-à-Vent. The winemakers in Chénas, who wanted to keep the name, joined forces
with local Chapelle de Guinchay, whose hillsides made up a natural extension of their local
terroir. The appellation was named Chénas in 1936.
Chénas, which adjoins Juliénas, Moulin-à-Vent and Saint-Amour, extends over two communes:
Chénas (in the Rhône department) and la Chapelle-de-Guinchay (in the Saône-et-Loire
department). On the appellation’s really rugged north-east facing slopes, Gamay is grown on just
280 hectares to produce the rarest of the Beaujolais Crus. This fine, sophisticated wine needs a
few years of bottle age to achieve perfection. That said, it is often described as “a bouquet of
flowers in a basket of velvet”.
Truth or legend? History may be more or less accurate – but one thing’s for sure - the story
varies from cellar to cellar.
Arriving from Liguria, a poor man brought with him a handful of vine rootstock. So that his new vines
could grow properly with enough sun, he chopped down the surrounding oak trees but he kept the wood.
One year, his harvest was so plentiful that his family couldn’t get through all the grapes. He had the idea
of building a wooden container to store them in. A few days later, he heard strange rustling noises coming
from the juice, so he dipped in his bowl and tasted and tasted again and again until he could sing the entire
scale of musical notes, known in French as “la gamme” - gamme – Gamay? And thus he gave a name to
the wine he had created – the Gamay
Château de Chénas wine co-operative of produces ¼ of the total for the appellation.
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Morgon, Not to be missed
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; soil: eroded rocky terrain and crumbly schist; appearance: deep garnet; aromas:
ripe stone fruit (cherry, peach, apricot, plum..); tasting notes: full-bodied, rich, powerful, meaty – combined with the
flavours imparted by the local terroir that are so specific that the wine is often said to “morgonne”. Wine to lay down
for up to 5 – 10 years.
AOC decree: 11th September 1936; hectares under vine: 1 126 with 250 producers; average annual production: 47 000 hl
W
ith its 1 126 hectares overlooked by Mont du Py, Morgon is the second largest Cru after Brouilly. It is
named after the local hamlet of Morgon, in the centre of the area, bordering the village of Villié-Morgon,
which itself sits in the heart of the Beaujolais Crus area.
Morgon is one of the Beaujolais appellations where notion of terroir is the easiest to explain with the specific nature
of the soils and the particular siting and different locations of the Crus.
Its soil is very specific to the area, being made up of mixture of eroded deposits from the soft crystalline rock rich in
iron oxide with traces of manganese, schist and old volcanic rock: the people of Morgon call the resulting soil
“rotten rock” (roche pourrie).
The Cru has 6 different climats (named vineyards) which divide the area of the appellation into 3 bands, facing
south, south east and north west, each producing very different styles of wine.
From east to west:
- Grand Cras runs length of Brouilly and Régnié. These wines are very well rounded, soft and aromatic.
- Les Charmes covers the area up to the village of Saint-Joseph, rubbing shoulders with Régnié.
- South of the village of Villié-Morgon, Côte du Py is the pride of the appellation. These wines are good for laying
down, very full-bodied with kirsch aromas.
- In the west, Corcelette produces wines with floral and red fruit aromas, with heavy red currant flavours.
- Les Micouds is mid-way in style between wines from the Côte du Py and those of Douby.
- Douby adjoins Chiroubles and Fleurie. These wines are soft and rich, with both floral and fruity flavours.
The first Beaujolais public tasting cellar. In 1953, the wine producers of Morgon had an idea which
was quite ahead of their time. They decided to open the very first tasting cellar in the region in the cellars
of Château de Foncrenne (17th century) in the centre of the village of Villié-Morgon, thus creating a
wonderful shop-front for the appellation for wine lovers and those passing through the region. Over the
years the other Crus have followed suit; each appellation has opened its own “caveau” to the public, as a
showcase for its wines. Morgon’s cellar was completely refurbished in the spring of 2001 and, always
creative, it now presents the 6 different ‘climats’ of the Cru as well as the opportunity to taste and
purchase a selection of different Morgons of varying styles and vintages.
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Moulin-à-Vent, king of the Crus
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; soil: pink granite with seams of manganese; appearance: deep ruby to dark
garnet; aromas: floral and fruity, with hints of iris, fully blown rose, spice and ripe fruit; tasting notes: full-bodied and
complex, wines to lay down. AOC decree: 11th September 1936; hectares under vine: 665, with 280 growers; average
annual production: 25 700 hl
T
his, most highly rated of all the Beaujolais Crus is not named after any particular village
in the area. The Moulin-à-Vent appellation area, with its 665 hectares, spreads over two
communes: Romanèche-Thorins (in the Saône-et-Loire department) and Chénas (in the Rhône
department). It was first registered by the Mâcon courts in 1924, in an effort to combat
numerous counterfeit wines around at the time. The appellation area has remained the same ever
since that time, and is produced from the same granite-based soils. It is the different sites and
altitudes which create the range of “climats” (named vineyards).
Mainly east facing, Moulin-à-Vent slopes gently down from heights of between 230 and 390
metres above sea level. It is gentle, rolling countryside, depicted by the artist Utrillo, and is
dominated by a windmill which stopped working in 1850 and was classified as a historical
monument in 1930. Today it is the well-known symbol of the Cru.
