Beaujolais
The home of what, by popular consensus, is probably the world’s most fun, playful, and giddy red wine (and these words come from serious wine people), Beaujolais is on almost everyone’s wine radar.
Many don’t know, however, that, administratively, it is a part of the much more serious Burgundy region to the north and can produce wines that are equally as compelling as many from Burgundy — even though it differs from Burgundy in both climate, style, and, at times, seriousness in their winemaking.
So let’s start with the most famous and least serious wine from Beaujolais.
Beaujolais Nouveau: France’s TicTok Wine
An ebbing and flowing worldwide trend, beaujolais nouveau is released every year on the 3rd Thursday of November after the harvest. This hard and fast date, however, gives winemakers a mere 7–9 weeks after harvest to put the yeast to work, bottle their wines, and then ship it out to be in stores around the world as close to Beaujolais Nouveau Day (yes, the 3rd Thursday of November is known worldwide as Beaujolais Nouveau Day) as possible.
These wines, representing what every other refreshing red wine aspires to be, are intensely fruity, often described as bubblegum-y, and delightfully fun to drink as young as possible i.e., by the end of November. It, probably quite obviously, wasn’t created for Thanksgiving. But these wines pair excellently with turkey, cheese, and many of the lighter, savory food that will hit your palate on that day and the days of leftovers that follow.
Many will point out that an increase in demand and the necessity to release the wine for Beaujolais Nouveau Day — because of the huge amount of cash it provides for winemakers — means that a lot of grapes are picked too early and that undesirable techniques, specifically chaptalization, are used to compensate.
But processes and techniques have improved, along with the amount of care being put into the wine due to improvement in the knowledge and palate of the average wine consumer, and many winemakers are choosing not to release a nouveau when conditions are not right. All-round, this results in better beaujolais nouveau for everyone! That’s if you can get your mitts on it, as demand has outstripped supply for the last few years.
Finer Wines: The Terroirs and AOCs of Beaujolais
Beaujolais nouveau’s popularity, much like the abundance and popularity of cheap Napa cabernet many years ago, can give the impression that all the wine from Beaujolais doesn’t surmount to much. However, beaujolais nouveau only makes up around one-third of the region’s production, and most, if not all, of it comes from the lowest level AOC, the simple Beaujolais AOC.
Like much of Burgundy, the wines of Beaujolais are legally organized into AOCs determined by their terroir, and above the aforementioned Beaujolais AOC there are two other levels of AOC — the highest of which can produce wines with incredible complexity and the capability to age for a decade or more. It just has to be treated right and, importantly, come from the parts of Beaujolais better suited to producing finer wines.
In terms of climate, Beaujolais is described as having a semi-continental climate, with cold winters and hot, mainly dry summers. Being slightly further south, means that it is warmer than Burgundy and that the wines it produces are decidedly more fruit forwards.
Beaujolais’ Grape
Gamay (Gamay Noir) is really the only grape grown in Beaujolais, and all the red wines made here are 100% Gamay. Although producers can include up to 15% of white in their red wine if they wish — but this is very rarely done in practice.
Beaujolais AOC
The source and home of delightfully fruity and quaffable wines, including nouveau, that constitutes about half of the region’s total output. This designation is given to wines from anywhere in the region, but they come almost exclusively from the southern half of Beaujolais. This part of the region is flat, plain-like, and features fertile soils of sandstone and clay that don’t test the vines. This all results in higher yielding vines that produce tasty wines that are not overly dramatic or complex.
Beaujolais Villages AOC
This is the area, and AOC, connecting Beaujolais flatter, more fertile southern half with the less fertile, granite soiled, and hilly north (discussed next). As expected, these wines are more complex than their simple Beaujolais AOC siblings but not as complex as their northern Beaujolais Cru brothers and sisters.
The region gets its name from the 38 villages that occupy the area. While the AOC is named because of these villages, producers are not allowed to put the name of their village on the label — the wines are simply designated as Beaujolais Villages.
Beaujolais Cru AOC
There are ten of these, each corresponding to a village (confusing ‘eh, given the name of the previous AOC) and the surrounding land. All of these Cru AOCs are located in the northern half of Beaujolais, where the land is hilly, and the soil is much less forgiving than down in the south, as it is much less fertile and has distinct features of granite and schist. From south to north these villages are:
- Côte de Brouilly
- Brouilly
- Régnié
- Morgon (often described as the best/classic example of Beaujolais Cru wine)
- Chiroubles
- Fleurie
- Moulon-à-Vent
- Chénas
- Juliénas
- Saint-Amour
Producers from these villages very rarely put the name Beaujolais on their bottles, opting instead to label their wine with their village cru. So if you know, you know.
White Beaujolais Anyone?
White wine, beaujolais blanc, is, perhaps surprisingly, actually produced. Vineyards are permitted to have up to 10% of their vines planted as whites, and these are almost all Chardonnay. This beaujolais blanc is only made in the Beaujolais Villages and Beaujolais AOCs, as is a beaujolais rose — and this is just as rare as beaujolais blanc. This can be difficult to find outside of
Vinification: Let’s Talk Carbonic Maceration
Beaujolais, specifically, beaujolais nouveau, involves the use of a specific vinification technique called carbonic maceration. This is used by other producers for other wines around the world, but the winemakers of beaujolais are the most famous users of this technique.
How Carbonic Maceration Works
Carbonic maceration happens when you have a vessel so chock-full of grapes that the ones at the bottom get crushed under the weight of the ones above. The yeast, naturally present on the grape skins, begin feasting on the juicy sugars and fermenting them, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Because carbon dioxide is heavier than air, a layer of it builds up above the fermenting grape juice, blanketing, i.e., macerating, the still wholly intact grapes sitting on the edge of this gurgling mass of yeast and wine.
Inside these whole grapes, entirely enveloped in carbon dioxide, and without the involvement of yeast or oxygen, a process called intercellular fermentation takes place. This converts the grapes’ sugars into ethanol and flavorful aromatic compounds. It is these flavorful aromatic compounds that are the key, as they enhance the elements of the final wine. These compounds are typically those of fruits and, specifically, red berries, although other esters, such as bubblegum, are also produced and are common indicators of the use of carbonic maceration.
The Results and Other Beaujolais Vinification Techniques
The results of carbonic maceration enhance the flavors desired in light, bodied, fruity red wines — as is the majority of the wine produced in Beaujolais. Most wines will often undergo malolactic fermentation after their initial fermentation by yeast, and this typically all happens in stainless steel tanks. Then the wines are bottled and shipped, ready to be drunk young and fresh. Occasionally, and only for the more elevated Cru wines, the wine may see some time in old or — if they’re lucky — used French oak.
Beaujolais: Great Wines and (Some) Secrets
The majority of wine from Beaujolais is made in a fresh and fruity style that is meant to be drunk young and fresh. However, Beaujolais Cru wines are made with more Burgundian-esque techniques, carry a bit more mystique as they don’t say Beaujolais on the bottle, and can be aged for a decade or more — meaning that they are definitely worth seeking out!
Finally, most young beaujolais is best served slightly chilled, as the local in Beaujolais do, as it helps to elevate the fruit flavors and slightly spicy (peppery) notes. It also makes it even more incredibly refreshing!
