As I write this, Beaujolais is in a flurry. Its first wines of 2025 – the fragrantly juicy Beaujolais Nouveau – are being sent out across the globe ready for the impending (and inevitably raucous) festivities on the third Thursday of November.

And while the folk from Beaujolais are the undeniable overlords of the nouveau party, they aren’t the only players out there dabbling in this vinous fountain of youth.

When you pull back the curtain, you realise there are people all over Europe, and even in the UK, that make their own versions of these new harvest wines.

A long history

Beaujolais Nouveau is merely the best known (modern) example of a much wider tradition of drinking brand new wines soon after harvest.

Nouveau wine, in its simplest terms, is a young wine that is bottled and released almost immediately after harvest. At times they are little more than fermenting must – such as Federweisser in Germany (known as Sturm in Austria).

In Beaujolais it is made with Gamay, which is low in tannins, using carbonic maceration – where the grape begins to ferment within the berry itself, promoting fragrant, perfumed fruit aromas. It is meant to be light in alcohol, juicy and easy going.

As Beaujolais producer Christophe Pacalet says, nouveau is ultimately an unpretentious wine that you can drink while you play pétanque.

Around France

As an inhabitant of southern France, I was intrigued to see whether this area, more famed for its heady reds, was getting on board with the style.

Jean-Philippe Padié of Domaine Padié in Roussillon has been making a nouveau wine since 2019. It was a bit of an accident; he had a plot of Syrah that went through fermentation quickly and cleanly, offering him a delicious rendition of a nouveau style.

Padié now works predominantly with the indigenous variety Lledoner Pelut, which he says gives an even lighter, crunchier wine, with a hint of something maritime from the vineyard’s coastal location.

Similarly, in the cooler northern reaches of the Loire, Joseph Mosse of Domaine Mosse makes a fuschia-coloured wine called Bang Nouveau from a blend of the pink-skinned Grolleau Gris and Gamay.

And while there is an argument that nouveau wines are best made with lighter-skinned varieties, Romain Le Bars in the Rhône Valley proves that this isn’t always the case. His dangerously drinkable Nouveau Nez cuvée is made from Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan.

Traditions old and new

Nouveau wines are popping up across France. However, there are other countries that have a deep-rooted history with this style of wine – Spain, for example.

Specifically in Rioja, where the wines are called cosecheros. Last year saw the launch of the first cosecheros tasting in London, hosted by Ben Llewelyn of UK importer Carte Blanche and writer Tim Atkin MW.

Here producers work with Tempranillo, foot crushing the grapes and using carbonic maceration. Like in Beaujolais, it is a style that is embedded in the culture, despite also falling prey to the tools of mass production such as thermovinification and commercial yeasts.

And while the Spanish perhaps don’t partake in the annual country-wide festivities, the Italians certainly do. Also released in early November, Italy’s answer is vino novello, also made with carbonic maceration and with a host of different grape varieties depending on the region.

Perhaps the most iconic in this mix is the Bardolino Novello from Veneto, which brings much joyous celebration to the shores of Lake Garda.

Sandridge Barton in Devon, UK, has been making its own nouveau wine since 1995. Spurred on by a disruption in Beaujolais supply during the outbreak of mad cow disease, they decided to try their hand at making one themselves.

Intriguingly, their nouveau was – and still is – a white made from the grape Madeleine Angevine (affectionately known as Mad Ange), chosen because it’s their earliest-ripening variety, going from vine to glass in just six weeks. This year spells their first release of a red nouveau made with Pinot Noir and carbonic maceration.

Balfour Winery has also adopted this new wave British tradition with its Essex-grown Pinot Noir Nouveau. Following the stellar conditions of the 2025 vintage, the estate’s head of wine Fergus Elias was keen to show that ‘English Pinot Noir has the ripeness, the fruit and the finesse to stand on its own’.

This is only the second vintage of nouveau, but with such excellent fruit to hand, they’ve made a wine that is ‘playful and purposeful’.

Down with the kill-joys

There are pessimists who want to put down nouveau wines simply as a marketing stunt or something to bolster cash flow. If that is indeed the case, then good on them. Hopefully everyone getting involved is making some much needed cash and shining a light on their region.

But I think it is so much more than that. As Llewelyn says, nouveau wines have historical relevance and value. In Rioja, they show the diversity of their grapes and region, they regulate supply – especially important in a place like Rioja where ageing requirements can extend up to five years – and they give affordable access to quality wines.

Isabel Fernández of Rioja’s Bodega Abeica says that these wines have been part of Rioja’s culture ‘since time immemorial’. Traditionally, they were made to be consumed within 18 months of harvest.

Her family has been making a cosechero wine for four generations, and she believes they can have good longevity and weight, so she uses a parcel of 100-year-old Tempranillo for her cuvée.

Echoing the sentiments of others I spoke to, she says that the crux of making a quality nouveau wine comes down to the quality of the fruit and the stems, especially when working with carbonic maceration and with low intervention cellar methods.

The biggest challenge facing nouveau producers? Poor quality fruit. Because in the end, the joy of nouveau – wherever it’s made – lies in its immediacy. It is a snapshot of a harvest that ultimately takes no prisoners.

Playful frivolity

From conversations with winemakers, it’s clear that these wines are moving into a realm of quality and artisanship. Climate change has brought riper grapes and earlier harvests, and as a result we’re seeing more of these wines made without manipulation – a gradual phasing out of what Jon Bonné, in The New French Wine, calls ‘industrial pop wine’.

For years, the market had grown used to nouveau wines tasting of candied banana and bubblegum – flavours I once assumed were a natural byproduct of carbonic maceration, but which in fact come from a specific yeast strain, 71B, which is no longer used to the same extent as it was in the 1980s and 1990s.

While I am a lover of Beaujolais Nouveau – especially in its newer, more natural iteration – there is even more scope for playful frivolity and experimentation in other regions and countries.

In an industry that can err on the side of stuffy and get bogged down in rules and labels, nouveau is a perfectly imperfect antidote for us to share abundantly and joyously.

Like my friends Greg Lane and Sarah Adamson of Scout Wines in New Zealand said of their Pinot x Pinot (a blend of Noir and Gris) take on a nouveau, they made it for no other reason than enjoyment, ‘to keep the house happy’.

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‘The world of wine is in crisis because of a lack of pleasure,’ says Fabien Duperray of Domaine Jules Desjourneys. This is hardly a problem for drinkers of the Beaujolais 2023 vintage, however.

The year has produced wines of rare balance and elegance. It is a vintage to buy both for current drinking and to lay down for the future. The top wines from 2023 will stand the test of time, but there is also enough hedonistic fruit to ensure immediate pleasure.

Beaujolais’ top producers are today turning out ageworthy gems that are well worth discovering at prices that make even the top wines an affordable splurge.

Our expert’s picks of 2023 Beaujolais listed below

So why 2023?

Compared with the preceding year, 2023 was a cooler vintage and the grapes kept a bit more acidity.

Picking in 2023 began in the last week of August (as it did in 2022), but there was plenty of rain during the season so the wines have more freshness, even though both harvests were picked at a moderate 13.5% alcohol.

Despite tremendous heat during harvest in 2023, the phenolic maturity was not as great, and winemakers tended to use a slightly shorter time in tank.

‘One could make great wine in 2023 if the yields didn’t get ahead of you,’ says Philippe Pascal of Domaine Mont Bessay in Juliénas.

Frédéric Jametton, the partner of Côte de Nuits superstar Guillaume Rouget at the Domaine de Vernus in Régnié, says: ‘I’d drink the 2023s before the 2022s, but it will be a great vintage’.

Maxime-Henri Lafarge, Michel Lafarge’s grandson, splits his time between Volnay and the family estate in Fleurie.

‘You can enjoy these wines now, or lay them down for the future,’ he says, ‘it’s always a good moment to open them, since they do not seem to be shutting down as some hotter vintages will do.’

The 2023 growing season

A warm winter in 2023 was followed by cooler, rainy weather, but flowering took place under ideal conditions, guaranteeing a generous yield.

July and August saw alternating periods of hot and dry balanced by cool and wet. This contrasted sharply with 2022 and other ‘global warming’ vintages that had more heat spikes and less water, ensuring moderate accumulation of sugar.

The first two weeks of August were rainy, with hail on 13 August, but the sun came out to finish ripening the grapes.

The making of a classic Beaujolais

In addition to Morgon, Fleurie and Juliénas, the most successful Beaujolais crus in 2023 include Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, St-Amour and Moulin-à-Vent, all of which produced wines that we can enjoy today and for years to come.

Many of the most complex and compelling wines come from the single-village Beaujolais crus in the northern part of Beaujolais, near the border with the southern reaches of Burgundy.

Wines here are made principally with two techniques, either semi-carbonic maceration or destemming.

In semi-carbonic maceration, winemakers who use a short maceration are looking for a fruity, forward style for easy drinking, but prolonging the maceration can deliver wines worthy of ageing in bottle.

Domaine Marcel Lapierre, for example, has macerations that last anywhere from nine to 35 days according to the desired style.

Jean-Marc Burgaud, macerates his grapes for about two weeks – depending on the vintage – before finishing the fermentation and ageing in tank to preserve a bit of reduction.

Burgaud is a great believer in the capacity of his wines to age, and believes that reduction lets them open slowly in bottle.

Burgundian influence

A very different style of wine is made by destemming some or all of the grapes prior to fermentation.

Destemming commonly gives wines that are more deeply coloured, with more prominent tannins and notable purity of fruit. This technique is often used by winemakers from Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, where the practice is common.

This is the case at Domaine Lafarge-Vial in Fleurie, founded by Frédéric Lafarge and his wife Chantal (née Vial) of Volnay. The grapes here are completely destemmed, either by hand or machine.

The fruit is given a maceration of two weeks before pressing in a vertical press and ageing in large oak uprights and used barrels of 228L and 350L for 14 months before bottling.

A hybrid technique is used by Guillaume Marko, technical director of Domaine du Cellier aux Moines in Givry and partner (with Philippe Pascal) in Domaine Mont Bessay in Juliénas.

At Domaine Mont Bessay the grapes from old vines are fermented largely as whole bunches and those from the younger vines are partially destemmed.

Pascal also believes in the ageability of Beaujolais: ‘Great Gamay needs long ageing, just like great Burgundy’.

Savvy wine lovers should without doubt snap up some of the top Beaujolais from 2023. The wines are delicious now and will hold for the future, too.

What’s more, much less wine was produced in 2024, so now’s your chance to stock up while the 2023s are still on the market.

Three Beaujolais 2023 drinking well now

Domaine des Pierres Roses, Vieilles Vignes, Moulin à Vent 2023 – 92 points

Pierre Roses is the Beaujolais project of Nuits-St-Georges superstar Thibault Liger-Belair. His ‘entry-level’ bottling is truly superb, boasting ripe, fleshy black plum and fig fruit enlivened by hints of earth and a salty minerality. The texture is dense but approachable. The wine is produced from old vines from the north-facing slopes, giving a wine with structure and freshness, with enough bright fruit to reward immediate drinking.

Domaine Laurent Gauthier, Beaujolais Villages 2023 – 91 points

Morgon-based Laurent Gauthier produces a beguiling Beaujolais Villages by blending fruit from two Beaujolais crus: 80% Morgon and 20% Chiroubles. The result has a lovely, lilting raspberry fruit aroma with a floral edge and a hint of spice. The texture is approachable and fresh but not overly fruity. This is a perfect wine to pair with traditional French bistrot classics, any night of the week.

Bret Brothers, Poncié, Fleurie 2023 – 92 points

The approachable, plummy fruit aromas of this single-vineyard Fleurie are accented with notes of fresh flowers and liquorice. The texture has a plump density but there is enough finesse to give this a moreish balance that calls for a second glass. The grapes are from the steep, southwest-facing slopes and pink granite soils of Poncié; they are fermented as whole bunches and given a fairly short maceration before ageing in used barrels.

Top picks from Beaujolais 2023:

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Midway between Burgundy’s Côte d’Or and Côte-Rôtie in the northern Rhône, and close to the major city of Lyon, you’d think that Beaujolais would be one of the most visited wine regions in France: a vital pitstop on anyone’s vinous pilgrimage.

Instead, wine tourism in Beaujolais is, to say the least, underdeveloped. Despite the willingness of many of the region’s best domaines to fling their doors open wide and welcome visitors, tasting rooms remain relatively quiet.

Having spent substantial periods in Beaujolais researching my recently published book, The Wines of Beaujolais, I have to say that I think you’re all missing a trick. Leaving aside the warm welcome extended by producers in Beaujolais, there are plenty of other reasons to tempt wine lovers to visit the area.

To begin with, there’s the sheer natural beauty of the vineyards. The location of Beaujolais, lying between the Massif Central on its western side and the Alps over to the east, has given rise to an undulating landscape that affords new views every time you turn a corner.

Perching on slopes or nestling in valleys, small villages are built out of local stone – pink granite and blue diorite in the crus in the region’s northern section, and orange-tinged limestone in the south.

In addition to aesthetic pleasures, you’ll find hedonistic ones, too. The region’s wines are on the up: quality is high and the range of styles made from Gamay, the hallmark Beaujolais grape, is surprisingly diverse. Even so, prices remain resolutely affordable.

Good wine goes hand in hand with great gastronomy, of course, and the restaurant scene in Beaujolais has recently rediscovered its mojo.

Visitors can look forward to tucking into Michelin-starred meals, as well as hearty country cuisine. All of this bounty is packed into a tiny region that measures just over 70km in length, and – at most – 20km from east to west.

Most of the visitable wineries are located in the crus and it’s rare to have to drive more than 15 minutes from one tasting to the next. Some wineries are even within easy walking distance of each other.

The 10 Beaujolais crus

Some better known than others, there are 10 individual, named appellations in the Beaujolais region where the highest-quality wines are produced. Running in a roughly contiguous line north to south, between the villages of Chânes and St-Etienne-la-Varenne, they are:

St-Amour | Juliénas | Chénas | Moulin-à-Vent | Fleurie | Chiroubles | Morgon | Régnié | Brouilly | Côte de Brouilly

Jump to: Beaujolais map | Where to eat and drink | Wineries to visit

Where to stay in Beaujolais

One of the key reasons that Beaujolais has remained off most travellers’ radars is perhaps that, until recently, high-quality accommodation was in fairly short supply.

The region has gîtes, but most are targeted at large groups celebrating weddings or family reunions, with the emphasis placed on modest pricing rather than modern comforts. But there’s a new(ish) generation of boutique hotels and chambres d’hôtes opening that cater to a more discriminating clientele.

The Auberge de Clochemerle, named after a popular comic novel that celebrates life in a small French village, is one of the region’s more established hotels. Situated in the southern reaches of the Beaujolais Villages zone, a little southwest of St-Etienne-la-Varenne, it makes a great base from which to explore both the crus and the southern Beaujolais AP region.

If your focus is largely on exploring the crus, you may be best off based at Auberge du Paradis, situated at the northern tip of Beaujolais in the pretty village of St-Amour-Bellevue, just over the border from the Mâconnais in southern Burgundy.

It’s slightly more modern in decor than Clochemerle, but equally old-fashioned when it comes to extending a warm welcome to guests, and the sumptuous breakfast certainly gets a day’s tasting off to a good start.

If you want to be further south, though, you might want to book a night or two at the Maison de Pagneux, one of the new breed of luxury chambres d’hôtes springing up in the region.

This splendid stone-built house is situated on the outskirts of the village of Lachassagne, whose ochre-hued pierre dorée limestone buildings are characteristic of southern Beaujolais. The house boasts three well-appointed guest bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom. The young couple who run this B&B are both talented cooks, so the table d’hôte (a seasonally changing set menu) comes highly recommended.

