Beaujolais Copied & Amended Flashcards
Beaujolais in relation to Burgundy?
Beaujolais is a part of greater Burgundy, being just south of Maconnais, and makes more wine than the rest of Burgundy put together
Carbonic Maceration
o Carbonic maceration: Winemaking process which transforms a small amount of sugar contained in uncrushed grapes into ethanol without the intervention of yeasts. o Whole clusters placed in closed vats with CO2 to remove oxygen o CO2 chases out O2 out of the vat o causes a fermentation to start inside the berries on top (intracellular fermentation) o the intracellular fermentation is anaerobic o at ~ 2 % abv the berries split and normal ferment commences o typically short maceration (4 to 8 days) o Then drain the free run juice + press the remaining must o Fermented through as juice with yeast added
AC Beaujolais
Beaujolais AOC • Regional AOC covering whole area – but in reality limited to southern Beaujolais vineyards • Max yield is 60 hL/Ha. • High yield means some wines lack flavour intensity • Made in a fresh fruity style, from carbonic or semi carbonic maceration • Wine good quality and inexpensive and the wines are released young
Beaujolais - Villages
There are 38 villages who can call their wine Beaujolais Villages Max yield is 58 hL/Ha. If grapes from one Village then name of Village can go on the bottle
Beaujolais Crus
10 villages producing wines of distinction, do not need to state Beaujolais on label. From north to south they are; Saint- Amour AC, Julienas AC, Chenas AC, Moulin a Vent AC, Chiroubles AC, Fleurie AC, Morgon AC, Regnie AC, Cote de Brolly AC and Brouilly AC. Gamay has good affinity with granite based soils, wines have greater complexity and depth than those produced in the east and south. Moulin a Vent and Morgon ae full bodied and will improve in bottle.
Beaujolais- Growing Environment
Cool Continental • Drier and warmer than the rest of Burgundy • Rainfall average 740mm per annum • Affected by Mistral winds o which can affect flowering in Spring o damage the leaves and thin skins of the Gamay grape o low trellising and vine orientation used to reduce effect of wind • the south of Beaujolais tends to be cooler due to lack of slopes to intercept the sun and the predominance of cooler soils
Beaujolais- Viticulture
Gamay in Beaujolais is mostly freestanding goblet trained (some vineyards, especially in East and South, are trellised along wires).
Beaujolais - Vinification - what methods are used?
- Chaptalisation is used in cooler years 2. Majority of vinification is semi-carbonic maceration 3. Some producers use carbonic maceration 4. A small number, mainly top end Cru producers are using standard red winemaking techniques with crushing/destemming, fermentation completed on skins and then barrel ageing in small & large barrels with small % of new oak
Chiroubles- Beaujolais
Highest of the Beaujolais crus, producing some of the lightest but most genuinely refreshing wines. The soils are very similar to the sandiest parts of neighbouring fleurie and wines can be a little tart in poor vintages. Perhaps the most archetypically Beaujolais of all the crus, Chiroubles is best drunk relatively young. Total vineyard area had shrunk to 324 ha/800 acres by 2012.
Fleurie- Beaujolais
Fleurie: 822 ha. o Most expensive of all crus Beaujolais. o Feminine and floral, at the foothills of la Madone. o Soils vary from sandy (lightest wines), to clay (wines can be quite meaty and full bodied). o Southern Sandy soils produce lighter more fragrant wines and Northern Clay rich soils produce heavier wines, lower acidity and more full bodied o Producer: Domaine Jean Foillard
Julienas
One of the ten beaujolais crus in the far north of the region. 570 hectares of Gamay vines produce wines with real backbone.
Chenas
the smallest of the ten Beaujolais crus in the far north of the region in the shadow of moulin-à-vent. By 2011 its total vineyard had shrunk to 243 ha/600 acres divided between the villages of Chénas and La Chapelle de Guinchay. Hubert Lapierre is one of the oldest domaines.
