France - Beaujolais

Question 1

Describe the soils of beaujolais

Answer 1

granitic, and ideal for gamay

Question 2

Describe beaujolais’ climate

Answer 2

continential, approaching moderate due to its closer proximity to the Mediterranean sea

Question 3

What grapes are planted in beaujolais

Answer 3

50,000 acres are 95% gamay, with sprinking of aligoté, chard, pinot, melon, & pinot gris

Question 4

Describe the wine styles of beaujolais

Answer 4

Beaujolais styles gamay into two kinds of wine: bright, light, cocktail red replete with red and tropical fruit and made using carbonic masceration, or serious, dry fermented, oak aged and bottle conditioned gamay from the Northern crus that represent gamay at its best and most expressive.

Question 5

Discuss the appellations of beaujolais

Answer 5

There’s a general Beaujolais AOC which makes white, red, & rose wine and comes primarily from the south of the region. Half of this production of Beaujolais is sold as Beaujolais nouveau, the first french wine release of a given harvest year. 38 odd villages clustered around the center of the region are allowed to produce wine labeled Beaujolais village, which carries a higher reputation for quality as well as higher minimum standards for grape ripeness, alcohol, & max yield. The northernmost villages are the 10 crus, which have earned appellations of their own and produce what is considered to be gamay at its finest.

Question 6

How many Beaujolais Crus are there? How can we categorize them?

Answer 6

10 Crus, easily categorized by the style of wine they tend to produce.

Question 7

What are the lighter style crus of Beaujolais?

Answer 7

Chiroubles, Fleurie, St.-Amour

Question 8

What are the fuller-body style crus of Beaujolais?

Answer 8

Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Juliénas, Régnié

Question 9

What are the age-worthy crus of Beaujolais?

Answer 9

Morgon, Moulin-à-vent, Chénas