A final option for anyone planning a longer stay is to rent a gîte. Steer clear of the old-school, party-focused accommodation and book one of the five self-catering suites at La Maison du Village in Romanèche-Thorins.

The comfortable apartments are housed in a building above the wine bar La Mine, and although the village itself lacks much in the way of nightlife, it makes a good central base from which to explore Beaujolais’ charms.

Getting around Beaujolais

It’s worth noting that, wherever you choose to stay, nothing is very far away in Beaujolais. The driving time from the Auberge du Paradis, which overlooks some of the region’s most northerly vineyards, to the Maison de Pagneux in the far south is around 40 minutes – and from there it’s only another 40 minutes’ drive to the heart of Lyon, France’s third-most populous city.

Where to eat and drink in Beaujolais

When it comes to finding great places to eat and drink in Beaujolais, gourmands and gourmets alike are spoiled for choice.

Maison du Cru

If you just fancy a glass of Chiroubles and a bird’s-eye view, stop off at the appellation’s high-altitude Maison du Cru, whose terrace perched at 740m affords spectacular panoramas of vineyards and wooded hillsides, and whose wine shop offers a range of some of the cru’s best bottlings.

XVIII sur Vins

You get less of a view at XVIII sur Vins (Instagram: @xviii_sur_vins), a wine bar in Belleville-en-Beaujolais, but you do get a broader selection of wines to drink sur place or to take away, along with good-sized portions of charcuterie, cheese and salads.

Epicerie Saint-Etienne des Oullières

The equally informal Epicerie Saint-Etienne des Oullières (Instagram: @epiceriedubojo) is a small village shop on the main drag in St-Etienne-des-Oullières that sells groceries and locally produced wines, and doubles up as a bistro at lunchtime and on Friday evenings. The menu changes with the seasons and there’s always something on offer for vegetarians (not always the case in rural France).

La Mine

La Mine, a lively wine bar, is located on the ground floor beneath Romanèche-Thorin’s Maison du Village gîte. It’s only open Thursdays to Saturdays, but is always buzzing, with plenty to do thanks to an evolving program of live music, tutored tastings and other activities.

Auberge du Paradis

The Auberge du Paradis in St-Amour-Bellevue has two restaurants. The fancier one, Lucienne Fait des Siennes (named in honour of the chef’s dog), has to be one of the world’s most idiosyncratically named establishments. I favour the more relaxed Joséphine à Table, the Platonic ideal of a French village bistro, complete with a stunning – and copious – dish of poulet au vin jaune with morels, my regular order.

Les Moblots

The wine list is particularly notable – and great value, too. I’m also extremely fond of Les Moblots in St-Julien, northwest of Villefranche-sur-Saône, a bustling village bistro that serves as a canteen to many of the winemakers based nearby. A strong wine list complements a short menu of light, modern takes on classic French cuisine.

Café Terroir Chez Saint-Cyr

Further south, the Café Terroir Chez Saint-Cyr just west of Anse is, as the name suggests, based at the Saint-Cyr winery. It’s the perfect place to take a break from a day’s tasting and enjoy a light lunch with a view out over the vineyards, accompanied by one of the bottles produced at the winery or by one of Raphaël Saint-Cyr’s many friends.

Beurre Noisette

Staying in the southern part of Beaujolais, Beurre Noisette in Lucenay offers a refined, creative, veggie-friendly menu and an interesting, varied wine list sourced from many of the region’s best producers, as well as from further afield.

Ema

You’ll find similarly smart restaurants further north in Beaujolais, of course. Ema is perched high on a hillside that faces west, towards the forested slopes of the Beaujolais Vert. The restaurant’s terrace is the ideal spot for a long, lazy summer lunch chosen from a short but precise, carefully plated menu and an extensive wine list.

Auberge de Clochemerle

Beaujolais has two Michelin-starred restaurants. The one housed on the ground floor of the Auberge de Clochemerle recently regained its star thanks to the understated elegance of its food.

The basic ‘M’ menu looks as if it only offers three courses. Don’t be fooled. The parade of pre-prandial snacks and a generous procession of petit fours means you should count on eating far more than you might imagine. The wine list is compendious, as is the norm at this level of service.

Auberge du Cep

There’s an equally weighty wine list at Fleurie’s Auberge du Cep, which offers a combination of classic French cuisine, and the best of regional and seasonal ingredients.

You can splash out on a nine-course menu (10 if you’re really hungry and tuck into an additional slice of the Auberge’s signature pâté en croute), but canny guests opt for the lunchtime menu du marché, which offers two courses for €35 or three for €40.

Wineries to visit in Beaujolais: 14 of the best

If you’ve come to stay in Beaujolais, you’re here for the wine, right? Many of the region’s best producers are happy to welcome visitors, although almost all of them prefer you to make an appointment beforehand rather than just pitching up on spec.

In many cases, the small scale of the operation means that you may well find yourself tasting in the company of the person who grows the grapes and makes the wines.

Château du Moulin-à-Vent

The Château du Moulin-à-Vent, just along the road from the famous windmill itself, is among the cru’s foremost producers. The single-vineyard wines are benchmark examples.

Domaine Richard Rottiers

Based in the same appellation, Domaine Richard Rottiers offers an informal tasting of Rottiers’ elegant cuvées.

Domaine David-Beaupère

The tasting room at Domaine David-Beaupère overlooks the steep vineyards of Juliénas, giving visitors a greater appreciation of the amount of hard work that goes into the creation of the domaine’s dense, dark wines.

Domaine de la Madone

Perched on a hillside beneath Fleurie’s famous landmark chapel, Domaine de la Madone offers one of the slickest visitor tasting experiences in the region. Tour the vineyards and winery, discover the secrets of winemaking and learn about Fleurie’s prized terroir, concluding with a guided tasting of the domaine’s wines.

Domaine de la Grosse Pierre

At Domaine de la Grosse Pierre in Chiroubles, Pauline Passot crafts some of the cru’s most refined, elegant cuvées.

Domaine Mee Godard

Many of Morgon’s most prestigious producers aren’t open to visitors, but Mee Godard makes some of the cru’s most exciting wines and is happy to host tastings by appointment.

Brouilly and the Côte de Brouilly

There’s an abundance of choice for anyone wanting to visit producers in Brouilly and the Côte de Brouilly, from the opulently renovated Château de la Chaize to the quietly classic Château Thivin and the up-and-coming Domaine les Roches Bleues.

Beaujolais Village

The Beaujolais Village appellation, which is widely scattered around the periphery of the zone occupied by the 10 crus, is increasingly the source of some of the region’s most exciting winemaking.

Find out why with a visit to Frédéric Berne in Lantignié or, a little further south, Domaine les Garçons in Charentay or Domaine de Mont Joly near Blacé.

Southern Beaujolais

Much of southern Beaujolais, the main zone for AP Beaujolais, is dedicated to the production of grapes destined for négociant wines and for Crémant de Bourgogne (about 60% of the grapes for this fizz are actually grown in Beaujolais, local producers are keen to point out) – but there are a handful of producers in the area who make characterful, idiosyncratic wines.

Just southwest of Blacé, Célia & David Large definitely – and defiantly – walk on the wild side, with many of their cuvées classified as Vin de France rather than AP Beaujolais or Beaujolais Villages.

The wines of Domaine Saint-Cyr, just to the west of Anse, are perhaps more classic, but that doesn’t make them any less thrilling.

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Andy Howard MW, Melania Battiston and Victoria Daskal tasted 203 wines, with 13 Outstanding and 125 Highly Recommended

Cru Beaujolais 2022: Panel tasting scores

203 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 13

Highly recommended 125

Recommended 60

Commended 5

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their 2022 vintage reds from any of the 10 Beaujolais cru sub-regions (Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié, St-Amour)

The judges were delighted by the quality on show from the highly regarded 2022 vintage.

Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie and Morgon led the way with four, three and two Outstanding wines respectively, but the judges were thrilled to see the strength in some of the lesser-known crus, with Chiroubles (the highest in altitude), St-Amour (most northerly alongside Juliénas) and Régnié (most recent AP) all featuring at least one wine at 95 points.

While this success won’t come as a surprise to fans of cru Beaujolais, the results might surprise those who are less familiar with what’s happening in the region today.

Scroll down to see notes and scores of the top-scoring wines from our Cru Beaujolais 2022 tasting

The brilliance of Beaujolais

Beaujolais was long renowned for light, early-drinking, ‘pear-drop and bubble-gum’ wines that were easy to drink but rarely memorable.

Today, the region is the source of some of France’s most terroir-focused wines, often delivering fine-wine quality at great price points.

Sommelier Melania Battiston said: ‘From an on-trade perspective, in many restaurants, we are still faced with the easy-drinking, cheerful representations of Beaujolais, [but] I would happily buy and list most of the bottles that were rated Recommended or above here.’

Victoria Daskal was also enthusiastic: ‘The tasting revealed a remarkable spectrum of possibilities within each village – a testament to the interplay of soils, microclimates, vineyard ages and producer styles.’

Each taster identified different crus as personal favourites. For Daskal, ‘Fleurie defied its delicate, floral reputation, spanning everything from light, invigorating 12% alcohols to dense, ripe 15.5% expressions’.

I was a big fan of Moulin-à-Vent, a powerhouse within the Beaujolais crus, with many wines already at the level of fine Burgundy from the Côte d’Or, while Battiston was impressed by Régnié: ‘For me, the most refined and elegant.’

Daskal also championed Morgon, which she felt offered ‘exceptional fruit concentration, precision and charm, plus a compelling mix of drinkability, ageworthiness and value’.

Overall, she said: ‘The classic crus showed a variety of styles, but the lesser-known crus certainly stood out, too. Régnié, Chénas and Chiroubles impressed, with distinct personalities rooted in their terroirs, showcasing mineral-driven profiles, striking freshness and consistently high quality.’

Click here to see more results from the Cru Beaujolais 2022 panel tasting

What to eat with Cru Beaujolais wines, by Fiona Beckett

Most people still see Beaujolais as a picnic wine, suitable only for pairing with charcuterie and mild soft cheeses such as brie.

True, it goes well with both, especially patés and terrines, but serious bottles such as Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent offer far more than that, the best rivalling red Burgundy for power, elegance and sophistication.

Think, then, of pairing them, particularly older vintages, with a fine roast chicken, feathered game such as duck, partridge or pheasant, or (remember this for later in the year) Christmas turkey, especially the Boxing Day leftovers.

They’re a natural with bistro classics such as kidneys with mustard, oeufs en meurette or hachis parmentier – the region is one of the last bastions of old-school French cooking.

Less obviously, it’s also good with Chinese food – if you want a red pairing, Beaujolais is as good as any – and (albeit lighter styles such as Fleurie) with sushi.

And don’t forget that delicious dessert of strawberries with, or rather in, Beaujolais. Roll on summer.

Cru Beaujolais 2022 panel tasting scores

Wines were tasted blind

The judges

Andy Howard MW is a Decanter contributing editor and DWWA Regional Chair. He runs his own consultancy, Vinetrades, focusing on wine education, judging, investment and sourcing

Melania Battiston is wine director at Cornus restaurant in London, and formerly assistant food & beverage manager for Aman Resorts. A CMS Advanced Sommelier, she runs her own consultancy and coaching company for hospitality and brands, Mel CnC

Victoria Daskal is a wine writer, presenter, consultant and WSET educator. In 2008, she completed the OIV MSc in International Wine Management, and among others has since worked for Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages and as managing editor of The World of Fine Wine

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While I was revising for my final WSET diploma exams, the only way I could commit to memory the 10 crus of Beaujolais was to come up with a mnemonic to prompt each one.

In my case I turned this mnemonic into a princely romance, and to this day it still helps me identify the individual sites when needing to recall them.

From north to south, the tale of love (St. Amour) involved a young chap called Julien (Juliénas) who along with his dog (Chénas – sounds like ‘chien’ – French for dog), met and wooed his beloved under a windmill (Moulin-à-Vent).

He bought her flowers (Fleurie), to show his chivalrous side (Chiroubles) and eventually convinced Morgan (Morgon) to be his Queen (Régnié) by offering her not just his brolly (Brouilly), but his coat and brolly (Côte de Brouilly) as spring rain clouds formed above.

Sadly, I’ve never been wooed by a handsome prince of Beaujolais but the wines and the region have had my heart for a long time.

So much so that I applied to take part in the annual ‘Beaujolais Run’ and, last October, found out I had been accepted.

The race’s origins

It’s now 52 years since the original run took place, and is currently in its 20th year under a revised guise.

Rather than a flat-out race, this now-trademarked version of the event sees a select group of motoring enthusiasts participate in ‘a series of navigational challenges’.

The modern format takes inspiration from the first run championed by the wine merchant Joseph Berkmann, and fellow wine enthusiast (the posthumously disgraced) Clement Freud.

Over dinner at the Hotel Maritonnes in Romanèche-Thorins on the 18 November 1970, the duo challenged each other to be the first to get their Beaujolais Nouveau back to London. Berkmann won the first two races but then others cottoned on to this bit of fun.

The race exploded in popularity in 1974 when Alan Hall, wine columnist at The Sunday Times issued a challenge to readers to present a case at the paper’s offices.

At one point, thousands of cars used to participate but accidents and speeding cases caused the French authorities to clamp down on the event in the late 1980s.

Besides, no one had ever been able to beat the RAF’s run record of 32 minutes – using a Harrier jet.

Today the official competition still nods to the RAF, with all elected participants raising a minimum stipulated amount for the RAF Benevolent Fund.

This year their efforts were unveiled to team Beaujolais Run over a practice demonstration from the Red Arrows at their Lincolnshire home of RAF Waddington.

Avengers assemble

Restaurateurs, entrepreneurs and engineers joined from as far away as Cornwall, Bristol and Yorkshire.

It is only the night before the ‘run’ begins that route plans are announced (no two years being the same) with daily tasks to meet throughout the week.

The overall goal is getting from A to B over the shortest possible distance. Participants navigate via checkpoints along the way that are only revealed through solving daily cryptic clues.

They must all be visited in the correct order, and evidenced photographically.

Run cars to date have included classic and modern Jaguars, Austin Healeys, Aston Martins and Renault Alpines, through to Smart cars and everyday runarounds.

A beautiful bright orange Corvette CR8 was the star of 2024’s show, alongside special guest Martin Donnelly, ex-Lotus Formula One Driver, driving a Porsche 911 Carerra.

Donnelly had just finished advising Brad Pitt on the new Formula One film that will come out later this year.

Some of the group have been running together for over 10 years, some, like myself, were first timers.

I held the task of navigator and co-pilot to driver Jaan Larner – a corporate lawyer by day – in an Audi A6 Allroad (he sadly left the Aston Martin at home for want of larger wine-shaped boot space).

Our (permitted) sat-nav assisted gameplan involved routes using abandoned vineyard and farm tracks, nodding to amused locals along the way.

It’s a sure fire way to figure out if you can get on with someone you’ve never met before (except over Zoom!). Teamwork makes the dreamwork, after all.

And our team was ‘The Avengers’.

The route

This year’s first rendezvous point was Gusbourne Estate, a stone’s throw from train tracks to France and an enviable counterpart to the following evening’s hosts, Champagne Taittinger in Reims.

Boarding Le Shuttle in affiliated livery the next morning, the teams got on their way to deciphering cryptic clues before arriving in Champagne that evening.

Over the following days we wended our way from Champagne, to Chablis and the Côte d’Or with plenty of winery visits to ‘friends of the run’.