One of the appellation’s main features lies in its soil: made up of basins of soft and crumbly pink
granite – often called ‘gore’ or ‘grès’ - the soil has seams of manganese which give the Moulin
à Vent its specific character.
The wines are intense in colour, high in tannin, very full-bodied and subtly spicy. These are
wines to lay down (for up to 10 years depending on the vintage). When young, they give off
floral and fruity aromas with a dominance of violet and cherry flavours. After a few years, the
bouquet develops aromas of iris, fully blown rose, spice and ripe fruit; later undergrowth and
truffle aromas begin to come through and later still come musk and game. But whatever the age,
they are always characterised by a remarkable length.
Before the wine came stone. In the 19th century, there were four manganese mines in RomanècheThorins, which were amongst the largest in France. Known as ‘glass-makers’ soap’, manganese was used
to whiten glass, as well as in the steel and ceramics industries. The ore mined in Romanèche was so hard
that it earned itself its very own name of ‘Romanéchite’. At that time, farming in the Beaujolais region was
mixed. Not only did the locals work in the vines, they also tended livestock and worked down the mines.
The mines in Romanèche were closed down in 1919. But the manganese that remains in the soil, is often
a talking point: some even dare to say that it adds certain ‘orgasmic’ qualities to the wine! One thing is
sure: its presence adds a great deal of wealth to the wines of Moulin-à-Vent.
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The Crus: a cradle of granite, singular vinification
A – SOIL AND GRAPE VARIETY
T
he Beaujolais Crus thrive on the local terroir, making the most of certain vital attributes.
Good exposure. All of the Crus face east-south-east - which means that they get lots of sunshine
- and are planted on hillsides and slopes with an average altitude of between 200 and 500 m
above sea level and which slope down to the rivers and streams which lead to the Saône.
Granite-based soils. These lend excellent structure to a wine. The soils are mainly made up of
alluvial deposits from the Tertiary and Quaternary eras and, in higher areas, they also include
eroded metamorphic rocks which have broken down and decayed. The terrain is ideal for
vinegrowing – being poor and stony. This gives wines which are full-bodied and high in flavour.
A single grape variety: the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. As with all Beaujolais wines, the Crus are
made using this one variety which seems to have found its ideal growing region here: of the 36
000 hectares of Gamay planted throughout the world, 18 644 hectares are in the Beaujolais
region. Fast-growing and high-yield, Gamay gives of its best with poor and shallow terrain
combined with lots TLC. Gamay is a particularly difficult variety to manage and it is this area of
expertise which is a major skill of the Beaujolais vinegrowers.
B – MAKING THE WINE
Winemaking starts in the vines; the quality of the wine depends partly on the care given to the
vines throughout the year by the vinegrower. The main characteristics of the Beaujolais Crus
include:
-
-
High density planting (at least 6000 vines/ha).
all the recognised spur pruning methods are authorised (goblet, fan, charmet). All these
methods leave 3 to 5 branches on each vine and a maximum of 10 eyes (buds) allowing yield
control.
integrated protection which limits the use of chemical and other plant health treatment to
the absolute minimum. These are only used after full analysis by the vinegrower of the risks
of illness and pest attack: the vinegrower only treats if there is a true risk; he adapts the
treatment and how it is applied to the precise situation as it has been observed.
In the Beaujolais region close to 3 300 hectares and over 330 wine estates are officially
registered as using integrated techniques, either as part of groups set up by the Chamber of
Agriculture or as members of Terra Vitis, which was created in 1998.
However, the great majority of vinegrowers today do husband their land using the same
reasoning with respect for the environment and the future of their land at the forefront of
their concerns. Their aim is to protect their and consumers’ health and to produce healthy,
quality grapes for quality wines.
development of “vendanges en vert” (green harvesting or bunch thinning). This
thinning is carried out in July, to select the bunches with the best potential giving the best
possible yield control. Even 10 years ago this pre-harvest, was greeted with astonishment by
many vinegrowers who couldn’t see the benefits. Today it is becoming more and more
widespread depending on the vintage.
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-
The Beaujolais vinification method. Only manual harvesting is allowed in the Beaujolais
region. Hand picking means that before being vatted the whole bunches can be sorted to
remove any bad grapes.
This winemaking method using whole bunches is specific to the Beaujolais region.
To enhance and allow to develop the specific characteristics of each appellation, each
winemaker has his own unique touch.
In the Beaujolais Cru area, particularly for the more full-bodied of the ten appellations, the
winemakers’ aim is to extract the maximum colour and tannins, which allow the wine to age
well by prolonging vatting. For this they use a variety of techniques, including gridding down
the cap, pushing the cap under the juice, removing some run-off juice and pumping the juice
from the bottom of the vat over the cap twice a day.
Vatting times (when the whole bunches macerate in their own juice before pressing) vary,
depending on the vintage and the choice made by the winemaker, they are generally between
8 and 12 days.
The winemaker may choose to mature some of his wine in oak barrels. Giving him a wider
range of wines to offer his customers. These (relatively marginal) special ‘cuvées’ are often made
using grapes from old vines and are matured in barrels that have already held one or more wines
in another region. This is a tricky procedure as care has to be taken not to drown out the fruity
Gamay characteristics with excessive oak. When the right balance is made the final result is very
rewarding.
