4 - Beaujolais

Question 1

Describe the situation, climate and soils of Beaujolais

Answer 1

Situation: immediately south of Maconnais

Climate: continental, bit warmer than Burg

• Adequate rain (740mm)
• Saone moderates temps
• Mistral –> flowering + damage due to Gamay’s thin skins
• Hillier in the north (200-500m) –> S/SE slopes + Mistral = ??

Soils: north has granite, schist and sand, south has richer soils

Question 2

Describe Gamay including budding/ripening, vulnerabilities, and yields

Answer 2

Early budding, early ripening

Thin skin –> rot

Vulnerable to: spring frost, millerandage, rot, wind

Question 3

How can growers mitigate the impact of the Mistral? (3)

Answer 3

Mistral can cause millerandage and damage ripe Gamay due to thin skins

1. Plant on sloped sites with a southerly orientation
2. Orientate row N-S
3. Train low to the ground

Question 4

How does Gamay express differences in vineyard sites?

Answer 4

Ripeness variation esp skins/seeds

Slopes –> sunlight + drainage + Mistral

Orientation –> sunlight + Mistral

Soils –> granite is warmer

Fruit ranges from green leafy to intense fruit

Question 5

How can you control the yield of Gamay to improve ripeness?

Answer 5

Reduce number of buds by pruning shorter

Question 6

Why might a grower switch from bush vines to trellising?

Answer 6

Bush vines provide protection from wind and have lower yields –> better suited to HQ wine production

Trellised vines allow for mechanisation e.g. canopy trimming –> reduce labour costs

Bush vines common for top quality wines and on slopes (as mechanisation not possible)

Question 7

How are most grapes harvested?

Answer 7

By hand, even for inexpensive wine, as whole bunch used frequently

Question 8

Where is Chardonnay grown?

Answer 8

North of Beaujolais on the border is Maconnais - does best on marl/limestone soil - why?

Question 9

What proportion of production is from Gamay?

Answer 9

98%

Question 10

How much wine does Beaujolais produce?

Answer 10

Similar level to the whole of Burgundy

Question 11

Which organisation was founded in Beaujolais?

Answer 11

Terra Vitis - lots of interest in sustainable, organic viticulture

Question 12

Describe the winemaking for most Beaujolais (5)

Answer 12

• Chaptalisation common
• Semi-carbonic - short maceration of 4-5 days
• Press and free-run blended –> impact on colour and tannin
• Short ageing in SST
• Released young

Question 13

How does the winemaking of Beaujolais-Village and cru differ from most?

Answer 13

Longer maceration - 6-9 days for BV and 10-20 days for cru

Destemmed + crushed fruit may be used instead of wholebunch

Ageing in small/large oak, with some % of new oak

Result: deeper colour, more body, more tannin

Question 14

What flavours does semi-carb add?

Answer 14

Kirsch, banana and blueberry

Question 15

Describe the winemaking and style of Beaujolais Nouveau

Answer 15

Carbonic or semi-carbonic

Malo is optional given they are bottled 3-5 days after alcoholic ferment

Fining + sterile filtration + high SO2 for stability

Very light-bodied and fruity

Question 16

Compare the wines of Beaujolais and Beaujolais Village in terms of vineyards, yields, style and quality/price.

Answer 16

Vineyards: most of Beaujolais in the south (richer soil, flatter), B-V mostly in northern area (slopes, poorer soils)

Yield: max yield 60 hL/ha in B vs slightly lower 58 hL/ha in B-V

Style: Beaujolais are fresh and fruity and some have low flavour intensity, B-V are deeper in colour with more intensity, more body and slightly more complexity. Best B-V may be oak-aged and made from old vines.

Quality-Price: Beaujolais is good/inexpensive, B-V is good-VG/inexpensive-mid-priced

Question 17

Compare the style of regular Beaujolais-Village and top quality B-V

Answer 17

B-V: purple, med intensity, red fruit + semi-carbonic flavour, med(+)-high acid, light-med(-) body, med alcohol, light-med tannin. Good-VG/inexpensive-mid-priced.

Top-quality - old vines and oak combined with organic viticulture and low intervention –> med(+) - pronounce, med tannin. VG-out/premium-SP

Question 18

What are the ten crus of Beaujolais

Answer 18

SOME

JAPANESE

CANADIANS

MARRY

FRENCH

CANADIANS

MAKING

REALLY

BEAUTIFUL

CHILDREN

Question 19

Compare and contrast the following crus and their wines:

Moulin-a-Vent

Fleurie

Chiroubles

Morgon

Brouilly

Answer 19

Moulin-a-Vent - powerful, similar to Cote d’Or

Fleurie

• north has clay –> less acid, more body
• south has sand –> lighter, fragrant

Chiroubles - highest altitude, more acid, less body, fragrant

Morgon - pronounced black cherry, more tannin –> ageability

• Home to S-facing Côte de Py vineyard

Brouilly - most southerly –> warmth but makes wine in a lighter style

Question 20

Where has investment in Beaujolais come from and what have been the effects?

Answer 20

Cote d’Or winemakers looking to diversify –> cheap land –> bringing less carbonic and more oak esp in crus

Question 21

Describe the structure of Beaujolais

Answer 21

Large landholdings - 10ha

Most growers sell to co-op (25% of sales) or negociants

Question 22

Where is most Beaujolais sold?

Answer 22

60 domestic / 40 export

Domestic: most via direct and specialist wine shops

Export: Japan (loves Nouveau), USA, UK (Villages and cru)

Question 23

Outline trends in Beaujolais sales since the 1950s (3)

Answer 23

Beaujolais Nouveau - promoted by George Duboeuf since 1964 –> new markets and better awareness of region

Crus - attention from high involvement wine consumers and prices have risen

More demand as cost of Burgundy red has risen

Question 24

How much Beaujolais by volume is Nouveau?

Answer 24

~1/4