We stopped off at Champagne Duval Leroy (Côte des Blancs), Phillipe Le Hardi (Santenay) and finally Yannick De Vermont in Vaux-En-Beaujolais, from whom we collected our coveted case of ‘Nouveau’.

Touring the textbooks where vinous topography leaps into life and autumnal colours of the appellations paint the roads is both a magical and inspiring experience.

Festive fun

Another stipulation of the run is a fancy dress costume. Our theme was ‘Paris Olympics’.

‘The Avengers’ took Paris 1924 as its cue, while others arrived as breakdancers, Lady Liberty, and one team went equestrian with one dressed as a horse and another as a rider – though no sign of the Blue Bacchus from the opening ceremony (thankfully).

This at least meant we were suitably attired to take part in the festivities that take place in Beaujeu that mark the official release of the year’s Beaujolais Nouveau.

As guests of the mayor, The Beaujolais Run team hit the town alongside other international representatives for a special evening of dinner and entertainment, hosted by Les Sarmentelles de Beaujeu under a huge canvas tent.

A true ‘spectacle’, the ensuing event saw a distinctly French take on creativity, culture and art as well as fine ‘Beaujeu’ cuisine, wrapped up in musical talent from the likes of Quebecois ‘Nayah’ – France’s Eurovision candidate in 1999 who now performs as Celine Dion’s double.

A torch-lit procession of flames then makes its way through the town where, at midnight, the Beaujolais Nouveau is released, fireworks are lit and the town comes alive to the tune of the 10 cru’s names in lights, proudly displayed on the side of the main square’s buildings.

Like kids in a sweet shop the crowd watches on and applauds with glee.

Prize performance

On the final night, back in Champagne, a black-tie Awards Ceremony is held at Taittinger’s Château de la Marquetterie, raising more RAF benevolent funds through an auction.

After 1,400 miles later, it was a great surprise to learn that ‘The Avengers’ – Larner and I – took first prize for achieving the shortest distance covered!

Nick McCaffrey was awarded the L’esprit du Cours award for his hardy driving and navigating the whole way on a BMW GS1250 motorbike, through rain, wind and a full day of freezing wet snow.

Meanwhile, one duo got the wooden spoon for failing to turn up one morning.

As a great source of pride, I was also awarded ‘P1’ trophy for best overall fundraiser. A double team win!

If nothing else, the key takeaway from such an experience is the sentiment of charitable fun. A chance to remember and celebrate how wine brings people together, crossing cultures, landscapes and traditions.

Still no princes, still madly in love with Beaujolais.

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Although Cru Beaujolais has been having its moment in the sun for a few years now, its younger, lighter-bodied ‘nouveau’ cousin is coming back into its own.

How Beaujolais Nouveau Day started

The tradition of Beaujolais Nouveau dates back to the 1800s. Winemakers would bottle their just-fermented wine, produced from grapes harvested just a few months prior, an unusually tight timeframe in winemaking terms.

This occasion called for a massive celebration among Beaujolais-based vignerons, as well as bar owners and restaurateurs in nearby Lyon who would buy these wines by the barrel.

The official release date of Beaujolais Nouveau wines shifted throughout the 20th century. Upon the creation of the Beaujolais AOC in 1937, wines from the region (including Nouveau-style bottlings) couldn’t be released until after 15 December of the same year.

But by 1951 the regulations changed, and the official release date became 15 November.

In 1985, the INAO (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine) deemed the third Thursday of November as the official release date of Beaujolais Nouveau wines.

As interest in these wines developed abroad, winemakers have since begun releasing them even earlier, so as to have the bottles available on international shelves ready for the official release date.

What do Beaujolais Nouveau wines taste like?

Due to their lack of ageing, Beaujolais Nouveau wines are light-bodied and fruit-driven, marked by low levels of tannin and bright acidity.

Critics of Beaujolais Nouveau describe the wines as thin or lacking complexity, but the nouveau style is not meant for long-term ageing. Rather, these wines are best enjoyed youthful, slightly chilled and accompanied by a harvest-inspired meal.

Beaujolais wines are always made from Gamay and like many of the wines from this region, nouveau wines are produced using carbonic maceration.

The resulting wines show pink and purple hues and are fresh and often marked by flavours of sour cherry, strawberry and banana. They are often consumed slightly chilled.

Globally, the slogan Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! (New Beaujolais has arrived!) has become adopted worldwide.

Because of its early release date and fresh, food-friendly nature, Beaujolais Nouveau has become synonymous with Thanksgiving Day meals in the United States. In France, celebrations take place across the Beaujolais region and throughout the rest of the country.

Despite a crash in popularity and a tainted reputation in the early 2000s, due to a glut of lower-quality wines appearing on the market, Beaujolais Nouveau is enjoying a revival.

The success of Beaujolais Nouveau has lead other wine regions around the world to adopt a nouveau-style approach, releasing young wines just a few weeks after harvest and fermentation.

Where to drink Beaujolais Nouveau

For those who want to be part of the party and taste the juicy freshness of nouveau this year, we’ve put together a list of wine bars and restaurants in London where you can get your fill.

London spots

Carousel, Charlotte St

Crystal Palace Wine Club, Crystal Palace

Davy’s at Plantation Place

D Vine Cellar, Clapham North

Galvin, Spitalfields

Gordon’s Wine Bar, Charing Cross

Joyau, Wanstead Park

La Bouche, Broadway Market

La Compagnie de Vins Surnaturels, Neal’s Yard

La Fromagerie, Marylebone

Lady of the Grapes, Covent Garden

Le Beaujolais, Leicester Square

Le Garrick, Covent Garden

Little Cellars x Veraison, Camberwell

London Shell Co, Paddington

Maison François, Duke St

Marceline, Canary Wharf

Noble Rot, Lambs Conduit Street

Sesta, Hackney

Tap & Bottle, Union Street

The Remedy, Cleveland St

The Sourcing Table, Crystal Palace/Peckham

Top Cuvée, Highbury

Vindinista, Acton Central

This article was originally published in November 2021

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The third Thursday in November used to be a date of note in the oenophile’s diary. Since 1985, it had been decreed as the official release date of Beaujolais Nouveau, an annual cause for celebration of the fruity, purple-tinged debutante.

The heyday of Beaujolais Nouveau has long since passed but at the higher-quality end of of the Beaujolais spectrum – Beaujolais-Villages and, in particular, Cru Beaujolais – improving wine quality (and increased recognition for it) is no less cause for celebration.

When the results of this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) were analysed, two Best in Show Beaujolais winners were revealed. The last time this region won a Best in Show was in 2022, for a Cru Fleurie.

This year there was also a Platinum winner and three Golds – an impressive medal haul, and one that builds on last year’s performance of three Gold medals. ‘This year’s double appearance (in a year when no red from further north in Burgundy came through the judging rounds) marks a step forward for this ever-more-significant wine region’, pronounced the judging panel.

Scroll down to explore Beaujolais’ top-awarded wines from DWWA 2024

Factors driving success

So what lies behind the success of this region? There are a number of factors, believes Dominique Vrigneau, Regional Chair for Beaujolais.

Looking back, Vrigneau recalls ‘the banana-y, Beaujolais Nouveau-style wines of 20 years ago’ – a flavour profile that was the result of carbonic maceration, traditional in this region, and that in some part came signify the quantity-before-quality style that caused lasting damage to Beaujolais’s reputation.

‘The sales gradually became worse and worse, and a lot of winemakers left production,’ he explained. ‘So now we have a lot less produced.’ Current vineyard area stands at about 14,500ha according to Inter-Beaujolais, down from a high of 23,000ha in the 1980s.

The second factor is that the (quality-focused) producers still in the game have migrated to the best terroirs in the region. ‘The lower, sandier soils have been taken out of production, so the selection you have now is from better soils’ – often on the higher, granitic-based slopes, said Vrigneau.

That change has brought another factor into play: ‘If you go to Beaujolais and look at the vineyards, you’ll see it’s all being trellised now.’ as vignerons move away from the traditional gobelet training system. Trellising is better suited to the steeper slopes, and makes it easier to spot rot and more easily assess grape quality come harvest-time.

The fourth factor has to do with what takes place in the winery. ‘Very few people do carbonic maceration now,’ Vrigneau says. ‘I know that you read about Beaujolais and carbonic maceration in all the books, but now it’s mostly Burgundy-type maceration.’

The fifth factor? ‘Global warming. There is no longer any chaptalisation required in Beaujolais.’

Another change has less to do with the physical aspects and all to do with mindset: a generation of quality-attuned, well-travelled younger winemakers who recognise the region’s potential and aren’t afraid of change.

Vrigneau describes these changes as ‘a convergence with Burgundy’ – and that convergence extends to price. ‘There have been gradual, incremental improvements to the point that, today, Beaujolais is highly in demand, but the prices are going up – quite a lot’ Vrigneau sums up.

True to the Crus

To anyone who hasn’t tasted (or purchased) Beaujolais lately, these changes may come as a surprise. What’s less surprising about this year’s DWWA results is that all six of the Best in Show, Platinum and Gold winners are Beaujolais Crus, from the hilly northern part of the region, just south of Mâcon.

Among the Best in Show, Platinum and Gold awards, six of the ten Beaujolais Crus are represented – Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Juliénas, Brouilly, Régnié and Côte de Brouilly. Those results suggest that wines from the ten standout villages undoubtedly deserve their reputation for quality.

As it happens, both Best in Shows, one from Morgon, the other from Moulin-à-Vent, are from the same producer, Domaine de Colonat. ‘When Morgon is on song, there is no Beaujolais Cru that can match it for exuberance and seductiveness of perfume – and this dark purple-black wine is a splendid example of that astonishing charm,’ said the judges about Domaine de Colonat, Les Charmes, Morgon 2023 (97 points).

The hand-harvested fruit comes from vines from the ‘Les Charmes’ climat that have an average age of 50 years old and are grown on sandy granitic soils, which helps to mitigate Gamay’s vigour and ramp up their seductive character. A relatively small proportion (20%) spends eight months in oak, the remainder in concrete.

Also scoring 97 points was joint Best in Show winner Domaine de Colonat, Les Grenèriers, Moulin-à-Vent 2023. The vines are 62 years old, grown on clay-rich alluvial granite, the grapes hand-harvested. About 30% of the blend spends eight months in oak.

Although these two wines come from the same vintage and producer, stylistically they are very different. ‘It’s not quite as dark in colour and is far less fruit-dominated on the nose. The fruits suggest plum and damson rather than cherry, and there are other more brooding aromatic notes on the nose as well, intimating the wines granite-sand origins’ said the judges.

Winemaker Thomas Collonge is the seventh generation at family-run Domaine de Colonat, and in many ways is typical of the new generation of winemakers in Beaujolais. After studying viticulture and oenology in Beaune, Collonge worked in Châteauneuf -du-Pape in the Rhône, Meursault in Burgundy and in Australia’s Coonawarra. And there’s no carbonic maceration for Collonge’s two Best in Show winners, either.

‘We de-stem the grapes 100%, so we can’t use carbonic maceration’ he explained. ‘We don’t want to extract vegetal tannins. And we regulate the temperature below 25ºC to keep maximum freshness, fruity aromas and fine tannins.’

Collonge also values his older vines (‘We are convinced that the old vines, between 50 to 90 years old, give more concentration and quality to the wine’) and enjoys the challenge of working with the hugely complex mosaic of soil types in the region.

He says: ‘The Beaujolais vineyard brings together a multitude of soils: more than 300 types have been identified, making Beaujolais the French vineyard with the richest and most complex geology. This complexity gives a very interesting challenge to our work.’

Platinum winner Château De Juliénas, Les Brebis, Juliénas 2022 (97 points) was described by judges as ‘Bursting with sumptuous red berries and blueberries enlivened further by a sweep of purple flowers. Sultry and beguiling.’

Representing three further Beaujolais Crus, the three Gold-winning wines (all with 95 points) are Château De La Terrière, Tradition, Brouilly 2023; Domaine De La Bêche, Régnié 2023; and P. Ferraud & Fils, Domaine Rolland, Côte de Brouilly 2022.

A Beaujolais renaissance?

So, is there evidence enough to give credence to talk of a ‘Beaujolais renaissance’? ‘Completely,’ said Dominique Vrigneau. ‘This proves that you can make Gamay very seriously. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with the grape variety, and the wines can be enjoyed in ten years as well.’ So much for the Gamay ‘inferiority complex’.

Looking outside the region, Thomas Collonge also sees signs of Beaujolais’s renewed international image. ‘Over the last five or six years, we really feel that there is a more respected qualitative image of Beaujolais wines in the world. Our style of red wine, with lot of fruit, fine structure, and fresh tasting is the perfect style consumers are looking for.’

The idea of a move away from heavier reds is echoed elsewhere too. A recent wine-trade report indicates that sales of Beaujolais at high-end bars, hotels and restaurants in the UK are going ‘through the roof’ as Brits switch to lighter reds. Meanwhile, producers in Canada are tuning in to Gamay’s pleasures, as are winemakers in Oregon, who are discovering that, grown in the right place, the grape can make ‘hauntingly perfumed and age-worthy wines’.

With Beaujolais – and its foundational grape, Gamay – experiencing a resurgence, there’s a lot to discover in the region. And there’s no need to wait until the third Thursday in November to take part in its pleasures.

DWWA 2024: Beaujolais’ top-awarded wines to try

Best in Show

Domaine De Colonat, Les Charmes, Morgon 2023

97 Best in Show

We’ve only ever featured a Beaujolais cru in our Best In Show selection once (a 2020 Fleurie), so this year’s double appearance (in a year when no red from further north in Burgundy came through the judging rounds) marks a step forward for this ever-more-significant wine region. When Morgon is on song, there is no Beaujolais cru that can match it for exuberance and seductiveness of perfume – and this dark purple-black wine is a splendid example of that astonishing charm. Cherries and plums cascade from the glass. On the palate, it’s no less exuberant: packed with tongue-coating fruit, and with its acidity in turn dripping with fruit sweetness and perfumed flesh. There are light, graceful tannins but nothing else to break the fresh-fruit spell – it’s a very pure wine, aged entirely in concrete, and bottled without any reduction, false or specious notes. Gorgeous drinking. Alcohol 14%

Domaine De Colonat, Les Grenèriers, Moulin-à-Vent 2023

97 Best in Show 

You’d expect a Moulin-à-Vent to be very different to this year’s Beaujolais Best In Show from Morgon; indeed it is. It’s not quite as dark in colour, and is far less fruit-dominated on the nose. The fruits it shows, too, suggest plum and damson rather than cherry, and there are other more brooding aromatic notes on the nose as well, intimating the wines granite-sand origins; you might, finally, find a meatiness there. On the palate, this is as intense as the Morgon but, once again, more complex and layered, with fruit, stone and other savoury notes. The acidity, though, is admirably juicy, and the tannins remain palpable and shaping though soft. This is a serious cru wine which wears its authority lightly. Alc 14%

Platinum

Château De Juliénas, Les Brebis, Juliénas 2022

97 Platinum

Bursting with sumptuous red berries and blueberries enlivened further by a sweep of purple flowers. Sultry and beguiling on the palate with lingering mineral notes and a delectable texture. Hugely fresh with an enduring, vibrant finish. Alc 14%

Gold

Château De La Terrière, Tradition, Brouilly 2023

95 Gold 

Lashings of delicious red fruits and fragrant herbs with an enduring purity and freshness. Fleshy and juicy with well-defined tannins and a pepper spice grip on the finish. Alc 13.5%

Domaine De La Bêche, Régnié 2023

95 Gold 

Brimming with vibrant raspberry and redcurrant fruit which cascades across the nose and palate and melts into the spicy tannins and linear acidity. Lovely and long. Alc 13%

P. Ferraud & Fils, Domaine Rolland, Côte de Brouilly 2022

95 Gold

A charming flourish of aromatic florals enveloped in sleek black fruits, with a lustrous texture and bracing crunch of acidity. Supple and joyous with a delightful finish. Alc 13%

Search all DWWA 2024 results from Beaujolais

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In addition to copious rain, the 2024 growing season brought abundant change to the vineyards of Burgundy.