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Beaujolais Villages
A bucolic stroll through an appellation
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; Soils: granite and sandy soils that give very light, acidic land that is made up of
a lot of sand and a little clay.
Communes within the appellation area: 38, shared between the Rhône (31 villages) and Saône-et-Loire (7 villages)
departments; the area can be divided into three zones, from which are produced wines with varying characteristics.
The southern zone backs on to the Haute-Azergues hills and gives very fruity wine; the central zone adjoins the
Brouilly and Régnié appellation areas, giving wine with greater structure; from the zone around the Crus, which is the
most northern, comes wine that is more full bodied and suited to cellaring, which, with time, gives wine that is
beautifully rounded on the palate.
AOC decree: 21st April 1950; hectares under vine: 5 187, worked by around 1 200 vinegrowers, 800 of whom only produce
Beaujolais-Villages; average production per year: 185 000 hl
The vines for Beaujolais -Villages grow in both the Rhône and Saône et Loire Departments
on a total surface area of 5 187 hectares. They dig down their roots in 38 villages that spread over
30 km from the Mâconnais wine making region to the north to Villefranche in the south.
These villages make up the heart of the Beaujolais region. Its heart as far as wine is concerned, of
course, but also its historical heart where Beaujeu is not only the appellation area’s capital; it is
also the entire winemaking region’s historic capital.
A third of the wine sold as “nouveau” is Beaujolais-Villages. In 2009 over 124 000 hl of
Beaujolais-Villages was sold under the “Beaujolais Villages Nouveau” label.
From one village to the next, from one slope to the next, the terroirs are never identical.
The magic that is wine gives cuvées that become more focused or rounded, are more
mineral or floral; gaining in structure, refining or rounding out etc.
The appellation is excellent value for money, in the heart of the range, between Beaujolais and
the Crus.
An outline of Beaujolais-Villages as an appellation:
A – Three distinct zones with almost as many terroirs as there are villages
The first and largest area is in the south touches the Beaujolais zone at the south and southeast. It
is considered to be the cradle of “nouveau wine” with 13 villages: Blacé, Charentay, Denicé, Le
Perréon, Montmelas-Saint-Sorlin, Odenas, Rivolet, Saint-Etienne-des-Oullières, Saint-Etienne-laVarenne, Saint-Julien, Saint-Lager, Salles-Arbuissonnas and Vaux-en-Beaujolais.
Rubbing shoulders with Brouilly to the east and Régnié to the north, the second zone is set in the
centre of the vinegrowing area (Beaujeu, Cercié, Emeringes, Jullié, Lancié, Lantignié, Les
Ardillats, Marchampt, Quincié-en-Beaujolais, Régnié-Durette and Saint-Didier-sur-Beaujeu. The
wine from here has characteristic red fruit aromas and flavours and gain in structure. They have
high cellaring potential.
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In the northern part of the vineyard is the last zone, that of satellite plots to the Beaujolais Crus:
Chânes, La-Chapelle-de-Guinchay, Chénas, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Leynes, Pruzilly,
Romanèche-Thorins, Saint-Amour, Saint-Symphorien d’Ancelles, Saint-Vérand, Vauxrenard and
Villié-Morgon. These lands give rise to true cellaring wines that are more full-bodied than their
southern cousins, with good structure, more tannins and, over time, a great rounded mouthfeel.
B – Soils and a single grape variety: wines from sunny granitic slopes
Great aspect. Beaujolais-Villages vines have in common their east-south-east facing slopes,
giving them optimum sunshine, and their position on medium altitude hills and slopes at 200 to
500 metres above sea-level. The versants of these hills finish up on the banks of streams that are
tributaries of the Saône River.
Granitic soils. “La Terre et la vigne” (the land and the vine), a study by the Centre Culturel
Scientifique et Technique de Grenoble, describes the Beaujolais-Villages subsoil like this: “
granite and sandy soil give light, acidic vinegrowing land made up of a lot of sand and a little clay.
The pink coloured sands and the clays come from granitic arena. These soils are poor, welldrained and easy to work. The alteration of crystalline schist releases many mineral elements,
including iron, potassium and manganese that leave their imprint of specific characteristics on the
wine.” The granitic soils guarantee good structure to the wine.
Land that nourishes a single grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. Just like all the other
red Beaujolais appellations, Beaujolais-Villages is made using a single grape variety: Gamay Noir à
Jus Blanc. A variety that has found its true home in the Beaujolais region: of the 35 000 ha of
Gamay that are planted throughout the world, 19 052 ha are in the Beaujolais region. Strong and
hyper-resistant to vine illnesses, the Gamay vine has the particularity of being very prolific.
Meaning that, for it not to produce too many grapes it requires a poor stony soil made up of
granitic debris… The Beaujolais region is the solution!
Not yet widely known, but gaining in renown: white and rosé Beaujolais-Villages.
At the northern end of the vinegrowing area, close to the Mâconnais vinegrowing region, on
quite deep limestone soils, Chardonnay vines give the raw material for White BeaujolaisVillages. A total of 68 ha of Chardonnay gave 3 950 hl of white Beaujolais-Villages in 2009.
These volumes have been tending to increase over the last few years.
