16. Beaujolais

Question 1

What’s the climate of Beaujolais like?

Answer 1

Similar to the souther Mâconnais and thus ideally suited to the early budding and ripening Gamay grape.

Question 2

What’s one of the challenges that Gamay offers?

Answer 2

If not well managed, it can produce large yiels which results in lower-quality wines.

Question 3

What soils in Beaujolais offer the best chance for Gamay?

Answer 3

The granite soils because they have a low level of nutrients. This limits the yields and as a result the flavours in the grapes are more concentrated.

Question 4

How are the vineyards trained in Beaujolais?

Answer 4

There are many un-trellised vineyards where the vines are pruned to spurs around the head and then the shoots are tied together to hold them vertically.

However an increasing number of grape growers are now training their vines along wires to allow mechanisation.

Question 5

What sort of wine does Gamay provide?

Answer 5

Gamay gives fragrant wines with aromas of raspberry and cherry fruits.

The wines rarely have more than medium levels of tannin and body and the lightest styles can even be served lightly chilled.

Question 6

How are the appellations in Beaujolais ordened?

Answer 6

There is a hierarchy of appellations in Beaujolais.

Bottom: Regional appellation of Beaujolais

Followed by: Beaujolais Villages

Top: The individual appellations of the Beaujolais crus

Question 7

Where is Beaujolais (regional) and Beaujolais nouveau produced?

Answer 7

To the east and south of the region lies the alluvial plain of the river Saône. It’s here that Beaujolais is produced, mainly by carbonic maceration and semi-carbonic maceration.

Question 8

What’s Beaujolais nouveau?

Answer 8

This is a wine made specifically for early drinking.

It cannot be released to the consumer until the third thursday of november after the vintage.

It cannot be sold by growers or négociants after the following 31st of august.

Question 9

Can you find Beaujolais nouveau in the crus regions?

Answer 9

No!

It can only be of Beaujolais or Beaujolais Villages quality. The ten crus cannot be sold in this way.

Question 10

What sort of wine is Beaujolais and Beaujolais nouveau?

Answer 10

They are light in body and tannin.

They have red berry fruit and often notes of kirsch, banana and cinamon-like spice from carbonic maceration.

Question 11

Where can you find Beaujolais Villages?

Answer 11

To the north and west of the region.

The vineyards are planted on a series of rolling hills, where the granite soils are found.

Question 12

How many villages have the right to call themselves Beaujolais Villages?

Answer 12

39 villages.

Question 13

Can you find the name of the village on the label of a Beaujolais Villages?

Answer 13

Individual village names rarely appear on wine labels as Beaujolais Villages tends to be made from blending wines from different villages.

Question 14

How many crus are there in Beaujolais?

Answer 14

There are ten crus, each a separate appellation.

Question 15

What are the four crus with the greatest production?

Answer 15

Brouilly

Morgon

Fleurie

Moulin-à-Vent

Question 16

Which crus that offer the greatest production tend to give more structured wines?

Answer 16

Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent.

The fruit concentration and level of tannins mean that these wines an improve with bottle-ageing.

Question 17

Which crus that offer the greatest production tend to give lighter wines?

Answer 17

Brouilly and Fleurie tend to produce lighter, more perfumed styles.

Question 18

What sort of techniques are used in the production of Beaujolais crus?

Answer 18

Many of these wines undergo a crushed-fruit fermentation and some will receive oak ageing, often in large vats rather than casks. The vines will rarely display pronounced aromas or flavours of new oak.

Other producers use semi-carbonic maceration or a small proportion of whole bunches to give brighter fruit aromas.