Pierre Vincent to leave Domaine Leflaive

As well as the developments by Artemis Domaines at Bouchard Père et Fils, Domaine Leflaive signalled further change in the region when it announced that winemaker Pierre Vincent would leave the iconic Puligny-Montrachet producer to form his own domaine with Lyon-based investors Hervé Kratiroff and Eric Versini of Solexia Group.

Few would argue that serious, soft-spoken Pierre Vincent is a great talent. Technical director at Domaine de la Vougeraie from 2006 to 2016 and then general manager at Domaine Leflaive from 2017, he has gained a worldwide reputation for the quality of his work. 

Vincent will depart Leflaive at the end of the 2024 vintage to concentrate on the Auxey-Duresses-based Domaine des Terres de Velle purchased with partners in 2023.

The domaine has just over seven hectares of old vines (an average of more than 50 years of age) owned and rented. Vincent is already converting the vineyard to biodynamic viticulture, which he has used since his stint at Domaine de la Vougeraie. 

A recent tasting of the inaugural vintages raised hopes of an exciting new domaine to follow.

Guillaume Boillot starts new venture

In another surprising change, Guillaume Boillot left his father’s highly-regarded Domaine Henri Boillot to focus on his projects with his wife Camille, which begun last year: Domaine Camille & Guillaume Boillot.

She is the daughter of Pommard vigneron Christophe Violot-Guillemard, and the two work together in the winery. Most of the fruit is purchased from friends, enabling them to do much of the vineyard work themselves, controlling yields and harvest dates.

‘In general, we pick at least one week later than [my father’s] domaine,’ said Guillaume Boillot.

The wines are made in a similar style, albeit slightly more reductive and less influenced by new oak. The whites have rapier-fine acidity and a smoky edge, and there is less reliance on fermenting in small barrels (fermentation intégrale) for the reds than at Henri Boillot.

Guillaume Boillot is also making the wines at the new estate Domaine Rowse in the Beaujolais cru of Fleurie, which farms six hectares of Gamay, and a further hectare each of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, producing serious wines made in the Burgundian mould rather than with the carbonic maceration common to the region.

The couple plan to vinify the domaine’s five parcels of Gamay separately in future vintages, including one trained on stakes. 

The inaugural blend hints at things to come: concentrated wine with plenty of fruit yet the structure to transcend the easy-drinking style seen in some quarters.

Expansion at Double Zero ’00’ Wines Burgundy

Oregon-based Chris and Kathyn Hermann of 00 Wines have expanded their burgeoning Burgundy project, and winemaker Max Lecat is based full-time in Burgundy at the Château de Bligny facility owned by Dominique Lafon.

The expanded range includes the premier crus Beaune Cent Vignes, Pommard Grands Epenots and Meursault Charmes, in addition to the grand crus Corton-Charlemagne, Charmes-Chambertin and Chambertin – with Bâtard-Montrachet about to be added to the line-up. 

The wines are all made from purchased grapes. Kathryn has warned Chris not to buy more, ‘but if it’s grand cru, that’s OK’. Collectors are eagerly lining up to taste the results.

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Beaujolais has long been misunderstood. The root cause was the introduction of Beaujolais Nouveau in the 1950s, which has been both a blessing and a curse for the region as a whole.

In recent years, however, there has been a quality revolution in Beaujolais, and serious wine lovers owe it to themselves to taste some of the top examples.

Because of the striking diversity of its terroir, the Beaujolais cru of Morgon is among the best places to start discovering the delights of the region.

The crus are standout single villages and are endowed with a great terroir and a long tradition of quality. Whether you are a long-time fan or a recent convert, you will find top quality and superb value in this village, with styles ranging from approachable and easy-drinking to concentrated and surprisingly age-worthy.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for 20 top Morgon wines to try

The taste and style of Morgon wines

With a few exceptions, Beaujolais means Gamay, a grape that accounts for 97% of the plantings in the region. This unjustly maligned variety gained notoriety in the 14th century when Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, tried (unsuccessfully) to ban its cultivation in his lands, calling it, in his decree of 1395, a ‘very bad and very disloyal vine [that] produces a great abundance of bitter wine’. If only he knew!

While it is true that in some circumstances the vine can over-produce, when yields are limited and the grape is grown on its preferred soil (granite or schist), the results can be delicious.

Overproduction can lead to dilute, insipid wines and the popularity of Beaujolais Nouveau enhanced this tendency. The rush to turn grapes into wine in a couple of weeks also prompted producers to cut corners by using techniques such as heating the must to speed extraction (thermovinification).

The results were fruity, light and innocuous, and although the wine sold well for a time, sales have dropped by half since its heyday in the 1990s, according to French magazine Les Echos.

Fortunately, Nouveau is not the only style either the region or Gamay has to offer. The best wines can be deeply coloured and fragrant, with plummy fruit and complexity from floral notes, a hint of saline minerality and an edge of brambly wild herbs from the use of whole bunches.

Often the alcohol is moderate, acidity is low and the tannins are silky and soft: eminently drinkable wines.

Morgon’s best wines share these virtues yet age well, too. The idea that they must be consumed within the year is a misconception. Several years ago, I enjoyed a bottle from 1934 that had gracefully stood the test of time for more than 80 years.

History

Beaujolais once enjoyed great prestige. Burgundian winemaker (and Beaujolais native) Philippe Pacalet says the Mommessin family bought the Burgundy grand cru Clos de Tart in 1932 because ‘they couldn’t afford land in Moulin-à-Vent’.

The Great Depression and World War II ended that prestige, however, and the post-war years saw the rise of Beaujolais Nouveau.

Among those pushing against this trend was the Beaujolais négociant, chemist and author Jules Chauvet (1907–1989). Chauvet’s scientific research into the action of yeast and the carbonic maceration technique earned him the title ‘the father of natural wine’.

Chauvet soon gathered several winemaker disciples, including Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard, Jean-Paul Thévenet and Guy Breton. This quartet of winemakers were based in and around the appellation of Morgon, and their savvy American importer Kermit Lynch took to calling them the ‘Gang of Four’.

Terroir and climats

Morgon is one of the 10 Beaujolais crus, a series of village-level appellations clustered in the north of the Beaujolais region, centred on granite and schist soils, that sit at the top of the quality pyramid.

Morgon was one of the first crus to be recognised with an appellation in 1936, along with Chénas, Chiroubles, Fleurie and Moulin-à-Vent. It was also among the first to acknowledge sub-divisions, called climats, within the appellation.

Unlike Burgundy, where a climat is most often composed of a single lieu-dit (named place), the climats in Morgon group together several lieux-dits with similar characteristics. Morgon is the only Beaujolais cru to use this climat system.

The use of these climats, however, has complicated the growers’ quest for broader recognition. Beaujolais crus such as Fleurie have applied to the INAO for premier cru status for some of their vineyards.

While plans appear to be moving forward slowly, the authorities have told Morgon vignerons that their climats must be simplified before the same can be done for them.

The climats of Morgon

Les Charmes along the western edge of the appellation includes some of the highest elevation sites and sandy granite soils that produce a perfumed, lighter style.

Corcelette, north of Les Charmes, has lighter granite soils but less sand; the wines can be very aromatic and deeply coloured.

Côte du Py is a dome-shaped hill that rises to 350m, with volcanic subsoils covered with schist, which gives the wines a unique flavour, full body and density. The intertwining of blue schist with iron oxide from the volcanic strata underneath provides a friable soil called ‘roche pourrie’ that is perfect for Gamay.

Douby is to the northeast of the village, on granite soils that border Fleurie.

Grand Cras, at the southern edge of the appellation, has another outcropping of schist surrounded by granitic sand and scree.

Les Micouds, east of the village of Villié-Morgon, is on well-drained, east-facing slopes that ripen easily and produce a lighter style of wine.

Winemaking

The Gang of Four all shared a devotion to Chauvet’s natural precepts, such as fermenting without sulphur and the use of his technique of carbonic maceration. In this method, grapes are placed as whole clusters in a sealed tank and covered with carbon dioxide to produce an oxygen-free environment.

They are left to macerate and begin to ‘ferment’ from the inside out. However, this process is not a fermentation as such, since yeast is not yet involved. After several weeks of maceration, the grapes are crushed, and the juice is fermented customarily. The results deliver lush wines with forward fruit and supple structure that delight the hedonist.

Winemaking in Morgon is not limited to carbonic maceration, however. Some winemakers use whole clusters without sealing the tank (semi-carbonic maceration), and the Burgundian influence has led some, such as Fabien Duperray of Domaine Jules Desjourneys, to adopt the Burgundian method of destemming some or all of the harvest.

Several Burgundy producers also produce Beaujolais this way, such as Louis Jadot at Château des Jacques. With such a variety of styles and the presence of such quality-driven producers, there is something for every wine lover in Morgon.

Eight names to know

Domaine Marcel Lapierre

Domaine Marcel Lapierre was founded in 1909 by Michel Lapierre, whose son Camille joined him at the winery in 1925. Camille’s son Marcel was born in 1950, and took over the domaine in 1973. Under the influence of Jules Chauvet he decided to vinify without sulphur, and he farmed using organic principles from the 1980s.

Marcel’s son Mathieu joined the domaine in 2004 and oversaw official organic certification; he was joined by his sister Camille in 2013. The wines are made using classic carbonic maceration of nine to 35 days, according to the cuvée.

Domaine Jules Desjourneys

Fabien Duperray is a breath of fresh air who is among France’s foremost fine wine agents. In 2006, he purchased a Beaujolais estate in the village of La Chapelle de Guinchay. Duperray began organic conversion immediately, and was certified in 2009.

Although the domaine is certified organic and follows biodynamic principles, he does not subscribe whole-heartedly to the Chauvet system or the ‘Gang of Four’ precepts, since he customarily uses a maximum of 30% whole clusters in the fermentation. His blended Morgon and single-climat bottlings from Micouds and Grand Cras are definitely worth seeking out.

Domaine Laurent Gauthier

The Gauthier family has been growing grapes since 1834, and today the domaine is run by Laurent Gauthier and his two sons, Jason and Elie. The family farms 23ha, mainly in Morgon, and obtained organic certification in 2023.

The fermentation is done in a semi-carbonic style, and no sulphur is added until bottling. The most serious wines at this domaine are the single-vineyard Morgons, which ferment for 10-14 days before ageing until the next harvest in large, older oak upright casks.

Domaine Jean-Marc Burgaud

Burgaud created his property in 1989, and farms 17.5ha in total today, including 12.5ha in Morgon and another 5ha of Beaujolais Villages in Lantignié. Most of his vineyards are planted with old vines (50-70 years old). The fermentation is done as whole clusters using a semi-carbonic process.

The single-climat bottlings from Cras, Charmes, Corcelette, and Côte du Py have slightly extended maceration. The maturation is done exclusively in tank, save the Javernières and the cuvée he calls James (after James Bond), both aged in used casks for a year.

Château des Jacques

Château des Jacques was originally the property of the Sornay family, who used it principally as a residence. Their successor, Amédée Rousseau, established the property (located in Moulin-à-Vent) as a wine estate along Burgundian production models. The domaine was purchased in 1996 by Burgundian négociant Louis Jadot.

Jadot added to its acquisition in 2001 by purchasing 27ha of land in Morgon in the climats of Corcelette and Côte du Py. It has continued the winemaking traditions of the estate, destemming the grapes, fermenting slowly, and ageing in cask (25% new) until the next harvest.

Domaine Mee Godard

After training as an oenologist and making wine in several French wine regions, Korean-born vintner Mee Godard visited Beaujolais almost by chance and fell in love with the region. In 2013, she acquired a few hectares in and around Morgon, which she has since grown to 7.8ha.

Godard uses organic techniques, and the domaine is in conversion. She picks fairly early and sorts rigorously to achieve very modest yields for the appellation. Godard vinifies the grapes almost completely as whole clusters, punching down and pumping over in concrete tanks for 3-12 days to deliver her solid, complex wines.

Domaine Jean Foillard

Jean Foillard began to work his family’s vineyards in 1981 and soon adopted the methods of Jules Chauvet. The grapes are macerated at low temperatures over several weeks before crushing and finishing the alcoholic fermentation.

The pride of the domaine is 8.6ha in Côte du Py, where the oldest vines are over a century old. The wine from there is bottled as Cuvée 𝛑 (Pi), also known as Cuvée 3.14. This very rare bottling can top £400 per magnum and is one of the few Beaujolais wines that trade regularly at auction.

Domaine Guy Breton

At just under 7ha, Domaine Guy Breton is modest in size but not reputation. Breton took over from his grandfather in 1986. He is based in Morgon, where the wine from a hectare of the oldest vines is bottled as P’tit Max, including some more than a century old.

The range is completed by the Morgon Vieilles Vignes (made with ‘only’ 80-year-old vines) and several cuvées produced from grapes outside the village. The grapes are fermented as whole clusters with a fairly short maceration in order to produce a lighter, fresher, easier-to-drink style.

20 top Morgon wines to try:

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On 17 April 1924, the area which later became the Appellation d’Origine (AO) Moulin-à-Vent, was delimited – one of the very first in France. Precisely 100 years later, the stars have aligned for this historic Beaujolais cru with the submission of an application to elevate 14 of the appellation’s best sites to premier cru status.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 30 Moulin-à-Vent wines

Standing on one of the high ridges of Moulin-à-Vent and looking to the north, one can easily see the southerly part of the Mâconnais. Pouilly-Fuissé lies in a direct line no more than 10km away and, with that AOP gaining premier cru status from the 2020 vintage, it seems that Moulin-à-Vent – perhaps the leading appellation within Beaujolais – wants part of the same action. But is this a realistic or justifiable objective?

Moulin-à-Vent is certainly one of the finest of the Beaujolais crus, yet remains under the radar. At a press event in early April, journalists from around the world were able to taste 100 Moulin wines from the 2020 vintage.

It is no exaggeration to say virtually every wine would be enjoyed by consumers at all levels of interest and budget. These are wines to enjoy on release, with the best examples capable of graceful ageing for a minimum of 10 years – some for much longer.

Moulin-à-Vent is based around its iconic windmill, an imposing structure 5.5 metres tall dating back to 1550, which continued to operate as a mill until 1819.

The 1924 appellation centred around the villages of Romanèche and Thorins, itself evolving from a 19th century classification created to reduce the possibility of wine fraud – a common occurrence at the time.

In 1872, following the established Burgundian convention, the previously identified ‘First Class’ vineyard of Romanèche was linked with the village of Thorins, resulting in the name seen today – Romanèche-Thorins.

Moulin-à-Vent – Key facts

Area under vine: 640ha

Number of producers: 252

Number of lieux-dits: 71

Average altitude: 260m

Average age of vines: 55 years

Annual production: 1, 480,000 bottles

A natural home for Gamay

Even before 1924, Moulin-à-Vent’s wines commanded prices and a reputation higher than most of the grands crus in Burgundy. Yet today, the wines of Moulin-à-Vent – as with all Beaujolais crus – face an uphill struggle to be considered as even close to the quality seen in the vineyards of Bourgogne.