This wine is the pearl among the Beaujolais gems. It gives off subtle aromas of fresh fruit (pear,
fresh almond, tropical fruit) and blossom. With all the pedigree of this great variety, it combines
fullness and freshness, accomplished balance between roundness and finesse, within which a zest
of complexity and sometimes a touch of vanilla are to be found.
Beaujolais-Villages rosé is made using the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc grape that is emblematic of
the Beaujolais region. As its name suggests the skin is black while the juice is white or clear.
Beaujolais-Villages Rosé is made by pressing the grapes direct, after they may or may not have
macerated on the skins for a short period. This is where its diaphanous colour that varies in
shade from pale rose petal to salmon pink comes from. Fresh and thirst-quenching, BeaujolaisVillages rosé rolls over your tongue without ever being aggressive, forsaking acidity for
tenderness. Lip-smacking and suave, it makes a perfect partner to fun simple summer dishes.
In 2009, about 100 ha of Gamay gave 3 673 hl of Beaujolais-Villages rosé.
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The colourful history of Beaujolais-Villages,
A pioneer appellation
Beaujolais-Villages has a fascinating history: this was, in fact, the very first wine in France to
affix the name “villages” to its appellation name. Though today this seems almost commonplace,
at that time is was just not done. An example of how some people looked upon it at the time is to
be found in a 1946 letter from the French Minister of Agriculture. He commented on the name
that was starting to proliferate on winemakers’ labels: Beaujolais-Villages. “This does not flatter
the product it is placed on; instead of enhancing the wine’s name, it seems, on the contrary, to be
belittling the wine in the eyes of the consumer.” Happily, times have changed!
A – 1940 – 1950: Beaujolais Villages is “on everyone’s lips”
The history of Beaujolais-Villages started in the 40s with the first ground studies showing the
specific geology of the place that was not yet an appellation.
In 1941, 1942 and 1943, the I.N.A.O took samples from within the vinegrowing area and
concluded in the existence of a specific area that covered “38 villages and 41 spires”, to use same
term as the winemakers. The villages of both Régnié-Durette and Salles-Arbuissonnas having two
churches each.
So then, these 39 communes give wine with specific characteristics, a wine with good structure
and ageing potential. The producers of this wine were given the right to put the name Beaujolais
(AOC created in 1937), followed by the name of the commune from which the wine came.
What the consumer was seeing from that time was Beaujolais-Salles, Beaujolais-Beaujeu and
Beaujolais-Quincié etc.
In practical terms, during the meetings they hold together - and already on some labels - the
winemakers are already referring to the wine from their 39 villages as Beaujolais-Villages, with the
“Amicale des Beaujolais-Villages” being created to defend the appellation in 1945.
B – A turning point: the I.N.A.O created the first French “villages” appellation on 21 st
April 1950
On 21st April 1950, the decree concerning the creation of AOC Beaujolais-Villages by the
I.N.A.O officialised and ratified what was already happening in practice in the vinegrowing area.
It modified the decree of 1937 that created AOC Beaujolais, stipulating that “the wines that
respect all the conditions to claim the Beaujolais appellation followed by the name of the
commune of origin will also be permitted to use the name Beaujolais-Villages in the plural.”
It duly defined and delimited the appellation area for “red and rosé wines with the entitlement to
AOC Beaujolais-Villages”, within 39 communes of the Rhône and Saône-et-Loire departments.
This date marked a turning point in the history of the Beaujolais vineyard, as it did that of
France:
-
AOC Beaujolais-Villages was the first wine in France to affix the term “villages”, a name that
gives a really good feel of rural France and terroir. Many French winemaking regions
followed the example: on 10th December 1958 came the creation of Mâcon-Villages, then on
20th August 1964 was the creation of Côtes-de-Nuits-Villages, on 25th August 1967 Côtes-duRhône-Villages was created, on 21st May 1970 came Côtes-de-Beaune-Villages, on 28th March
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1977 was the turn of Côtes-du-Roussillon-Villages followed on 14th November 1991 by
Anjou-Villages…
-
This was an end to a plethora of labels from which the consumer had to choose. By
federating the wines under a single name, the sales offer became more rational. The
appellation adopted a clear position, based on excellent value for money mid-way along the
range between Beaujolais and Beaujolais Crus.
In 1950, the entire Beaujolais vineyard covered 13 468 ha (compared to 19 052 ha today). The
production of Beaujolais-Villages was of 55 250 hl, that is to say over 7 million bottles. The
authorised yield was of 45 hl/ha.
C – From 1951 to 1970: the boom of ‘bistro’ wine and the tasting cellars’ great period
From the moment it was created, the appellation was a success. Its impact on the sale of wines
could really be felt from the very first years. In a very short time, Beaujolais-Villages made a hit
with a key market: bistros and catering. Considered to be the “true prince of bars and good
tables”, it was sold here, up to 30% in this sector, from the 60s.
As “bistro” wine, Beaujolais-Villages was also centre stage in the heyday of the tasting cellars, that
started in the winemaking region in the mid-50s:
-
Beaujeu, the Beaujolais region’s historic capital, the land of Anne de Beaujeu - Louis XI of
France’s daughter - proclaimed itself the fief of Beaujolais-Villages in 1956. On 17th June, the
Amicale des Beaujolais-Villages and the Tourist Office inaugurated the Temple de Bacchus –
the Beaujolais-Villages tasting cellar in the specially fitted out vaulted cellars of the Town hall.
