Beaujolais
Overview
A huge region at the southern end of Burgundy, Beaujolais produces the world’s only classic Gamay wine. Even though Beaujolais produces fully half of Burgundy’s wine, the distinct Gamay variety means Beaujolais should really be thought of as a region separate from the rest of Burgundy.
More than half of Beaujolais’ wine is sold as vin de primeur, or Beaujolais Nouveau. These wines must be shipped in time to be sold on the third Thursday in November - no matter what. Beaujolais Nouveau is a fun party wine that isn’t intended to be of the finest quality.
At the other end of the spectrum, however, are the Crus of Beaujolais that earn Gamay’s classic status. These are ten communes in the northeast of Beaujolais that can be labeled by their commune name rather than as Beaujolais, or even the slightly better Beaujolais-Villages. At their best, these wines are fuller bodied with intense, ripe fruit flavor. The ten Cru Beaujolais appellations are Brouilly, Chénas, Côte de Brouilly, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Régnié, St.-Amour, and Moulin-á-Vent, which is considered to be the best in the region.
Traditionally, Beaujolais is made using a vinification technique called carbonic maceration, which is a type of fermentation in which whole bunches of uncrushed grapes are placed in an airtight tank. The weight of the grapes on top crushes those on bottom, releasing juice that ferments naturally without the addition of yeasts. The juice in the uncrushed grapes ferments within the grape. The result is an extremely fresh and juicy style of wine. Although some wine is fermented in the traditional style, most Beaujolais undergoes at least a partial carbonic maceration.
Geography
Located about fifteen miles northwest of Lyon, Beaujolais is a huge hilly region at the southern end of Burgundy.
Temperature
Beaujolais has a very sunny climate influenced by Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Continental forces. The temperature and rainfall are near-perfect for viticulture, but its southern latitude means that occasional Mediterranean storms sometimes disrupt the growing season.
Topography
Beaujolais is a hilly region of some altitude. Vines generally grow on sloping hills facing any direction from 500 to 2,000 feet.
Terroir
The best vineyard sites in Beaujolais for the cultivation of Gamay are in the north where there is a high level of granite in the soil. There are several levels of quality in Beaujolais ranging from the merely quaffable to truly delicious and finely structured. To the south, the soil is rich in limestone. This presents a problem for the Gamay grape, and wines produced here lack the class of their northern cousins.