Fine-quality red wine from Beaujolais is a very different proposition to that found further north. Here it is the Gamay grape rather than Pinot Noir that rules. Soils are just as complex and varied as those found in the Côte d’Or, yet they are strikingly different, with eroded granite the major influence compared to the clay and limestone shaping the wines of Gevrey, Beaune and Vosne.

Granite bedrock dating back over 300 million years provides the substructure, with thin, sandy top soils reining in Gamay’s natural desire to over-crop. Predominantly pink in colour, erosion has produced sandy soils from weathered feldspars, black mica, quartz and other minerals.

Moulin-à-Vent has long been considered the king of Beaujolais, with a reputation as a wine with the potential to age many years, but it would be wrong to think of Moulin-à-Vent primarily as an appellation that requires extended ageing.

The wines now being produced by the top estates deliver a combination of freshness, approachability and vibrant dark berry and cherry fruit characters, all at very reasonable prices in the context of Burgundy and Bordeaux.

Oak is used sparingly with ageing accentuating the elegance and finesse of Gamay, resulting in wines that bear comparison with both Pinot Noir (and in some cases, Nebbiolo).

Bruno Pin, Président du Cru Moulin-à-Vent, emphasises that the push for greater recognition and premier cru status is ‘very much a collective effort’. Leading this initiative are some of the area’s top producers such as Château du Moulin-à-Vent (run by the dynamic Edouard Parinet) and Château des Jacques, part of the much larger Louis Jadot group.

Jadot’s investment in Moulin-à-Vent confirms its belief in the appellation, a view supported by the arrival of other renowned Burgundian names such as Louis Boillot, Albert Bichot and Thibault Liger-Belair.

Moulin-à-Vent is one of the larger Beaujolais crus, with 640ha under vine. In comparison, the vineyards of Fleurie total 840ha, Morgon 1,090ha, with Brouilly the largest at 1,200ha. At the other end of the scale, Chiroubles and St-Amour total 315ha each.

Chénas is the smallest (250ha) and lies just to the north of Moulin-à-Vent. Somewhat confusingly, the village of Chénas is situated within the Moulin-à-Vent appellation.

The push for premier cru

Old vines are prevalent, with a strong push from many producers to embrace organic methods. Although Moulin-à-Vent has a reputation as the most structured of the Beaujolais crus, the wines today are nearly always approachable when young, yet with the top cuvées capable of ageing at least five years.

Moulin-à-Vent has 71 lieux-dits, with significant differences in the depth of granitic sandy soils, pockets of gravel, and the presence of minerals such as magnesium and iron oxide. These combine with elevation, exposure to wind and sun, contributing to individual variations between vineyards.

The 14 lieux-dits submitted to the Institute for Origins and Quality (INAO) for elevation to premier cru include some well-known names. Le Moulin-à-Vent, Les Thorins, Les Verillats and La Rochelle are located adjacent to or above the windmill on granitic soils of varied depths, while La Roche lies 100m below the mill on shallow topsoil.

Rochegrès is the highest lieu-dit, with strong winds and diurnal range giving this site a distinct freshness. Leading producers include Château du Moulin-à-Vent, Château des Jacques, Domaine Labruyère, Domaine du Granit, Richard Rottiers and Maison Jean Loron.

It is likely that INAO approval of the sites proposed for elevation to premier cru status will take up to 10 years. This gives consumers a golden opportunity to explore Moulin-à-Vent’s many different terroirs before the rest of the world catches up.

Sharing many similar characters with Pinot Noir, one significant difference is that the vast majority offer exceptional value for money. The wines of Moulin-à-Vent are to be highly recommended.

Moulin-à-Vent: Producers to look out for

Château du Moulin-à-Vent

Although not a winemaking family with a long history, the Parinets (today with Edouard at the helm) are making waves in the appellation. Purchased from the Damoy family in 2009, the estate is a key force in raising the profile of the Moulin-a-Vent appellation.

Château du Moulin-à-Vent (located right by the famous windmill) was known as Château des Thorins until being renamed in 1936, when the appellation of Moulin-à-Vent was officially designated. Parinet (and winemaker Brice Laffond who joined the team in 2013) initially reorganised the vineyards and switched to organic practices. The estate expects to receive certification from 2024.

Parinet is a strong advocate for massale selection, identifying specific plots and vines for replanting in the right terroir. Château du Moulin-à-Vent produces a wide range of wines ranging from the estate blend to three single-vineyard wines (Les Vérillats, Champ de Cour and La Rochelle). The line-up is completed with several micro-cuvées – Aux Caves, Grands Savarins and Clos des Londres. All are of excellent quality and worth seeking out.

Château des Jacques

The recent history of the estate dates back to 1924 when entrepreneur and wine enthusiast Amédée Rousseau purchased the mansion in Romanèche-Thorins, together with 18th century vaulted cellars and 2ha of Moulin-à-Vent. Within four years, Rousseau had expanded holdings to 60ha and implemented the Burgundian technique of destemming – then non-existent on a large scale in Beaujolais. Rousseau is also credited with introducing the practice of domaine bottling.

In 1996, Maison Louis Jadot purchased the estate, it today comprising 69ha across three crus and five appellations. 35ha are within Moulin-à-Vent, with Château des Jacques’ holdings include the lieux-dits of Le Carquelin, La Roche, Champ de Cour and Thorins.

La Roche is situated below the windmill, Clos de Thorins faces full south on deeper granitic soil, Clos du Grand Carquelin lies on deeper granitic sand and clay soils, while Clos de Rochegrès lies at 361m on steep, free-draining soils.

Maison Joseph Burrier, Château de Beauregard

Joseph Burrier is a significant force in the Mâconnais and Beaujolais, with over 60ha in total and a history dating back 17 generations. In 1407, a Jehan Burrier was involved in the establishing of the border between Burgundy and Beaujolais. The Mâconnais branch of the family (Deshaires) purchased Château de Beauregard in 1854, with the Burrier and Deshaires joined by marriage in 1899.

Maison Joseph Burrier was established in 1977 by Jacques Burrier, and today his son Frédéric Marc runs the business. Burrier was influential in establishing the promotion of 22 Pouilly-Fuissé lieux-dits to premier cru status.

The overall business now comprises five domaines and châteaux, spanning 15 appellations. Domaine Joseph Burrier is located on the Poncié site in Fleurie, and was created in 2007; this domaine has been organically certified since 2021. Château de Beauregard is another string to Maison Burrier’s bow, with 1.8ha of Moulin-à-Vent Clos des Pérelles in Romanèche-Thorins and 0.6ha above the village of Chénas.

Domaine Labruyère

A renowned estate dating back to 1850 when Jean-Marc Labruyère settled in the hamlet of Les Thorins, acquiring 10ha of vineyards. The estate has passed through several generations with the further purchase of top sites, including the famous Clos du Moulin-à-Vent – now a monopole of the domaine and their ‘jewel in the crown’.

In 2008, Edouard Labruyère took control, bringing an even greater focus on the special terroirs of Le Clos, Le Carquelin and Champ de Cour. Nadine Gublin is the winemaker, with Michel Rovere responsible for the vineyard – a position he has held for 40 years.

Champ de Cour faces southeast, with pebbles over a dense, almost impenetrable layer of clay. Le Carquelin (1.75ha) has light, sandy clay soils that are high in acidity and low in organic matter. Le Clos is the only monopole in the region; just under 1ha, located under the windmill; it’s a wine which has the potential to age extremely well.

Maison Jean Loron

A significant producer with interests in both the Mâconnais and Beaujolais. Wine-growing dates back to 1711, originally in the village of Chénas, where Jean Loron decided to focus on viticulture and who pioneered the identification of special lieux-dits and climats.

The business evolved over the next few centuries and was linked with the Parisian wine merchant Nicolas in the 1900s, before partnering with Maison Louis Jadot in 1945. Xavier Barbet ran the estate from 1978 to 2016, before passing control over to Philippe Bardet.

Maison Jean Loron owns many estates such as Château Bellevue in Morgon, Domaine de la Vieille Eglise in Juliénas and Domaine Jean Loron (Fleurie and Moulin-à-Vent). Loron produces a couple of wines from Champ de Cour, together with the rich, structured and ageworthy La Roche.

Domaine des Pierres Roses

Domaine des Pierres Roses is the Beaujolais arm of the charismatic Thibault Liger-Belair. Liger-Belair has always been a lover of both the wines from, and the region of, Beaujolais, setting out in 2009 to recreate what he had achieved in the Côte d’Or. Like many others, his objective was to isolate individual terroirs and seek to express their own individual characters.

Liger-Belair compares the variation within small areas to that seen in Burgundy and has worked to focus on each site’s terroir, rather than just creating a more generic Moulin-à-Vent. The first plots were purchased in 2008 with the first wine made under his control being 2009. All plots were converted to organic and biodynamic farming from the start.

In addition to a premium Beaujolais-Villages and Moulin-à-Vent, the domaine bottles Les Rouchaux (2ha), Champ de Cour (1.65ha), Les Perrelles (0.96ha), La Roche (2.25ha) and a top-end, limited edition magnum titled ‘Les Vignes Centenaires’.

Domaine de Rochegrès

Leading Burgundy producer Albert Bichot purchased the 5.2ha site of Domaine de Rochegrès in 2014. Two wines are produced – Le Roc, which is a blend from younger vines planted on around 3ha in La Rochelle, Aux Monts and Rochegrès, together with its other cuvée, ‘Rochegrès’, which comes from a 2.2ha plot of vines aged between 80-100 years on lean, granitic soils in the heart of the lieu-dit.

Technical director Matthieu Mangenot feels that the wines are now starting to show their best, with Rochegrès a particularly fine example of the appellation. Semi-carbonic maceration is used at the start of the fermentation, with maturation in 350-litre barrels (50% of the blend with 20% new oak) and the rest of the blend aged in stainless steel.

Domaine du Granit

The family started working in Moulin-à-Vent in 1918 and today the fourth generation (Franck Bessone) is in charge of the estate, with vineyards in Fleurie (0.65ha), St-Amour (0.3ha) and Chénas (0.85ha) in addition to 9.5ha of Moulin-à-Vent.

Bessone is committed to stimulating the vines with ploughing and cover crops, together with restricting yields (averaging between 25-40hl/ha). Recognising that Gamay has a tendency to over-crop, Bessone notes controlling this is a key way to ensure high quality.

Domaine du Granit’s vineyards are primarily southeast to east-facing and lie up to 280m on granitic soil combined with quartzite pebbles.

Domaine Richard Rottiers

Richard Rottiers is the son of Lyne Marchive, founder of Domaine des Malandes in Chablis. He works both in Chablis and Beaujolais, where he runs his own winery – Domaine Richard Rottiers. The estate was set up in 2007, initially with 3ha under vine (aged between 40-80 years) and now totalling 5ha.

Rottiers started working towards organic farming in 2012, with a key focus being on restricting yields, encouraging the vine roots to dig further into the soil and natural treatments for maladies.

Vinification is parcel by parcel with semi-carbonic maceration at the start of fermentation, with soft extraction utilising remontage and délestages. Ageing is in foudres and oak barrels for up to 12 months depending on the cuvée.

Domaine de la Sionnère

The recent history of the domaine started in 1996 when Thomas Patenôtre acquired 6ha of vines, renaming the estate Domaine de la Sionnère. Since then, Thomas and his wife Estelle have expanded the estate, which now also comprises plantings in Fleurie and Chénas. They also produce a very refined white Beaujolais-Villages.

In addition to their fine Moulin-à-Vent, the Patenôtres produce an intriguing and fine wine aged for 18 months in amphora. Coming from the Champ de Cour, with grapes selected from 100-year-old vines, production is limited to 700 bottles.

See notes and scores for 30 Moulin-à-Vent wines

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It is now 20 years since Paul Giamatti’s character delivered a major blow to Merlot producers in the Oscar-winning comedy Sideways.

‘No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving,’ screamed an apoplectic Miles. ‘I am not drinking any ****ing Merlot.’

Stats from Sonoma State University showed that Merlot sales in the American market fell by 2% in the aftermath of the movie’s release.

That trend has finally travelled across the Atlantic Ocean, as new data from CGA shows that Brits have now fallen out of love with the grape variety too.

Merlot’s share of the premium wine market in UK bars and restaurants has decreased by more than 2% since 2019. No other major grape variety has suffered such a sharp decline in its market share, according to analysts at CGA.

Meanwhile, Beaujolais sales are going through the roof as Brits seek out lighter styles of red wine. Gamay sales are up by 35% since 2019 at high-end bars, hotels and restaurants, according to the report, which was compiled by wine supplier Liberty Wines.

‘This popularity reflects a change in taste, with customers preferring lighter styles of red wine,’ concluded the report. ‘It is also likely that rising Burgundy prices have led consumers to embrace the quality and value that Beaujolais offers.’

Nebbiolo, Corvina and Barbera are the other red wine varieties that have surged in popularity since 2019, according to CGA.

Riesling, Semillon, Viognier and Grüner Veltliner have all seen strong growth too, while Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc have declined.

Discerning wine drinkers are seeking out more esoteric wines when they visit high-quality restaurants and bars, according to CGA. That has caused sales of wines from Italy and Portugal to spike, while France, Australia, South Africa and Spain have all suffered declines.

When we analyse the broader market, total wine sales are down by 19% since 2019 in the UK ‘on-trade’ – a term used to cover out-of-home consumption at bars, pubs, restaurants and hotels.

‘Inflation has reached levels not seen since the 1980s, economic growth and confidence have dissolved, skilled staff remain in very short supply, train strikes are ongoing and wine duty has significantly risen,’ said Liberty Wines CEO Tom Platt.

The cost-of-living crisis has caused Brits to spend less time in bars and pubs. This trend has been exacerbated by a shift to more people working from home.

Wine sales at pubs and bars have fallen sharply, but sales in restaurants and hotels have now exceeded pre-pandemic levels, according to CGA.

Supermarkets and specialist wine stores have also been major beneficiaries of the changing consumer landscape. They now enjoy a record share of the UK wine market, as cash-strapped Brits prefer to drink at home.

Total out-of-home red wine sales have fallen by 26% since 2019, compared to a 14% decline for white wine and a 15% increase for rosé.

If we examine the ‘premium’ market, which CGA defines as the top 5% of UK bars, hotels and restaurants, some interesting trends emerge.

Champagne has emerged triumphant since lockdown restrictions were lifted, with sales vastly exceeding pre-pandemic levels at these luxurious establishments. Yet Prosecco has fallen out of favour, with its share of the premium market falling by 15% since 2019.

Platt at Liberty Wines believes this ‘premium’ segment of the market is poised to outperform in the years ahead. ‘It continues to sell higher-quality wine successfully, increasing per bottle spend by delivering an experience that offers genuine value,’ he said. ‘Because consumers remain willing to spend and explore, even in a difficult market, opportunities still exist to grow wine sales.’

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Beaujolais is inextricably linked with the red Gamay grape, so it may be surprising to learn that the region is also home to Chardonnay. This white grape accounts for a mere 4% of the vineyard area, but there have been recent increases in planting.

Traditionally, most Chardonnay grown in Beaujolais has gone into Crémant de Bourgogne or white Bourgogne wines. Reasonable choices, given that a wine labelled as Burgundy can fetch higher prices.

However, between 2016 and 2022 the Beaujolais wine council reported a 77% increase in the number of hectares of Chardonnay harvested, and a 24% increase in the volume of Chardonnay destined for white Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages.