The opening of a site dedicated to the promotion and sales of this very young appellation put
an end to a great deal of discussion. There had been quite animated debate over it,
particularly over what it should be called.
-
Vaux-en-Beaujolais, aka Clochemerle since the writer Gabriel Chevallier made the village a
backdrop to his successful earthy novel set in rural France, has also got its own BeaujolaisVillages tasting cellar. Here you will find a picturesque setting, with saucy murals inspired by
winemaker lore and “wisdom”.
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Vinification and know-how
Beaujolais-Villages characteristics:
-
Land that is often steep, on hill slopes
Heavy inclines
Close planted rows of vines, because of the very high planting density: an average of 10 000
vines per hectare, that is to say a vine per m²
A specific winemaking technique, called Beaujolais vinification, that uses semicarbonic fermentation and goes through several stages:
1/the bunches of grapes are poured whole into the vats for maceration, allowing
the colour and tannins to be released, the sugar to be transformed into alcohol and
the wine’s specific aromas and flavours start to start to come through.
2/ at the end of maceration, the juice created by the grapes’ own weight called run-off
juice, is drawn off. The fermented bunches of grapes are pressed. The resulting
press juice is reunited with the run-off juice in a vat to finish alcoholic
fermentation. A second fermentation, that transforms malic acid into lactic acid then
takes place. This makes the wine more supple, reduces acidity and allows biological
stability.
Vatting time: 5 to 9 days on average. 4 to 5 days for Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau and 6 to 9
days for Beaujolais-Villages “to lay down”.
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Beaujolais,
the most widespread of the region’s
appellations.
Grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc; Soils: in the southern part they are limestone-clay dating from the
Mesozoic period (sandstone, white limestone, limestone with gryphite, golden limestone); further north are
alluvial deposits dating from the Tertiary and Quaternary eras.
Communes with the right to the appellation name: mainly those of three cantons, Villefranche, Anse and
Le Bois d’Oingt, to which are added villages in the cantons of L’Arbresle and Tarare, as well as plots on the
edges of communes dedicated to the production of Beaujolais-Villages or the Crus. In total, 72 communes
produce Beaujolais.
Appellation creation date: 12th September 1937; hectares under vine: 7 014 split between two distinct
geographical areas (the southern part of the vineyard and an almost continuous band that stretches from
Villefranche to the Saône-et-Loire department at the northern end) that are worked by around 1 800
vinegrowers; average annual production: 291 500 hl.
The Beaujolais appellation is the most widespread of the winemaking region, covering as
it does around 7 014 hectares in the south and the east of the area. The vines grow in
limestone-clay and granitic soils over 72 villages. It enjoys international fame for conviviality
and friendship.
It is in the dream Pierres Dorées (golden stone) countryside with its tuscany-like aura in
the southern part of the vineyard that Beaujolais has its cradle. This is a treat of a wine,
ideal for any occaision throughout the year, Beaujolais is as generous to the nose as to
the palate.
2/3 of the volumes of Beaujolais Nouveau comes from this appellation, this makes up,around
207 500 hl. It is also available as a white (Chardonnay – 10 590 hl) and a rosé wine (8 936 hl).
This is the only appellation in the Beaujolais vineyard where Guyot pruning is allowed.
The vines are trellised on to wires and pruned to 6 to 8 eyes.
Vinification: in whole bunches. This vinification type is specific to the Beaujolais region. Length
of maceration on the skins: from 4 to 6 days. After vatting and the first, alcoholic, fermentation,
the grapes are pressed, the run-off and press juices are assembled then the second, malo-lactic
fermentation, takes place. Its role is to render the wines supple in removing their acidity.
On the tasting side, Beaujolais is an inimitable explosion fruity flavours that have their origin in
the poor, stony soils in which the Gamay vine has made its home. The wines are redolent of the
wonderful small red fruits of the summer. This wine is easy-to drink, fruity and brimming with
lively youthfulness. This magical appellation has gained incomparable fame and has travelled
round the globe many times over, thanks to Beaujolais Nouveau, that gives the first feel of the
vintage on the 3rd Thursday in November around the world.
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Anecdote: In the 1930s Beaujolais was indissociable with the cuisine and cheeky humour of the
‘mères lyonnaises’ (local restaurant owners and chefs, usually women), it was the wine drunk at a
game of boules or at the Croix Rousse district fair and was considered to be Lyon’s ‘3 rd river’. It
was served in jugs in the town’s ‘bouchons’ (eating-houses) reigning supreme on every table. The
original ‘pot lyonnais’ or ‘pot Beaujolais’ was a unit of measure dating from the 16 th century
replacing the ânée measurement. A ‘pot’ then contained 108 centilitres followed later by 104
centilitres. A law passed in 1843 further reduced the content to 46 cl, that is to say the equivalent
of half a pint at that time. This measure set off objections from the populace who wanted to
continue to “quench their thirst at the old price”. Despite this the ‘pot lyonnais’ was born and is
now part of Lyon and Beaujolais life.
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Beaujolais Nouveau, from the vine to the glass and the phenomena
To make Beaujolais Nouveau you need full understanding and command of the knowhow:
- In his cellar the winemaker carries out short maceration that requires very careful follow
through.
- In the vines, throughout the growth cycle, he prunes, buds, ties up the shoots and thins
the grapes of the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc grape variety which is difficult to train.
