Cru Beaujolais

Before you try the wine, only colored sand and granite rocks steals your attention at the vineyards of Beaujolais. Beaujolais is one of UNESCO’s global geoparks. It is known for different kinds of exposed rock. They are as old as 500 million years BCE — of the time when Europe floated somewhere around the equator and there were no land dwellers. Thus, it seems that the extensive 8 year project when thousand trenches and 15,300 soil samples were studied in the region is completely justifiable. Beaujolais now has the most detailed soil map in the world. A map that can be read in a glass of wine.

Beaujolais, Villages and Cru — three quality levels of French wine

• Beaujolais Cru — hilly, granite-rich soil divided into ten Cru villages: Saint Amour, Chénas, Juliénas, Fleurie, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Chiroubles, Règniè, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly (total area - 5940 hectares).
• Beaujolais Villages AOP - hilly areas around the Cru villages (3828 hectares). 59 communes whose names are known only to the locals. However, the most recent Cru — Regnie emerged here in 1988. Rocky soil with hints of granite produces rather concentrated wine, slightly inferior to Cru wines.
• Beaujolais AOP — rest of the region, towards the south, close to Lyon where a lot of chalky soil is found (total area - 4724 hectares). It is the general appellation for the rest of the region, thus the wine here is simpler, cheaper and least expressive of the terroir. Most of the Beaujolais Nouveau is made here.

These ten Cru villages have not been designated by accident. Not only they are located on granite soil best suited for Gamay grapes but each of them has unique qualities: different levels of tannins, freshness, flowers and spices aroma intensities.

Moulin-à-Vent

The name of the appellation rose from a wind mill. Not only is it known as the appelation of the most tannic and longest-living wine, the village is also famous for the high levels of manganese found in its pink granite soil. The wine is often fermented from destemmed grapes, ages in (seldom new) oak barrels. Aromas of plums, cherries and violets are noticeable in young

Moulin-à-Vent wines whereas ten years of aging lends to scents of iris, forest floor, truffle, dried fruit and even musk.

Morgon

Meaty well ageing wine with moderate tannins and notes of black berries, plums, peaches and violets. The commune has six climat:

• Les Charmes — the southern exposition, up to 450 metres above sea level. Granite sand soil. Fragrant wine.
• Corcelette— the northwestern exposition, up to 400 metres above sea level. Granite soil.
• Côte du Py — a 350 metre altitude hill. The decayed bazalt in the subsoil associates itself with cherry aromas. Full bodied and fruity wine.
• Douby — nearby Fleurie. Harmonious and fruity wine.
• Grand Cras — 260 metres above sea level, to the south of Côte du Py. Shale soil, full bodied cherry-rich aroma wine.
• Les Micouds — eastern exposition, the grapes here ripen earliest. Soft tannins.

Morgon is often fermented without the stems. Just as in the case of Moulin-a-Vent maceration with grape skins is longer than in other villages — up to three weeks. The presence of oak is often noticeable.

Côtes de Brouilly

An impressive, right-angled mountain known for its steep “blue stone” (diorite) slopes. Due to the altitude and bare soil the wine is exceptionally fresh tasting. Iris, red berry and lingonberry aromas, rich in tannins and meaty. The wine is often matured in oak barrels. It ages well.

Juliénas

An uneven appellation with islands of granite, diorite, shale and clay. Because of this, the wines from this region tend to be complex and have notes of spices. Peony, violets, strawberries and red currants notes are complimented with hints of cinnamon. With age aromas of vanilla, sweet spices and earthiness develop (a trait exclusive to Juliénas). The wine tends to be rather tannic and ages well too.

Chénas

The smallest Cru appellation (only 243 hectares) where during the 13th century vines replaced oak trees (Chêne – “oak” in French). The soil consists of granite, shale and loam clay. The wine tends to be full bodied, floral and oaky. It is often described as “a flower bouquet in a velvet basket” — notes of roses, peonies are ever present and paired with satin tannins.

Brouilly

The most southern and the largest Cru (1227 hectares). Parts of it are covered by pink granite and limestone. The wine from Brouillyi s rich in berry aromas: notes of plums, strawberries and red currant. It is medium of lightly tannic. Semi-carbonic maceration is often used.

Saint Amour

This Northern-most of the Cru appellations has areas with limestone, shale and granite soils. Two wine styles: smooth, fruity and tannic, full of spices. The former is more common, drunk while still young and heady with peonies and peaches aromas. The latter is rather tannic, requiring at least three years of aging and gives off scents of raseda, kirsch and spices.

Fleurie

Often called the most “feminine” of all Crus because it has intense flowery bouquet and silky tannins. The whole appellation is covered by pink granite sand and stones. A hill rises above Fleurie and on it stands the chapel of La Madone which was built in 1880 to safe the village from a mildew epidemic. Only a thin layer of the soil is fertile which leads to light and fresh-tasting wines. Nonetheless, winemakers do make heftier wines at lower areas of the village with richer soil.

Fleurie wine carries aromas of violets, roses, iris, sweet cherry, strawberry jam and peach.

Chiroubles

The average altitude of this village is 450 metres hence it is the highest appellation where grapes take the most time to ripen. The wine from Chiroubles is light and fresh. Due to sandy soil, it is fruity and has notes of lilies, peaches and raspberries. 59 out of 308 hectares of vineyards are on 30°+ steep slopes, thus they fulfill the requirements of ‘heroic viticulture’. The grapes are harvested a week after all other villages. The soil consists of granite sand hence the aromas of flowers and red berries are more pronounced than the feel of soft tannins. Semi-carbonic maceration is often used. The mouthfeel of the wine is light and very fruity. Best to be drunk young.

Régnié

A small appellation that only obtained Cru status recently (in 1988). Pink granite in the soil gives the wine exceptional aromas while clay results into prominent spice notes. Grapes ripen early since the vines are grown on south facing hills. Notes of blackcurrants, blackberries, peaches, cherries and raspberries.

Soil in Beaujolais UNESCO geopark

About Gamay

Cross-bred from Pinot Noir and Gouais. These grapes grow on approx. 30 thousand hectares worldwide. 98% of all Gamay is grown in Beaujolais.

This grape variety likes granite soil. ‘Gamay’ wine shares notes of raspberry, wild strawberry, blackberry, sweet cherry, plum, violets, iris, peony and pepper. Tannins vary from low to medium. Tannins is frequently altered by fermenting whole bunches of grapes. Gamay ages very well and is not susceptible to oxidation. Therefore the majority of winemakers have scaled down the use of SO2 to a bare minimum.

Carbonic and semi-carbonic maceration

Carbonic. It is called so as the processes take place in carbon dioxide environments. Beaujolais makers differentiate carbonic and semi-carbonic maceration even though both work under the same principle — whole grape bunches (incl. the stems) are placed inside the fermentation tanks.

During carbonic maceration the tank is filled with CO2 gas. Then the winemaker waits until the enzymes start to decompose the sugars in the grapes. Alcohol is produced but the tannins and the color are not. As the alcohol content reaches 2%, the grape skins break and the juices (turned into must) leak out. At this stage, yeast takes over and finishes the fermentation.

Semi-carbonic maceration works the same way, however instead of pumping the tanks full of CO2, the winemakers wait until it happens naturally. That happens when the grapes at the bottom of the tank are crushed by those on top and their juices start to ferment and release CO2. Enzymes in the grapes begin to decompose the sugars as yeast fermentation takes place at the same time. Semi-carbonic maceration is used by many Cru Beaujolais makers.

Translated by Kasparas Adomaitis