Of the nearly 3,000 estates in Beaujolais, around 600 produce a white wine, amounting to 2.75 million bottles per year.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 10 wonderful white Beaujolais to seek out

White Beaujolais vs white Burgundy

Several Mâconnais appellations overlap the white Beaujolais territory: Mâcon, Mâcon-Villages, Mâcon-Chaintré, Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé. Many white wines made in northern Beaujolais are therefore sold under the better-known Mâcon appellations.

By law, white Beaujolais must be 100% Chardonnay and can be labelled as Beaujolais or Beaujolais Villages. There no white crus, although murmurs of potentially creating a Brouilly Blanc have surfaced due to successful plantings around Mount Brouilly where there are lighter clay-limestone soils at around 200m.

Château des Jacques, situated less than 20km south of the town of Mâcon, produces two different white wines from the same nine-hectare walled parcel of Chardonnay, the Clos de Loyse: a white Beaujolais and a white Bourgogne. ‘The difference is in the oak,’ says Geneviève Bonifacio, sales manager at Château des Jacques. ‘The wine labelled as Beaujolais is fermented in stainless steel and aged on lees until spring. The wine labelled as Bourgogne is barrel fermented and aged on lees in Burgundy barrels. People expect oak from a Bourgogne.’

Bonifacio explains that both soil and winemaking are key elements in their labelling choices. ‘Our Chardonnay used to be classified as Mâcon-Villages, however it was re-assessed by INAO (the National Institute of Origin and Quality) in the 1990s considering the geological aspect of its specific parcel. As the parcel mainly consisted of a sub-soil of granite, and a top-soil of marl and clay, it was declassified from Mâcon and had to be declared as either Bourgogne or Beaujolais.’

The limestone effect

Most producers say the south of Beaujolais is better suited to Chardonnay due to the predominantly clay-limestone soils, while Gamay thrives in the north in the granite-dominant soils (though it must be noted that there are over 300 soil types found throughout the region).

Jean-Paul Brun is a leading producer of white wine in the Beaujolais region, and claims that the limestone soils in the south are the reason for Chardonnay’s success. His Terres Dorées range comes from the Pierres Dorées vineyard area. Translating to ‘golden stones’, reflecting the warm-coloured stone buildings and limestone-based soils, this is an area between the villages of Bully, Oingt and Liergues. It is nicknamed ‘little Tuscany’ due to its resemblance to Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia.

Producers here are aiming for Pierres Dorées to become a specific geographical denomination within the Beaujolais appellation.

‘Previously, where the soils were not good enough for Gamay we used them for Chardonnay,’ explains Bonifacio. ‘Gamay doesn’t like clay-limestone or marl soils. It’s a high-yielding grape variety, it needs very poor soils to perform better.’

‘But if we’re going to create a cru for white Beaujolais, it needs to be on very specific soil – not simply where Gamay doesn’t work. You need clay-limestone soil and south or southeast-facing aspects. The south of Beaujolais where there are high altitudes is ideal, like in the Pierres Dorées area. Or further south, where the Monts du Lyonnais area is also interesting for Chardonnay,’ says Bonifacio.

Tasting white Beaujolais

A specific, identifiable style for white Beaujolais is yet to be defined. ‘It’s a very recent thing, with tiny production,’ explains Sonja Geoffray, owner and winemaker of Château Thivin, who produces two different styles of white Beaujolais: Marguerite which is a Beaujolais Villages from the Brouilly region, and Clos de Rochebonne from Chardonnay planted in the village of Theizé within the Pierres Dorées area.

‘The vines in the Brouilly region are planted at 200m on lighter soils with less iron,’ explains Geoffray. ‘These grapes are picked three weeks earlier than the grapes growing in southern Beaujolais. It’s not about latitude here, it’s about altitude.’

‘The Chardonnay planted at 500m in the Pierres Dorrées has a longer growing season, higher acidity and tension, making for a perfect foundation for ageworthy whites. This wine is aged in barrel and is more complex,’ says Geoffray.

As a general rule, most white Beaujolais wines undergo full or at least partial malolactic fermentation, are aged on fine lees and use old oak for maturation, if any at all. The majority, thus far, also undergo a cool fermentation in stainless steel.

Otherwise, the wines vary from one producer to the next. Some display lean, linear, savoury flavours and mineral intensity, while others are fragrant, peachy, sometimes veering on tropical with a fat, rounded mouthfeel. A pleasing jolt of acidity, when grown at altitude, is the perfect combination.

The organic or sustainable farming and low-intervention winemaking for which Beaujolais is increasingly known extends to Chardonnay production too.

Vines range from over 80 years old, like those of Arnaud Aucoeur and Jean-Paul Brun, to young and newly planted vines as found at Domaine Mee Godard and Domaine des Marrans.

‘Because of the terroir and the limestone, I find it really interesting to make Chardonnay in Beaujolais,’ says Mee Godard. ‘We have to continue to plant and experiment with Chardonnay in sandy soil as well.’

Considering the relatively small quantities currently produced, curious drinkers will need to actively seek out these wines. However, one thing everyone in the region agrees on is that the thirst for white wine is growing, and with its terroir potential, white Beaujolais has a bright future.

Tasting notes and scores for 10 wonderful white Beaujolais:

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More than 85% of winegrowers in the Fleurie appellation voted in favour of the premier cru plan at a meeting on 28 March, attended by more than 70 producers representing around 60% of the appellation’s surface area, said local officials.

An application to create Fleurie premier cru sites will now go to national appellation body INAO (Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité), although approval could take several years.

Fleurie’s plan is one strand of a wider process that has involved around a decade of soil analysis across the region and could lead to other areas of Beaujolais seeking premier cru status in the coming years, as previously reported by Decanter.

Seven Fleurie lieux-dits out of more than 40 candidates will be proposed for premier cru status:

• Les Moriers
• Poncié
• Les Garants
• La Madone
• La Roilette
• Grille Midi
• La Chapelle des Bois

These seven localities cover around 27% of the appellation, and their selection follows several years of tastings and soil investigations, as well analysis of prices and historical usage of lieu-dit names, among other factors, officials said.

‘It’s exciting for the region,’ said winemaker Grégoire Hoppenot, secretary of the Fleurie appellation.

Fleurie premier cru wines would top a Burgundy-style pyramid, above other Fleurie wines and with regional Beaujolais at the base.

It’s hoped that will make the area easier for wine drinkers to understand, said Hoppenot. At present, ‘it’s a bit difficult to understand why a lieu-dit is better than a Fleurie, [and] which lieux-dits are better, these type of things’.

Prices may rise on certain wines, yet producers argue this is necessary to some extent.

While Beaujolais wines can offer great value-for-money, Hoppenot said ‘production costs here in Beaujolais are really high’, with much work done by hand. ‘This type of classification could help,’ he added.

Fleurie producers without vineyards in the proposed premier cru areas have also found a new sense of pride in their terroir following extensive soil analysis, Hoppenot added.

He said he was hopeful INAO approval could be achieved in a timeframe of ‘between eight and 10 years’. He cited recent premier cru approvals in Pouilly-Fuissé, and added that the Fleurie team has been in touch with producers there.

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The general saying that the southern Beaujolais growing area is limestone soil and the 10 crus to the north are on granitic soils is, in reality, too simplistic.

A comprehensive soil survey has confirmed local vignerons’ knowledge of the diverse terroirs found in Beaujolais, giving fuel for cru applications to INAO as well as to UNESCO.

Growers have long recognised the pockets of prime land that produce exceptional quality Gamay, declaring these as lieux-dits on their labels in order to communicate the characteristic wines they produce. Some of these lieux-dits are widely known and sought out, such as Côte du Py in Morgon, La Madone in Fleurie, and Champ de Cour in Moulin-à-Vent. Many more were identified over 100 years ago, even before the creation of the 10 Beaujolais crus themselves.

Scroll down for 10 expressive Beaujolais wines to seek out

The big dig

Between 2009 and 2018, Inter Beaujolais collaborated with the Rhône Chamber of Agriculture on a detailed investigation into the soils of the Beaujolais wine growing region, conducted by leading soil study office Sigales. This resulted in a precise soil map of the Beaujolais area.

The exploration included over 15,000 auger surveys (which involves drilling cylindrical holes into the ground) to collect soil samples well below the surface, as well as digging over 1,000 soil pits up to two metres deep. Far beyond limestone and granite, over 300 soil types were discovered and documented, revealing a beautifully complex geological picture.

The region’s soil history dates back over 500 million years, and the reason the evidence still exists in the vineyards is because Beaujolais was spared during the glacial period; its old rocks and sandy soils were not washed away by melting glaciers.

A brief geological history of Beaujolais

The Devonian era (400 million years ago) was an era of underwater volcanic eruptions and development of ocean life, resulting in the creation of blue stones (pierres bleues). These are found throughout Juliénas, the Côte du Py lieu-dit in Morgon, and Côte de Brouilly.

Brouilly (the area surrounding the Mont Brouilly) is the largest of the crus with the most diverse selection of soil types: granites, blue stones, scree and limestone sediments.

In the Carboniferous period (320 million years ago) – when the continents collided together forming Pangea – granite was formed, producing the famous pink granite of Chiroubles and Fleurie.

The Triassic period (240 million years ago) was the transition point between ancient bedrock and the more recent sedimentary and limestone soils. This period contributed quartz and sandstone, as well as clay and marl from sea deposits. The diverse combination of calcareous, granite and alluvial soils found in Moulin-à-Vent and Saint-Amour date back to this period.

Reaching for premier cru status

Having uncovered what generations of producers long suspected, the soil study gave the scientific backing towards an application to UNESCO. In April 2018 Beaujolais was recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark – one of the first French wine regions to gain this status.

UNESCO Global Geoparks are areas of outstanding geological heritage, internationally recognised and managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. There 177 around the globe across 46 countries. In France, other wine regions with Geopark status include the Monts d’Ardèche (covering the IGP Ardèche), Luberon and Haute-Provence.

Additionally, the soil study motivated several of Beaujolais’ ACs to cooperate in applying for premier cru status for their most promising lieux-dits.

Grégoire Hoppenot, secretary of the Fleurie appellation, says ‘We are quite ready now. We just need to agree on the final list of premiers crus to present to the INAO, we will likely submit by March 2023.’

‘It’s a big investment for us,’ admits Hoppenot. ‘We started the work four years ago following the soil study and in the best-case scenario it would be approved in 10 years.’

The list of premiers crus they will propose represents 20%-30% of the Fleurie appellation, including some of the most recognised lieux-dits in Fleurie. ‘We are proposing to elevate [to premier cru level] the lieux-dits that are the most frequently declared [on labels], the most present in the press and in historical books, the most expensive, and the most interesting we tasted.’

It would be a major coup for the region to gain premier cru status, as it’s the only part of the Burgundy region that does not already have premier or grand cru level vineyards. Gaining premier cru will allow certain producers to charge more for their wines and continue to build their reputation for quality. The region has also been inspired by neighbouring Mâcon gaining premier cru vineyards in recent years.

However not all producers are on board. ‘There will be some producers who use a lieu-dit on their label, but the INAO may only approve part of the vineyards in that lieu-dit to be of premier cru level. If your vineyards are not included, then once that lieu-dit becomes premier cru you can not use it on the label, even if you’ve been doing so for decades,’ says Hoppenot.

For this very reason, Morgon has not made progress towards a premier cru application. The Côte du Py is a very large and famous lieu-dit that many producers use, but only a portion of it would likely gain premier cru status, and it is a name most producers are not willing to lose from their labels.

Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly are next in line to submit their applications to the INAO early next year. Juliénas and Moulin-à-Vent are not far behind as they compile the necessary documentation within their respective regions.

‘The premier cru will help consumers identify the best sites from our region, but even without it, our vignerons have become very proud and enthusiastic about the soils and quality of our wines,’ says Hoppenot.

What does applying for premier cru status involve?

Grégoire Hoppenot, secretary for AC Fleurie, reveals the process:

1. Declaration: We observed the harvest declaration over the past 10 years and counted the percentage of Fleurie’s growing area identified as lieux-dits.

2. Bibliography: We researched, through books written from 1747 to the present day, any historical mention of lieux-dits in the region.

3. Ratings: We identified the lieux-dits with the highest ratings in the French and British press.

4. Tastings: We tasted more than 120 wines from 32 different lieux-dits between January 2020 and June 2022.

5. Price: We compared the prices of wines labelled with a lieu-dit against wines labelled as generic Fleurie.

10 expressive Beaujolais wines to try:

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Located in the northern end of Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent has a reputation for being one of the best of the 10 Beaujolais Crus but also one that is structured, powerful and age worthy.

An intriguing vertical tasting (2010-2019) from the revitalised Château du Moulin-à-Vent confirmed the latter characteristic, while reaffirming that the age-old view of the appellation as a sturdy, traditional (and sometimes rustic) wine is in need of revision.

With investment in both vineyard and wineries, together with the arrival of a new generation of young winemakers, Moulin-à-Vent is emerging as a more elegant and refined example of the Gamay grape. Still capable of long-ageing, many wines are now perfumed, smooth on the palate and very pleasurable while young. And all of this is combined with price-points which are extremely attractive in the context of good Pinot Noir from Burgundy.

Scroll down to see scores and notes for the 2010-2019 vertical, plus four other Château du Moulin-à-Vent wines, including the 1976

The Moulin-à-Vent appellation comprises around 620 hectares, with around 300 producers and annual production of around 1.5 million bottles. Distinctly different from other well-known Beaujolais Crus such as Morgon and Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent’s character is heavily influenced by the presence of decomposed, pink granitic soils which add to the wines fragrance when young but allow it to age for 10+ years when it develops many characters akin to Pinot Noir. The presence of manganese and iron oxides in certain locations are additional factors contributing to the appellation’s complex geology, with 69 lieux-dits named.

Old vines

The AP was one of France’s earliest (established in 1936), a year which coincided with the Château des Thorins becoming known as Château du Moulin-à-Vent. Located in in the hameau of Les Thorins, the Château lies between Romanèche-Thorins and Chénas, the latter village being located further up the slope. Old Gamay Noir vines are planted in high-density, with the famous Moulin (windmill) located about halfway up the hill where, not surprisingly, it is the windiest.

The Parinet family took over the domaine in 2009 and have re-energised this ancient domaine with a focus on its 23 lieux-dits. Massal selections, improving the soil, pruning techniques and leaf canopy management are all techniques which have been implemented, together with a dramatic switch to sustainable viticulture.

The domaine is currently working towards full organic certification with the 2013 the first vintage with 100% organic viticulture. Winemaking has also been adjusted with the amount of wood reduced with the 2016 vintage, at the same time as extended ageing with long periods in stainless steel following blending.

Modern techniques

Edouard Parinet now runs the domaine, with Brice Laffond as winemaker. Their philosophy is to modernise the style of Moulin-à-Vent whilst emphasising the distinct characteristics of the lieux-dits and through single-vineyard bottlings.

Winemaking is adapted to the specific requirements of each vintage with varying use of de-stemming, whole-bunch, length of maceration and size/type of maturation vessel.

The tasting certainly demonstrated a distinct shift in style with the change in oak management. Whereas the older vintages (although with undoubted ageing potential) demonstrated a firmer tannic structure, the more recent vintages were much more expressive, floral, delicate and refined. However, there is every reason to suspect that these wines will deliver the same ageing capacity as the more ‘traditional’ style.

The potential for top Moulin-à-Vent to age was demonstrated with the pouring of the domaine’s 1976 at lunch. I have been lucky enough to taste quite a few fine Bordeaux, Burgundy and Napa Valley wines from that decade but this seemed to be more vibrant, vivid in colour, and more full of life than any other I can remember. A great testament to what can happen with careful cellaring, as well as the potential for this top Beaujolais Cru to be considered alongside the finest Pinot Noir wines from a little further to the north.