Contrary to the belief of some consumers, Beaujolais Nouveau wines are not “industrial”,
“technological” or even “mass produced”, they are crafted and individual wines.
A single grape variety and one “Beaujolais vinification” unique in its type
To make an aromatic and fruity wine, the grapes undergo short maceration of 4 to 5 days
maximum. This maceration requires very complex know-how. If a wine is drawn off three
hours too early it will be light and colourless, if on the other hand vatting is three hours too long
the nouveau wine will take on a different character with tougher tannins.
- Only one grape variety is used: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc
- Vinification type: in whole bunches. This is specific to Beaujolais.
- Length of vatting is very short; it lasts for 4 to 5 days and must extract the maximum fruit
aromas and flavours without the astringency of over-present tannins.
Main stages:
- the harvest: this is always manual, except in special cases. The Beaujolais region
is the only French vinegrowing area, with Champagne, where hand picking is widespread,
- vatting
- first alcoholic fermentation,
- pressing,
- assembly of the run off juice (from the vat) and the press juice (from pressing) in a vat where
the wine finishes fermenting,
- malo-lactic fermentation, bacteria transform malic acid to lactic acid. The wine becomes
suppler, the acidity diminishes. For most wines this second fermentation means that the
wines become biologically stable within the month following the harvest.
Two appellations produce Beaujolais Nouveau: Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages. They
cover 12 200 hectares of vines and are at the origin of not one Beaujolais Nouveau but many, the
characteristics of which vary depending on the soil the vines grow in and the winemakers
personal ‘stamp’.
The Beaujolais appellation is on 72 communes in the southern and eastern parts of the
vinegrowing area. The vines grow in limestone-clay and granite soils and half of the wines made
there are sold as Beaujolais Nouveau, making up 2/3 of the volumes of Beaujolais Nouveau,
that is to say around 207 500 hl.
Beaujolais Villages covering 38 communes, with granite soils and steep slopes, it makes up 1/3
of ‘nouveau’ wine. In 2009, over 124 000 hl of Beaujolais-Villages was sold under a BeaujolaisVillages Nouveau label.
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The overall harvest for all 12 Beaujolais appellations in 2009 was 843 032 hl.
From the fifties when early release of Nouveau wines was permitted by the indirect
taxation administration to the end of the 20th century the surface area covered by vines
and the volumes produced have increased markedly:
- the vinegrowing area grew from 14 680 hectares in 1954 to 15 422 hectares in 1961 and 18
644 hectares today.
- production of Beaujolais Nouveau has increased from 15 000 hl (barely 2 million bottles) to
350 000 hl (45 million bottles) on average. This fantastic increase is the result of the planetary
success of this out of the ordinary wine, which has reached cult status.
A new arrival? Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé hasn’t stopped gaining in popularity since its
launch in Japan in 2006.
The first cuvées of Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages nouveau Rosé were sold in Japan in 2006.
In 2007, Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé made its début on the shelves in France. Though production
remains limited, there are an increasing number of these lovely fruity wines every vintage: 7 663
hl in 2009, shared between the two appellations, Beaujolais (7 192 hl) and Beaujolais-Villages (470
hl). That is to say, a total of more than one million bottles.
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The Beaujolais Nouveau phenomenon
The phenomenon, which came into being in the 50s, is a lot more complex than that. It
owes its success to the conjunction of four factors:
- a legal decision, made by the Indirect taxation office on 13th November 1951
- a grape variety, the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc, quasi-exclusively Beaujolais, which produces
marvellous ‘nouveau’ wines
- winemakers and brokers’ energy and their will to develop the winemaking region
- the commitment of many ambassadors who love Beaujolais and who are attached to the
conviviality of a popular and republican wine
A – The framework of the phenomenon. An aggregation of regulations
The regulation history of Beaujolais Nouveau started on 11th March 1951 with the
suppression of the principle of staggering wine release from the estates. Up to that date
wine sales were made according to a meticulous calendar that fixed the percentage of the harvest
that could be sold and the different release dates of these volumes. The objective of this was to
plan the supply of wine to the army. In the spring of 1951 this calendar was stopped. After that
the key dates for Beaujolais Nouveau succeeded each other:
- 8th September 1951, a decree in the Official Journal concerning the “sale of wines from the
1951 harvest” stipulated that “the producers are not authorised to release the wines from the
1951 harvest with AOC status before 15th December 1951”.
- In October 1951 the winemakers in the Union Viticole du Beaujolais requested the
possibility of selling “Beaujolais wines straight away” bringing to the forefront that they
were “early drinking wines”. Their request was quickly granted.
- On 13th November 1951 a note from the Indirect Taxation Office stated “in which
conditions certain AOC wines can be sold straight away without waiting for the general
release date of 15th December”. The wines in question were Beaujolais, Côtes-du-Rhône,
Burgundy (white wines) and Burgundy Grand Ordinaire, Bourgogne Aligoté, Mâcon (white
wines), Gaillac and Gaillac Premières Côtes (white wines) and Muscadet. The possibility of
selling wines is granted under the condition that authorisation is given by the INAO (Institut
National des Appellations d’Origine). This date marks the official ‘birthday’ of the
Beaujolais Nouveau phenomenon. The volumes sold at that time were around 15 000 hl
(barely 2 million bottles).
