So I’ve had a couple wines lately from the Beaujolais region in France and wanted to talk about the region itself. Beaujolais sits at the south end of Burgundy, north of the Rhone Valley. The region is primarily known for producing red wines from the Gamay grape, which is thin skinned with low tannin and high acid. The region is divided into a northern and southern region, with the northern region containing rolling hills and granite-based soil. The southern region is flatter with rich sandstone and clay soil. The distinct conditions lead to differences in the wine produced from the north and south. The south is known for young fruity light wines while the north is known for more complex wines that can age.
Nearly all the wine from the region is red and produced from the Gamay grape. Gamay is light skinned, bright and acidic, with very low tannin. It matures faster on the vine than other grapes, leading to early harvests and a higher amount of fruit flavors. The wine typically has fruity aromas and flavors, medium-high acidity, and a light body.
Wines from the region are produced by a technique called carbonic maceration. Whole grapes are fermented in tanks prior to crushing, meaning the majority of fermentation happens inside the intact grapes in a high carbon dioxide environment. This process can mellow the natural acidity of the grapes and lead to a fruitier wine.
The French Appelllation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) contains three regional levels of production. The Beaujolais AOC is the most basic version of Beaujolais wine and comes mainly from the southern region. Most of this wine is marketed as Beaujolais Nouveau, which is rapidly produced and the lowest quality wine.
The second classification is the Beaujolais-Villages AOC, which is located more northern into the hills. This wine is typically a higher quality than the southern appellation and must come from one or more of the 39 named villages. The bottles are typically labeled as Beaujolais-Villages, and sometimes may list the specific village if it is the sole source of grapes.
The highest classification is the Cru Beaujolais which comes form ten distinct locations in the foothills of the Beaujolais mountains. These wines are more complex, full-bodied, and darker in color. The ten Crus are Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly. Each Cru has a distinct wine character due to geographic differences from the northern to southern Cru. The Cru wines are typically labeled with the specific village name as opposed to the Beaujolais title.