Château du Moulin-à-Vent vertical 2010-2019

Wines are listed in ascending vintage order

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In the wider context of the wines of Burgundy, the 55 hectares which comprise the whole of the Bouzeron AOP may not seem particularly significant. When one considers that the key attribute of this small, recently created appellation is the less fashionable Aligoté grape, you might think there is not much here to pique the interest of white Burgundy fans.

Perhaps now is the time to think again.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for six Maison Chanzy wines

Bouzeron AOP came into existence in 1997 but this area, situated within the Côte Chalonnaise, has been renowned as an ideal place to cultivate Aligoté since the seventeenth-century.

In this area, relatively high altitudes, combined with varied soils of limestone and blue marl on the higher slopes and clay soils lower down, provide a freshness and crispness to the grapes which augur well given the challenges of warming climate.

Aligoté is sometimes referred to as Burgundy’s ‘other white grape variety’ but plantings are small (around 2,000ha in all of France in 2008). The variety, particularly if over-cropped, can produce very tart, harsh wines which are designed for early-drinking, and are often considerably improved by the addition of crème de cassis and served as a kir.

But, planted in the right area, with reduced yields giving additional concentration, Aligoté is showing some dramatic quality improvements.

Maison Chanzy showed the potential for Aligoté at a recent tasting, with three different slants on the distinctive Bouzeron terroir.

History

Chanzy is a relatively new name, with the origins of the estate dating back to Joseph Sordet at the beginning of the twentieth-century, under the name Domaine Sordet.

Originally 6ha in area, the estate saw several changes of owner before being taken over in 1974 and becoming Domaine Chanzy. By then, the estate comprised 37ha of Aligoté, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir planted in the Côte Chalonnaise, Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.

Further expansion took place after the sale of Chanzy to the OLMA investment group in 2013, with the estate now totalling 80ha (with 66ha under vine).

Chanzy continues to evolve. The domaine is one of the few Burgundian producers to hold the Haute Valeur Environmental 3 certification, and has strengthened its winemaking and commercial operations.

Max Blondelle, who worked for 14 years at Domaine Chanson in Chablis, is now in charge of winemaking and has brought a greater focus on individual terroir, together with subtle changes to oak-ageing regimes. There is certainly a Chablis ‘feel’ to some of the wines, with very little oak influence and crisp acidity allied to a mineral finish.

Xavier Badinand, Director-General, explained some of the key reasons why the quality of Bouzeron Aligoté has improved so much. ‘In the past, Aligoté was picked first and now it is picked last.’ he says. Despite having south/south-east exposure the Bouzeron vineyards of Chanzy benefit from the altitude and this, combined with low-yields, gives concentrated, plush wines with plenty of ageing capacity. To add cassis to these would be a mistake.

There have also been subtle shifts in oak regime with the previous emphasis on 700 litre vessels now adapted to 500l/300l and 228l barrels. No more than 15% new oak is used.

The wines

Les Trois is a blend of three separate plots primarily matured in steel tank with a small element of oak maturation. An ideal introduction to the Bouzeron AOP. Chanzy also own the only Monopole within the AP – Clos de La Fortune – and bottle this as a ‘straight’ monopole wine, together with a very limited production ‘Vielles Vignes’. In the 2020 vintage, just 854 bottles of the latter were produced and these are only available en-primeur.

In addition to the Bouzeron Aligoté, Chanzy also showed a Rully Blanc Le Cailloux, with plenty of mineral character allied to good ageing potential. They also own vineyards in Mercurey and Maranges, with Pinot Noir from these two APs showing distinct terroir-driven style.

The Maranges was decidedly more earthy with firm tannins but also showing plenty of dark cherry and berry fruit, whilst the Mercurey 1er Cru had poise and elegance, together with refined tannin and a delicacy which emphasises how wine quality is on the up in the Côte Chalonnaise.

Chanzy’s Aligoté bottlings are very fine for this grape variety, and show the potential available given good site selection, later harvesting and reduced yields. They are wines which still retain an unmistakable white Burgundy character whilst providing something quite different to the region’s other white wines.

Andy Howard MW’s Maison Chanzy notes and scores

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Andy Howard MW, Rosemary George MW and Dominique Vrigneau tasted 187 Cru Beaujolais 2019 wines with 4 Highly Recommended.

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit 2019 vintage wines from any of the 10 Cru Beaujolais appellations, with availability in the UK or US

This tasting confirmed that wines from the 10 designated Cru Beaujolais appellations are well worth seeking out for their quality, value and interest.

Of the 187 wines our judges tasted, the four wines rated Outstanding included two from Morgon and one each from Brouilly and Fleurie, while there were 60 others that scored 90 or above.

The Cru Beaujolais 2019 scores

187 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 4

Highly recommended 60

Recommended 104

Commended 14

Fair 4

Poor 0

Faulty 1

Both 2018 and 2019 are fine vintages for Beaujolais, although there are some significant differences between the two.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Cru Beaujolais 2019 wines

Vintage 2018 was notable for the abundant volume of high- quality grapes, which manifested itself with weighty, ripe fruit and, for the best wines, the ability to age.

There was more variability in 2019, with wines displaying a more elegant, lifted and delicate style. Frost and hail were issues in many areas, with overall volumes down by 25% compared to the five-year average; 2019 wines have plenty of freshness and ‘cut’ – a trait revered by Beaujolais fans.

Dominique Vrigneau observed that ‘overall the quality of the vintage was high’ and that ‘Cru Beaujolais are very consistent and reliable’.

On the style of Beaujolais 2019, Vrigneau felt ‘the best wines were very well balanced and showed a good level of vibrancy and energy’.

Rosemary George MW agreed that overall quality was good, but noted the ripeness and alcohol in some examples. George stressed the importance of serving Cru Beaujolais at the right temperature: ‘Lightly chilled, the wines tasted so much more refreshing – what Beaujolais should be,’ she said.

Oak usage provoked comments from all the panel members. George was ‘not keen on obvious oak’ in the wines, whereas Vrigneau felt ‘many of the Crus tasted had some wood treatment – in most cases it was judicious and a good support to the wines’. I felt that oak maturation, where used sympathetically, added additional structure and extra layers of complexity to the palate.

The panel agreed that it was important for Cru Beaujolais to focus on its own, individual style rather than trying to mirror Bourgogne Pinot Noir wines, for example.

See all the Cru Beaujolais 2019 wines tasted

Among the various Crus, Fleurie proved popular with all three judges, averaging above 89 points with half of the wines in the Highly Recommended or Outstanding categories.

Côte de Brouilly and Chiroubles also scored well, with George noting: ‘Chiroubles was a bit of a discovery for me’. The extra altitude of this Cru (at about 410m, as opposed to 260m-340m for the nine others) appears to have added even more freshness and appeal to its wines.

There was some debate about how much one can distinguish the individual characters of the various regions, with George asking: ‘Can you differentiate between the Crus, or are there differences in growers’ styles?’ Certain producers fared well across the board, and size was not a differentiating factor.

All 13 bottles supplied by Beaujolais giant Georges Duboeuf scored well across different Crus and quality tiers, while Korean-born, US-educated and French-trained newcomer Mee Godard was a hit with every wine: a young producer well worth following.

In summary, Cru Beaujolais wines from 2019 are good buys. Vrigneau was impressed by the overall quality: ‘There is a clear difference between the Crus, which are all serious wines, and between the more obvious and simple Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages. Clearly the AP system is working well here.’

These are wines to buy, lightly chill and enjoy.

Top-scoring wines from the Cru Beaujolais 2019 panel tasting

The judges

Andy Howard MW is a Decanter contributing editor and a DWWA Regional Chair. Formerly a wine buyer in retail for 30 years, he now runs his own wine consultancy Vinetrades Ltd, focusing on wine education, investment and sourcing

Rosemary George MW is a widely published wine writer, author and judge, with a special interest in the wines of southern France and Burgundy. The latest of her numerous books is The Wines of Roussillon (£30, Infinite Ideas, April 2021)

Dominique Vrigneau is the DWWA Regional Chair for Beaujolais, the Southwest & Rest of France. Formerly the long-serving buying director for UK merchant Thierry’s Wine Services, he has been a director at Watermill Wines since late 2012

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See the full Beaujolais 2018 cru vintage report

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Saint-Amour, Régnié, Juliénas and Chénas 2018

There is plenty to celebrate from the 2018 vintage in Beaujolais with many of the region’s crus producing outstanding wines after a hot, dry growing season.

Andy Howard MW looks at what to expect from the 2018 wines coming from Saint-Amour, Régnié, Juliénas and Chénas, and highlights some producers to look out for.

Chénas

Size: 237ha

A very small cru which is rarely seen, Chénas is named after the forests of oak which used to dominate the land here.

Quite full-bodied, earthy wines with more tannins evident, this is balanced by pronounced floral notes of rose and iris.

Domaine Piron-Lameloise produce a wine from quartz-rich soils which is always worth seeking out.

Juliénas

Size: 568ha

Named after Julius Caesar, Juliénas is the oldest of the Beaujolais cru.

There is much less granite here – the soils are orientated towards clay, with schist and diorite playing an important role.

The wines are sturdy and ageworthy with dark cherry and cassis fruit, and spicy, peppery notes.

Régnié

Size: 400ha

Beaujolais’ newest cru (1988), with pink-granite, mineral rich soils.

Perhaps not the most complex AOP but approachable and generally earlier-drinking.

Aromatic with peach, cherry and raspberry notes and some spicy flavours.

Saint-Amour

Size: 320ha

The most northerly of the crus, St-Amour has a varied mix of soils ranging from granite, clay, schist and limestone (shared with the Côte Chalonnaise just to the north).

A lighter cru with forward, dark berry fruit flavours and appealing floral qualities (violet, peony, lavender).

The tasting revealed quite a variety of styles – often related to the soil type.

Top producers include:

• Domaine Piron-Lameloise (Chénas)
• Domaine du Clos du Fief (Juliénas)
• Guy Breton (Régnié)
• Domaine Rochette (Régnié)
• Domaine de la Pirolette (Saint-Amour)
• Domaine des Billards (Saint-Amour)

See Andy Howard MW’s top St-Amour, Régnié, Juliénas and Chénas 2018 wines

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See the full Beaujolais 2018 cru vintage report

Individual cru analysis and top-scoring wines for:

Morgon | Moulin-à-Vent | Fleurie | Saint Amour, Regnie, Julienas and Chenas

Brouilly & Côte de Brouilly 2018

Looking at the 2018 vintage in Beaujolais there is plenty to celebrate with many of the region’s crus producing outstanding wines after a hot, dry growing season.

With 1,300 hectares under vine Brouilly is the largest Beaujolais cru and its vineyards skirt around Mont Brouilly in the south of the region.

Brouilly comprises six separate communes which in total account for 20% of the Beaujolais cru area.

Soils are varied and include pink granite, limestone-marl and clay, and the wines lean towards a muscular and full-bodied style.

Despite being the largest cru it hits the high spots on fewer occasions than many other AOPs.

The most southerly of the cru, Brouilly has a wide range of producers and soil types.

Wines range from simpler, juicy, easy to drink styles to a few vielles-vignes bottlings which are moving towards fine-wine territory. At the top level there is undoubtedly ageing potential and purity of fruit allied to freshness and terroir influence. Generally, earlier-drinking and approachable.’

Known for producing some of the region’s finest and most complex wines Côte de Brouilly is situated on the volcanic slopes of Mt. Brouilly above the Broilly appellation.

On the slopes of Mt. Brouilly, there are more fine wines here than neighbouring Brouilly. Blue stones (schist and volcanic diorite) impart a distinct flavour with additional complexity.

Many wines have a silky mouthfeel but remain easy going and pleasurable. With some concentrated examples, this is a cru to watch.

Top producers include:

• Chateau de La Chaize (Brouilly)
• George Descombes (Brouilly)
• Chateau Thivin (Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly)
• Alex Foillard (Côte de Brouilly)
• Pierre Cotton (Côte de Brouilly)

See Andy Howard MW’s top Brouilly & Côte de Brouilly 2018 wines

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Fleurie 2018

Looking at the 2018 vintage in Beaujolais there is plenty to celebrate with many of the region’s Crus producing outstanding wines after a hot, dry growing season.

Fleurie along with and Brouilly offered softer, fragrant and appealing wines in 2018, albeit with more variability.

Fleurie in the north of the Beaujolais region has 822 hectares of vines, most of which – some 90% – are planted on pink granite soils.

Geographically it boasts steep hillsides and vineyards at elevation, and typically produces elegant wines with punchy fruit and floral aromas and flavours.

The most well-known Beaujolais cru, Fleurie is approachable and often characterised by floral, perfumed notes. On the palate Fleurie is often soft, a bit lighter in style, with juicy, dark fruit character and full of immediate pleasure. Where pink-granite dominates the wines are more floral, whilst those on richer clay soils carry more depth and weight. Although not the most ageworthy Cru, some serious wines are now being produced.’

Top producers include:

• Clos de Roilette
• Julian Sunier
• Domaine des Marrans

See Andy Howard MW’s top Fleurie 2018 wines

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Moulin-à-Vent 2018

Looking at the 2018 vintage in Beaujolais there is plenty to celebrate with many of the region’s crus producing outstanding wines after a hot, dry growing season.

Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent confirmed their claim as the leading crus in terms of terroir character and age-worthiness.

Many of the wines from Moulin-à-Vent demonstrated a much ‘glossier’ and supple character with less of the grippy, tannic and rustic edges seen in earlier years.

Moulin-à-Vent – named after the local windmill – is situated in the north of the Beaujolais region and one of the most famous crus. Vineyards span both the Rhône and Saône-et-Loire departments covering 611ha with the best sites positioned on the south and southeast-facing slopes of the Beaujolais hillsides at elevations of 200-300m.

Considered the longest-living, sturdiest and most tannic of the cru, Moulin-à-Vent is never going to tannic in the same way as red Bordeaux or Chianti. With vineyards on crumbly pink granite soils and varied seams of manganese and quartz, Moulin-à-Vent can be laden with violet and dark-cherry notes when youthful, gaining iris and spice notes as it ages, before developing gamey, musky notes with longer maturation.

Top producers include:

• Chateau des Jacques
• Chateau du Moulin-a-Vent
• Thibault Liger-Belair
• Domaine Labruyère

See Andy Howard MW’s top Moulin-à-Vent 2018 wines

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Individual cru analysis and top-scoring wines for:

Moulin-à-Vent | Fleurie | Brouilly & Côte de Brouilly | St-Amour, Régnié, Juliénas and Chénas

Morgon 2018

Looking at the 2018 vintage in Beaujolais there is plenty to celebrate with many of the region’s crus producing outstanding wines after a hot, dry growing season.

Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent confirmed their claim as the leading crus in terms of terroir character and age-worthiness.

Situated in the heart of the crus Morgon boasts 1,111 ha of vines and is the second largest cru after Brouilly. Given its size there is variation in styles of wine from the cru but on the whole Morgon produces some of the most powerful and age-worthy Beaujolais cru wines with many needing time (2-3 years) to develop after bottling.

Seen as the source for many of the finest expressions of cru Beaujolais, Morgon is heavily influenced by the presence of granite, producing many terroir-influenced wines.

The soils are also rich in iron-oxide with volcanic rock and manganese. Morgon has been the home for some of the leading cru Beaujolais producers favouring minimal-intervention and wines with more of a ‘natural’ philosophy.