- For fifteen years the release date for Beaujolais Nouveau wasn’t firm. It varied by a few
days depending on the vintage. On 20th October 1952, the date of 3rd November was given
for the early release of Beaujolais. In 1953 it was 1st November.
- The decree dated 15th November 1967 rationalised the release with a firm date: 15th
November at 0 h 00, was settled on for the sale of Beaujolais Nouveau every year. This rule
had only one exception: in 1977, a particularly late ripening year when Beaujolais Nouveau
was put on sale on 25th November at 0 h 00. The yield, which was produced from vines
covering 20 000 hectares, was 220 000 hl.
- A New regulation in 1985 to ease putting the 500 000 hl produced that year onto the
market, fixed the consumption date for Beaujolais Nouveau (and the other ‘nouveau’ wines)
on the Third Thursday of November. This remains the rule today.
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B – The magic of a grape variety: the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc
It was kicked out of Burgundy in 1395 by Philippe le Hardi and is today quasi-exclusively the
Beaujolais grape variety. Of the 36 000 hectares of Gamay planted throughout the world 18
644 are in the Beaujolais vinegrowing area. The grape that has been nicknamed ‘petit Gamay’
(little), ‘Gamay rond’ or ‘Bourguignon noir’, has found its perfect home in the limestone-clay and
granite soils of the Beaujolais region.
-This variety has some very specific characteristics. It is very resistant to disease, fertile and
particularly difficult to train. If its vigour and yield are to be controlled it requires very careful
attention:
-
-
The vines are traditionally planted very close together: from 8 000 to 10 000 vines per
hectare, today this may be reduced to 6 000 vines/ha, following modifications introduced by
the INAO in the appellation decrees in November 2004. Many vinegrowers are re-shaping
their estates and lowering planting densities.
Hard pruning leaving 3 to 5 arms on each vine and a maximum of 10 eyes (buds).
“Green harvesting” or thinning. This is carried out in July to reduce the number of
bunches per vine to gain better yield control. Even a decade ago this ‘pre-harvest’ surprised
the producers, most of whom couldn’t see the point. Today it is becoming more widespread
every vintage on the condition that its use is justified in any given year.
From an oenological point of view the Gamay gives fruity wines with aromas and flavours
that develop quite quickly, to drink when they are younger making it particularly well suited
to be vinified as ‘nouveau’ wine. Its pre-eminence in the Beaujolais region explains the
development of nouveau wines and the forefront position that they are in at the moment.
Without the Gamay grape there would never have been any Beaujolais Nouveau.
C – The role of wine bistros, brokers and the Interprofession (the umbrella organisation
covering all the professions concerned by Beaujolais wines)
« Depuis de longues années, le beaujolais a conquis la capitale. Il règne sur la table de bien des
restaurants et au comptoir d’excellents cafés qui se sont fait une spécialité de ce vin rouge de
gamay, frais et glissant, si bon en primeur, fruité comme un raisin frais » (P. Bréjoux, Les vins de
Bourgogne, in Dictionnaire de la langue du vin, Martine Coutier).
“Many years ago now, Beaujolais conquered the capital. It reigns over the tables of
numerous restaurants and on the bars of excellent cafés that make a speciality of this
fresh red Gamay wine that slips easily down the throat and is so good as a nouveau, fruity
like fresh grapes.” (P. Bréjoux, Les vins de Bourgogne, in the Dictionnaire de la langue
du vin, Martine Coutier).
Wine bistros hold a fundamental role in the promotion of Beaujolais Nouveau. Among these,
the driving force are the Parisian winners of the “Coupe du meilleur pot” (the French
equivalent of the Best Beaujolais Bistrot Cup), this trophy has been awarded since 1954 by the
“Académie Rabelais”. This academy was founded by a happy band of artists and journalists who
met on Mont Brouilly at Château Thivin with Marcel Grancher as the hub and Claude Geoffray
the host. Thanks to these and other zealots Beaujolais Nouveau stopped being a purely
Lyonnais product. This fun, lip-smacking wine pushed open the doors to the Parisian bistros.
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In 1959 The Union Interprofessionnelle des Vins du Beaujolais (inter-professional wine union
for Beaujolais wines) was created. It initiated Beaujolais Nouveau promotional action from 1960.
In 2004 it changed its name to become the Inter Beaujolais.
In 1966 all 250 Nicolas off-licences in Paris organised a specific event for the Beaujolais Nouveau
launch for the first time.
In 1976 – an excellent year -, the press had already noted that Beaujolais Nouveau was “the
master of all the bars and counters in the capital” and that “all Paris was out to give their backing
to this new arrival”.
Local brokers were interested by the product and its possibilities and also became an
excellent vector for the development of Beaujolais Nouveau. At the end of the 60s, when
the phenomenon was gathering weight, they broke onto foreign markets. After the conquest of
Europe came that of North America, followed by Australia in 1982, Japan and Italy in 1985 and
Southeast Asia in the 90s… Then central and Eastern Europe after the wall came down. And
today China.
Every new consumer, wherever he was in the world would soon have these words on his lips “le
Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé”, a simple phrase that was coined on a slate that hung behind a
bistro owner’s bar. In France René Fallet made it the title of one of his novels.