Moulin- a- Vent
Moulin-à-Vent: 610 ha. o Highest quality (“The King of Beaujolais”) due to soils with manganese + iron. o Expected to last the longest (ageing potential 10 years), o taste more concentrated, least typical. o With time > taste more like old Pinot Noir. o Producer: Georges Duboeuf
Morgon
Morgon: 1,100 ha. o 2nd largest Cru o Manganese soils. o Full-bodied and age-worthy (5years). o Pronounced black cherry, alongside red fruit and sufficient tannins to age in bottle o Better ripeness than in most Crus. o Soils – include ex-volcanic cone Côte de Py providing depth. o Wines from Cote de Py Pronounced intensity black cherry fruit Alongside red berry fruits Sufficient tannins to age for a decade in bottle o Producer: Jean-Paul Thevenet
Regnie
the most recently created beaujolais cru (in 1988), is a tribute to communal spirit, or at least the spirit abroad in the neighbouring communes of Régnié-Durette and Lantignié, whose vignerons lobbied for years to be allowed to join the other nine crus. The total area of vineyards had shrunk to 287 ha/709 acres by 2012, however. This is one of the highest and most westerly of the crus immediately east of Beaujeu and can taste more like a Beaujolais-Villages unless very well done.
Brouilly
Brouilly: o 1,300 ha (largest cru). o Soils are volcanic with vineyards flanking the old volcano - Mont Brouilly. o Most southerly and marginally warmer o Produces lighter, more perfumed style o Producer: Domaine Laurent Martray and Chateau de Thivin
St- Amour
the most northerly of the beaujolais crus and an area with some limestone in which a considerable amount of white Beaujolais Blanc (and st-véran) is made. A steady 320 ha/790 acres of Gamay vines are planted for the production of relatively light but true red Beaujolais.
Beaujolais: Soils and Typography
Granite base with variations.
- North
- Fast draining soils with granite + schist (stronger wines).
- Hilly terrain - 200 to 500 metres elevation
- Faster and more homogeneous ripening than South
- Vineyards on south and south east facing slopes
- East
- Alluvial soils
- South
- flat with clay & limestone (lighter wines, mostly Beaujolais Nouveau).
- Uneven ripening so diverse quality.
Mainly straight Beaujolais.
Beaujolais: Grape Varieties
Beaujolais: region w highest proportion of single variety in France - 98% Gamay Noir
1% Chardonnay
Aligoté allowed until 2024
Beaujolais: Red Grape Varieties
Gamay Noir (98% of plantings) - Potentially named after village of same name close to Puligny-Montrachet - Early budding, flowering & ripening -> susceptible to spring frosts - Hi yield -> easy to let it overproduce -> hi density + rigorous pruning + goblet - Very little in Burgundy, mainly in Cote Chalonnaise
Beaujolais: White Grapes Varieties
Chardonnay (1% of plantings) - Hardy, easy to grow & versatile - Can produce interesting wines at hi yields Aligote in very small amounts
How many hectares in Beaujolais?
15,000 Ha.
Semi-carbonic maceration
Semi-carbonic maceration extracts colour (very purple) and aromas (pear drop, banana, kirsch, bubblegum) but limited tannin. Wines made this way are distinctive, with a fruity, low tannin flavour profile, and are best consumed while young Generally described as distinctive but not complex Technique is: • Whole bunches filled into a vessel • No CO2 is added • The weight of the fruit crushes the bottom bunches releasing juice • This juice begin ordinary fermentation producing CO2 and the other bunches start ‘intracellular fermentation’ • After the berries all split at around 2 degrees ethanol then pressed off and fermented through as juice Amount of maceration in this method depends on quality outcome sought: • Generally 4 to 5 days on skins – Beaujolais/Beaujolais Villages • 6-9 days for top quality Beaujolais Villages • 10-20 days for Cru Beaujolais
Beaujolais: Trade Structure
Cooperatives 25% of total sales by volume Mainly growers (average 10 Ha.) selling to Negociants
Beaujolais Nouveau release date?
Beaujolais Nouveau - Released to consumers on the 3rd Thursday after vintage; cannot be sold after 31st August
What percentage of sales are made by cooperatives
25%
What percentage is exported? and to what markets?
40% of volume is exported
Japan (mainly Beaujolais Nouveau), USA and UK
What percentage is Nouveau production?
25% of total volume production
What % is domestic sales? and where to?
60% sold in France
Direct sales and wine shops
Supermarkets and hospitality
