Beaujolais Flashcards
How do the Beaujolais AOC categroeis relate to geography / geology?
What river disects the area?
North Beau:
- Were the village and the crus are found
- The soils are mostly granite/schist, arène/gorrhe = sandy soils comprised of feldspar, micas, quartz etc are also found here
South Beau:
- Where Beaujolias AOC is found
- Soils are mostly clay/limestone
- Pierres Dorees (golden stones) are also found here
River = Nizerand River
Beaujolais: How do the soils impact structure / flavour?
Granite / Schist
- More structure, complex wines
Limestone / Clay
- lighter, fruiter style of wines
What is Beaujolias climate?
What topographical features help the climate?
The climate is semi- continental
- experiences all 4 seasons
- Mt Beaujolais protects gainst winds and creates a blockade for clouds
- Sôane River helps moderate temp
What is the history of Beaujolais Nouveau?
- The people in Lyon drank mostly Beau as other wines were taxed heavily
- The railroad system expanded in 19th century
- Paris folk started wanting this early wine
- This made Nouveau / en primeu fashionable
- trend still remains
- release is the 3rd Thu in Nov
Why did Gamay become the grape of Beaujolais?
- In the 14th cen, Phillipe the Bold outlawed Gamay in Burgundy.
- The grape was moved south, where it was made at home
Beaujolais:
What secondary grapes can be used as a field blend?
What are the conditions of the field blend?
- PN
- Chard
- Aligoté
- Pinot Gris
- Melon
- Can be used to supplement Gamay
- Only if they’re co-planted and enter the vat as a field blend
- These grapes can represent no more than 15% of the total blend
Which grape is being phased out and why in Beaujolais?
- Aligoté is being phased out becuase as of 2035 fruit brom Beau won’t be accepted for Bourgogne Aligoté.
Beaujolais:
What is the semi-carbonic maceration process?
- Whole bunches filled into a vat
- Grapes at bottom are crushed under the weight
- Enzymatic yeast start fermentation on the juice
- This creates CO2
- This makes the remaining intact berries undergo carbonic maceration
- They start intercellar fermentation
- When the alcohol within the grapes reach 2% the skins split, releasing their juice
- The grapes are pressed and yeast finish ferment off the skins.
Beaujolais:
How do carbonic maceration and yeast driven ferment differ?
CM:
- Full bunches put into a VAT and CO2
- amibient yeast used
YDF:
- Grapes are destemmed / crushed then yeast added
Beaujolais:
How does carbonic maceration impact the finished wine?
- Light pigment
- Light tannins
- Bright acidity
- Aromas of banana, cherry, raspberry, cranberry
Beaujolais:
What are the Crus? North to South?
- St. Armour
- Juliénas
- Chénas
- Moulin-à-vent
- Fleurie
- Chiroubles
- Morgon
- Régnié
- Cote de Brouilly
- Brouilly
How does the duration of vtting impact wine style in Beau?
4-6 Beaujolais/Supérieur:
- Light bodied, red fruit character
5-9 Beaujolais Village:
- Deeper berry fruit, more tannic, minerality (from granite)
8-15 Crus:
- The most complex wines in the region
Which AOCs in Beau lie on what type of soil?
North Beau:
- Granite and schist (arène and gorrhe)
- Beaujolais Villages
- Crus
South Beau:
- Limestone and clay (pierres Dorées)
- Beaulolais / Beaujolais Superieur
What are some of the specific attributes of the Beaujolais Crus?
- St Amore - light bodied wines
- Julienas - medium bodied wines
- Chénas - full bodied and cellar worthy wines
- Moulin-a-vent - most full bodied and tannic wines; local call them “Pinoter”
- Fleurie - 2 distinct soil types:
- - 1. Decomposed pink graite - elegant/aromatic reds
- - 2. Deeper/richer with more clay - full body reds; cellar worthy - Chiroubles - light bodied wines; benchmark of Beau wines
- Morgon - full body wines
- Regnie - newest cru, med body wines
- Cote de Brouilly - vys face all directions; wines are medium body.
- Brouillly - medium body; southermost cru