In 2008, this famous slogan was given a new lease of life by the contemporary French
artist Ben. He is known throughout the world for his graphic art, his humour and his sayings
brimming with freedom. The Beaujolais Nouveau campaign was the opportunity for a
unique creation. By reworking the slogan to “le nouveau est arrivé”, in white letters on a black
background tradition meets with modernity. The fame of the product is associated with that of
the artist, the joyous, festive characteristics of this extra-ordinary wine are set around quite wacky
communication that was thought up with amateurs of 3rd Thursday in November firmly in mind.
This year, while completely changing universes, they are continuing this saga in art that
started with cartoonist Ben last year.
The 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau campaign has donned Pop Art colours and style. With a
retrospective exhibition of Andy Warhol’s work on show this year at the Grand Palais in
Paris, the artistic movement that started out in the 50s has really come under the
spotlight. The bright colours and ultra-modern graphic codes of Pop Art will be
highlighting the launch of Beaujolais Nouveau 2009 on next 19th November, in France, as
well as in the 101 other countries where Beaujolais Nouveau is enjoyed.
With its really bright colours and its ultra-modern graphic codes that are specific to the Pop Art
movement, the theme for the new 2009 campaign is really eye-catching and curiosity-provoking.
It is seductive to the eye, forecasting seduction of the nose and taste buds at the many tastings
organised to celebrate our Nouveau wines.
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AFTER NOUVEAU
The two AOCs that produce nouveau wines – Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages – don’t just
come down to the Beaujolais Nouveau phenomenon, far from it. After the intense work in the
autumn up to ‘D’ day, which is the third Thursday of November, and the celebrations that go
with the sales of the first AOC of the year, the winemaker lovingly matures his “wines for later”.
These wines are generally more robust and structured from longer vinification and maturing that
lasts right up to the spring.
When the fist rays of sunshine appear and that famous Thursday in November is but a happy
memory, the winemakers bottle their “wines for later”.
AOC Beaujolais produces 150 000 hl of Beaujolais ‘to lay down’
AOC Beaujolais-Villages produces 105 000 hl of Beaujolais-Villages ‘to lay down’.
What is a Beaujolais to lay down?
The grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc.
Plot choice: to make a Beaujolais to lay down the winemaker chooses his raw material very
carefully. The grapes generally come from older vines where the grapes ripen later. Selection of
the soils best adapted to this type of vinification is a priority.
Vinification type: in whole bunches, handpicked like for Beaujolais Nouveau. But vinification is
longer and the methods differ: from 8 to 10 days minimum maceration with the objective of
extracting the maximum colour, substance and tannins. To do this the winemaker punches down
the cap, pumps the juice from the bottom of the vat over the cap and removes part of the juice
for the maceration to intensify. The wine is then matured until spring before being bottled.
The labels for these Beaujolais are generally less festive and colourful than for nouveau, tending
towards the classical.
These Beaujolais are characterised by:
- A merging of red fruit aromas, often red currant and spices.
- Good length in the mouth, which is linked with their more intense structure than that of
nouveau wines.
- Cellaring possibility of 2 to 3 years.
A perfect accompaniment to food right through a meal.
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The 2010 vintage
After a sun-drenched harvest
fruity, supple and balanced wines
After a lovely hot month of July, the first fortnight of August was relatively cool. The weather
conditions over the last weeks of August and the beginning of September were particularly good
for the health of the vines and their crop. The grape harvest started on 13 th September and
finished on around 6th October. This year the weather conditions for picking as well as for the
development of aromas and flavours were ideal: sunshine and cool temperatures, giving even
ripening and great health to the bunches of grapes. This allowed the vinegrowers to postpone
picking and make the most of the weather.
In the vatrooms, vinification is over and tastings have started.
After an exceptional vintage in 2009, the cuvées of 2010 are already proving promising. “The
wines are bursting with aromas, flavours and colour” explains Bertrand Chatelet, technical
manager of Sicarex (the research institute in Villefranche sur Saône devoted to the study of
Beaujolais vines). 2010 boasts a gorgeous rounded supple structure and comes in a crimson red
robe. This year the wine will bear the marked stamp of the Gamay grape, well-coloured with
crunchy, lip-smacking fruit.
“From the very first tastings, what bursts out on the nose are the floral aromas combined with
dominant raspberry, wild strawberry and red currant; these aromas are already coming
through as delicious flavours on the palate” announces Richard Rottiers, a young vinegrowerwinemaker in Romanèche Thorins. The tannins are lively, long and perfectly integrated. With its
luscious acidity, 2010 resembles 2005.
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Additional Beaujolais
facts and figures
Total surface area of the vinegrowing area
19 000 hectares
Grape Variety
Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc
(99% of production)
Production in 2009
843 000 hl
Number of appellations
12
Beaujolais Crus: Brouilly, Chénas,
Chiroubles, Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie,
Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié,
Saint-Amour
Beaujolais Villages and Beaujolais
Number of winemaking estates
3 000
Average surface area of an estate
7.3 hectares
Yield authorised per appellation
52 hl/ha AOC Beaujolais Crus
52 hl/ha AOC Beaujolais-Villages
52 hl/ha AOC Beaujolais
Volumes of Beaujolais Nouveau
sold (2009 figures)
266 000 hl, or 39 million bottles
Beaujolais Nouveau exported
114 000 hl, or 15.2 million bottles
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