Beaujolais Flashcards
What is the climate of Beaujolais?
Continental climate and slightly warmer than rest if Burgundy.
Adequate rainfall.
What are the natural factors impacting viticulture in Beaujolais?
Saone River act as moderator of extreme temperatures.
Cold Mistral winds that can affect flowering and damage leaves and grapes near the end of the season.
What are the soils of Beaujolais?
Northern area is hilly (200-500m) and has granite, schist and sandy soils.
Southern part is flatter with richer soils.
What are the key characteristics of the Gamay grape?
Early budding and early ripening.
Think skinned.
Productive grape so reduce number of buds to control yields.
Prone to millerandage in cold, damp and windy conditions, so reduce yields.
Vulnerable to rot.
In terms of wines from the Gamay grape in Beaujolais, what is the key difference between those from better site tonthose giving less-ripe examples?
Intense fruit character versus green leafy character.
What is the normal training methods in Beaujolais?
Traditionally Bush trained so giving some protection from the wind.
Now where possible trained on trellises for mechanisation.
Training low and careful vine orientation to avoid wind damage.
How are grapes harvested in Beaujolais?
Mostly By hand as whole bunches are needed.
In Beaujolais where donyou find Chardonnay plantings and the type of soil they grow on?
North if Beaujolais bordering Maconnais.
On cooler marl or limestone soils to slow down ripening, so preserving acidity.
What types of viticulture has a lovely interest in Beaujolais?
Sustainable and organic.
What is the main fermentation method used in Beaujolais?
Semi carbonic mceration
Which fermentation adjust is common is Beaujolais?
Chaptalisation, especially in cooler years
For Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages, what are the typical skin maceration period and maturation vessel?
4-5 days for for both.
For very good Beaujolais Villages 6-9 days.
Fermentation vessel is stainless steel and only briefly for earky release.
For Cru Beaujolais wines made via semi carbonic maceration, what is the skin maceration period?
10-20 days.
What is the winemaking method behind Burgundian style Cru Beaujolais wines?
Grapes destemmed then crushed.
Fermentation and maceration on skins like most red wines.
Aged in small or large barrels.
May have Small proportion of new oak.
What type if winemaking has Beaujolais become the centre of?
Low intervention.
Comment on Beaujolais Nouveau AOC and Beaujolais Villages Nouveau AOC including winemaking choices.
Sold from third Thursday in November.
Made via Carbonic or semi carbonic maceration.
Bottled 3-5 days after fermentation.
Some go through MLC, some don’t.
Fining, sterile filtration and moderate to high SO2 are common.
What is the max yield for Beaujolais AOC, when can it be sold and quality and price?
Moderate at 60 hL/ha.
Can be sold from mid-Jan year after harvest.
Good quality and inexpensive in price.
What is the typical style of Beaujolais-Villages AOC?
Purple, medium (+) to high acidity, medium alcohol, light to medium tannins, light to medium (-) body, medium intensity, fresh red cherry, raspberry, red plum, kirsh, banana.
Good to very good.
Inexpensive to mid-priced.
Under the Beaujolais-Village AOC, For top producers working organically with old vines, making low intervention wines that may be aged in oak, what is the key differences in style and price?
Medium (+) to pronounced intensity, medium tannins.
Very good to outstanding.
Premium and super premium in price.
Name the Beaujolais crus that are lighter and more fragrant in style
Brouilly, Chiroubles and Fleurie.
What are the soils of Fleurie and their cortesponding wine styles?
Southern pary sandy soils, lighter and more fragrant.
Northern have more clay, wines are heavier, lower acidity and more full bodied.
Name the Beaujolais cru that is closer in style to wines of Cote d’Or?
Moulin-a-Vent.
Wines are the most powerful and long lived.
Comment in Morgon AOC
Pronounced intensity of black cherry along with red fruits.
Have sufficient tannins to age jn bottle for a decade.
Includes wines fron south faving Côte de Py vineyard.
What helped to drive quality in Beaujolais and move away from carbonic maceration and use more oak especially in crus?
Land prices cheaper than Cote d’Or so attracted investment from Burgundy growers looking to diversify.
What are teh main routes go market for Beaujolais wines?
Co-ops (25%) and negociants
What is the split of doemstic and export for Beaujolais wines?
60% domestic and 40% exported.
Key markets include USA, UK (Villages & Crus) and Japan (Nouveau).
What are the main sales channels in France for Beaujolais wines?
Direct, specialist wine shops, supermarkets and hospitality.
Which groups have started following Beaujolais crus in recent years?
Burgundian Pinot buyers and Burgundy prices have increased.
Sommeliers and wine lovers, especially in USA, prices reaching premium and super-premium.
Name an important Beaujolais negociant
George Duboeuf
What percentage of Beaujolais production is from Noiveau and key markets
25%
Japan, France and UK