These are wines that will benefit from ageing.

Top producers include:

• Jean Foillard
• Marcel Lapierre
• Thevenet
• Breton
• Chamonard
• Jean-Marc Burgaud

See Andy Howard MW’s top Morgon 2018 wines

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Individual cru analysis and top-scoring wines for:

Morgon | Moulin-à-Vent | Fleurie | Brouilly & Côte de Brouilly | St-Amour, Régnié, Juliénas and Chénas

The 2018 vintage continues a very fine run for the under-rated crus of Beaujolais.

With a hot, dry, growing season, the Gamay grape has thrived on distinctive granitic soils to create highly appealing, fruit-forward wines which are fine exponents of the concept of terroir. Add the fact that many examples deliver quality and value (the latter particularly in comparison with the Côte d’Or), this makes Beaujolais a region deserving attention. Of 130 wines tasted, more than 50% were awarded 90 points or more.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for Andy Howard MW’s top-scoring Beaujolais 2018 cru wines

Location

Beaujolais runs roughly north-south from close to Mâcon to Villefranche-sur-Saône, divided (roughly) into two halves.

The northern sector is the home to the Beaujolais crus, with convex hills of volcanic granite and metamorphic schist, weathered to give thin, generally acidic soils. Physically close to neighbouring Mâconnais, the northern Beaujolais could hardly be more different.

In Burgundy, limestone and clay dominate on largely east-facing sedimentary slopes, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay king and queen.

Within the Beaujolais crus, the vigorous Gamay grape is checked by poor soils, leading to wines balancing early-drinking exuberance with pronounced terroir character and ageing potential.

Many estates are blessed with old-vines – 40, 50 or even 80 years old. Allied to this is a new-wave of younger vignerons, as well as some cult winemakers who have been at the forefront of driving the minimal-intervention, ‘natural’ wine movement.

When all of these factors come together with an excellent growing season – as in 2018 – then the results should be very positive.

Crus

The tasting included wines from across all 10 of the crus.

Cyril Chirouze, winemaker at Château des Jacques, Louis Jadot’s Moulin-à-Vent domaine, is very positive about the vintage: ‘2018 is one of the best of the past 30 years.’

Edouard Parinet, owner of Château du Moulin-à-Vent, agrees: ‘2018 is a rich and powerful vintage that can be compared to the glorious 2015.’ Parinet notes the ‘joviality and immediacy’ of 2018, whereas ‘2015 was more austere and closed in its youth’.

The view among winemakers and merchants, backed up by the wines tasted here, is that 2018 is a vintage delivering high quality and approachability, together with good volumes.

See all 110 Beaujolais 2018 cru wines tasted

2018 vintage conditions

Although 2018 was shaped by extremely hot weather in July and August, a key reason for the success of the vintage lies in the preceding winter – one of the wettest for 60 years.

Water reserves were replenished, enabling vines to cope during the extreme summer heat. After a cold February and early March, budbreak occurred in mid April (much later than 2017) with flowering in mid May.

Nadine Gublin, winemaker at Domaine Labruyère in Moulin-à-Vent, noted the influence of a second period of substantial rainfall – between mid-May and mid-June 70% more rain fell than normal. After the dramatic hail losses in 2016 and 2017, growers were fearful about the threat of mildew, however a new moon on 13 June ushered in a very dry, sunny period which saved the crop.

Virtually no rain fell before harvest and, although the heatwave in July and August was extreme (August was one of the three hottest since 1959), fears of over-ripeness and excessive alcohol levels did not materialise.

Instead, the wines are fresher, with slightly higher acidity and lower alcohol than their counterparts from the renowned 2015 vintage.

They are approachable with vibrant dark fruit, appealing floral perfume and a succulence making many immediately appealing.

Andy Howard MW also tasted 20 Beaujolais cru wines from older vintages:

14 from 2017 | 3 from 2016 | 3 from 2015 | 1 from 2014 

After the hail-reduced yields in 2016 and 2017 (some producers in Chiroubles, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie and Morgon lost more than 80% of their crop), 2018 was a year where volumes were above the average.

Estates and co-operatives have good stocks, which should allow consumers to benefit from attractive, well-priced wines for some time to come.

Cru Beaujolais: vintage guide

2018 Abundant crop of flamboyant, ripe, dark fruit Beaujolais which retain freshness, moderate alcohol and good acidity. A fine vintage where the best wines will age very well.

2017 Fleshy wines with immediate appeal. Heavily affected by hail in July – some producers in Morgon lost 80%. Very dry conditions in the summer. Approachable but not for long-keeping.

2016 Very challenging vintage with frost and several hail storms drastically reducing yields. Fresh and pleasurable wines with much less density than 2015 but do allow terroir character to shine.

2015 Good ripeness of fruit from a dry, hot growing season. Powerful, structured wines with higher alcohol. Seen by some as atypical of Beaujolais.

2014 As in the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais, a fresher vintage which often suits the character of Beaujolais. Appealing, crisp wines but certainly no blockbuster.

Particular cru profiles

The crus largely delivered as expected with lighter, fragrant wines from St-Amour and Régnié, with elegant bottles from the higher vineyards of Chiroubles.

Juliénas and Chénas were structured and weighty, with Fleurie and Brouilly – substantial crus in terms of size – giving softer, fragrant and appealing wines, albeit with more variability.

Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent confirmed their claim as the leading crus in terms of terroir character and age-worthiness, with many of the wines from Moulin-à-Vent demonstrating a much glossier and supple character with less of the grippy, tannic and rustic edges seen in earlier years. Côte de Brouilly provided some classy examples and, along with Chiroubles, is a cru to watch.

Vinification-wise, a number of winemakers are changing their approach in the use of whole-bunch, as opposed to destemmed, grapes.

Although many still favour traditional semi-carbonic maceration, some leading estates have moved to a higher proportion of destemmed bunches (in some cases 100%). There is also a trend towards larger wooden maturation vessels and a reduction in the proportion of new wood. One slight concern is that some wines have become a little too polished and Burgundian in approach. While a reduction in rusticity is welcome, Beaujolais needs to combine this with its own vibrant, unique style.

There were also too many heavyweight bottles on show (some more than 1.5kg) which doesn’t sit comfortably with many producers’ drive towards sustainable practices and minimal intervention.

Ageing

2018 is undoubtedly a vintage to enjoy.

With wines attractively priced and available, the 2018 Beaujolais crus can be recommended.

The best wines will age well for five to 10 years, with the potential to develop into some wonderful examples of Gamay from this highly distinctive region.

Few grape varieties manage to deliver early appeal and future ageing potential in the same way as Gamay, so now is a great time to go hunting.

See Andy Howard MW’s top-scoring Beaujolais 2018 cru wines

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It’s no longer a secret that this vibrant region has much more to offer than the light-bodied party juice of Beaujolais Nouveau. Especially when it comes to cru Beaujolais: many wines can stand up to red Burgundies of the same price.

Scroll down for 20 top Cru Beaujolais tasting notes and scores

So if you’re looking for complexity as well as value, wines from the Beaujolais crus could be what you’re looking for this Christmas.

There are 10 Beaujolais crus – many of which are familiar names on bottles. From north to south, they are: St-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly.

These crus are at the top of the three-tier Beaujolais quality pyramid. The middle tier is for wines labelled as Beaujolais Villages, which cover 39 villages outside the crus. The lower tier is for wines labelled simply as Beaujolais.

Dynamic young growers

The UK is one of the top export markets for Beaujolais – and looks to still be growing. In April 2020, Decanter reported that exports to the UK grew by 22% in 2019.

This means British wine lovers are now spoiled for choice, with many Beaujolais crus now widely available in shops or on wine lists.

Young, dynamic growers and winemakers are at the forefront of this growth. Julien Sunier, a newcomer to the Beaujolais region in 2003, says this new generation are putting their energy into organics, respecting the environment and vinifying their own wines, as opposed to selling in bulk.

Coming from around the world, Sunier and many young producers like him, are buying up forgotten vineyards, bringing a focus on sustainability, respect for terroir and desire to share their passion and knowledge.

But Claire Chasselay of Domaine Chasselay stressed that the passing down of vineyards and knowledge from generation to generation is still important in this family-driven region.

Wines of character and charm

Although red wines from the Gamay grape make up more than 95% of production, Gamay rosé wines are also made. And there are also 700 producers of white Beaujolais, said Cécile Bossan-Redon, managing director at Inter Beaujolais.

But it is the 10 crus which are the stars of the region. Their red wines account for just 25% of the total Beaujolais production at around 47 million bottles a year, but – when at their best and most ageworthy – can give red Burgundies a run for their money.

The spirit of sharing and bonhomie is the essence of Beaujolais, and many wines exude this character and charm. So if you want to translate this cheer to your table this Christmas, reds from one of the 10 Beaujolais crus will not disappoint.

If you are looking for something structured but still fresh to cut through Christmas duck, goose or turkey, try a Moulin-à-Vent. Or, for a pretty, elegant wine top go with your nut roast, try a Fleurie.

From lighter-bodied Brouilly to more deep, rich Morgon, there is a Beaujolias cru for you.

See 20 top Cru Beaujolais tasting notes and scores

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Situated in the north of the Beaujolais region, Moulin-à-Vent is one of the most famous crus and named after the local windmill – the literal translation of the name.

It is a historic appellation with a vine-growing history dating back hundreds of years. It was officially granted appellation status in 1936 – one of the first in the country.

Scroll down for the top 22 Moulin-à-Vent 2018 wines

Wines are made solely with Gamay Noir grapes, an ancient Burgundian variety and natural offspring of Pinot Noir and the obscure white variety Goulais Blanc.

Gamay tends to be bluer in colour than other reds, with dominant flavours of freshly picked red fruits and relatively high acidity however they are also extremely tannic and concentrated with these traditional Beaujolais wines a wide departure from the light and simple styles of Beaujolais Nouveau.

In their youth, these wines can exhibit plush textures with floral aromas and crunchy fruit which, over time, develop spicy, earth-driven, mushroom and truffle characteristics but can hold a juiciness on the palate for decades.

Vineyards span both the Rhône and Saône-et-Loire departments covering 600ha with the best sites positioned on the south and southeast-facing slopes of the Beaujolais hillsides at elevations of 200-300m. However, a trio of factors are responsible for shaping the natural style of the wines; the presence of silica in the soil, depth of the soil and exposure to the wind.

See all 72 Moulin-à-Vent wines from the tasting

Moulin-à-Vent Terroir

Distinctive pink granite soils are the main feature of the Moulin-à-Vent terroir. These are rich in iron oxide, copper and manganese minerals and are said to directly benefit the longevity of the wines.

However, with 69 lieu-dits, this appellation has a multitude of different micro-terroirs that winemakers are keen to show – some comprising sand and granite, some alluvial-granite soils and others with larger percentages of clay. A striking comparison to a much larger cru, for instance, Morgon with double the size under vine at 1,200ha and less than 20 delineated lieu-dits.

Winemaking techniques tend to eschew the use of carbonic maceration, primarily to show this soil diversity and favour slow and long vinifications of between 18-22 days, with an average of one-third whole bunch, two-thirds de-stemmed followed by one-third aged in barrel and two-thirds in stainless steel.

2018 Vintage

With 2018, Moulin-à-Vent has experienced four great vintages in a row and while they maybe a little less colour and concentration than in 2017, the quality is extremely high with quantity to match – an extremely important element considering yields can vary from a 30ha plot producing 40,000 bottles in 2012 to 130,000 bottles in 2018.

A wet, cool spring and early summer gave way to a long period of hot and dry weather – heatwave spikes in July in August – with no rain falling on most of the region until after the harvest. Fortunately, vines had water reserves from April and May giving the 2018s slightly more freshness and higher acidity than the preceding years. Growers reported the start of picking around 28th August and harvested healthy crops by the end of the first week of September.

The 2018s in this tasting showcase a variety of characteristics from plush, supple and crunchy fruit to fragrant, floral and soft flavours but all with a signature acidity that makes them so juicy and appealing.

Champ de Cour, in particular, stood out. A sand and granite area with shallow soils that provides a warmer environment producing smaller, concentrated grapes with elegance and charm.

As these wines can age well, easily for 30 years or more, some are not as approachable as others and need more time to settle and integrate – a suggestion of 5-8 years before opening.

However, many are offering delightful freshness and vibrancy and would make excellent drinking companions to roast meats or rich cheese dishes.

Many will require seeking out direct from the estates but they are definitely worth it.

See the top 22 Moulin-à-Vent wines

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Wines from Beaujolais continue to impress UK consumers as new figures reveal that exports of red and rosé wines from the region to the UK grew by 22% in volume in 2019.

This growth in exports – which was echoed by a 17% value increase – was higher than for any other French wine region.

‘We are proud to have such a healthy increase in exports to the UK. There is now more choice of Beaujolais wines available on UK shelves than ever before, which we believe is a huge contributing factor to its continued popularity,’ said Cécile Bossan-Redon, Managing Director at Inter Beaujolais.

In 2019 the UK imported 43,384 hl of Beaujolais wines, up from 35,564 hl in 2018, and the growth was constant across the year.

‘Despite the uncertainties raised around Brexit, we have remained committed to the UK market and it’s been important for us to continue to demonstrate the dynamic range and choice Beaujolais wines have to offer, which we believe the increase in export figures represent,’ continued Bossan-Redon.

Approachable, fresh and fruit driven

Rebecca Fraser, Head of Marketing at Louis Latour Agencies, which represents Beaujolais producer Henry Fessy in the UK, added: ‘Beaujolais wines are becoming increasingly popular for a number of reasons but first and foremost I believe it is due to wine style and hard work spreading the message about quality in the region. The wines are approachable, fresh, and fruit driven, perfect for regular drinking but also come with a great story; they always strike a chord with consumers when we sample them.’

In another boon for the region, Sopexa’s annual Wine Trade Monitor listed Beaujolais as one of the global wine regions predicted to see the greatest growth despite Brexit. It was the highest ranked French region in survey.

See also: Beaujolais 2019 volumes hit by hail, heat and frost

See also: The new faces of Beaujolais

Wine merchant Georges Duboeuf had been dubbed the ‘king of Beaujolais’, and sometimes the ‘Pope’, long before news of his death at the age of 86 on 5 January 2020.

Both nicknames demonstrate the magnitude of his influence on a French wine region famous for its Gamay wines but which has sometimes been overshadowed by more renowned winemaking areas of France.

Duboeuf, born on 14 April 1933, is arguably best known for helping to put the tradition of Beaujolais Nouveau on the global stage; a celebration of the first wines from the new vintage that takes place on the third Thursday of November.

He was also a passionate advocate of Beaujolais wines in general, telling Decanter’s John Livingstone-Learmonth in 2001, ‘Our ace card is the style of wine. It’s not like anywhere else. The fruit and the suave style cannot be repeated.’

How it began

Duboeuf was born at Crèches into a family of vineyard owners in Pouilly-Fuissé in southern Burgundy.

He initially spent time working in Paris, although the lifestyle didn’t suit and he returned south to Mâcon to learn more about the wine trade.

After starting to supply local restaurants by visiting a network of growers and bottling their wines on-site, he created a growers’ association known as Ecrin Mâconnais-Beaujolais.

Then, in 1964, Duboeuf founded his own merchant business focused on Beaujolais wines, which has stood the test of time and is today run by his son, Franck.

Beaujolais Nouveau

Duboeuf refused to take credit for creating the Nouveau tradition, in an interview with wine writer Anthony Rose for Decanter in 2007.

It was the Beaujolais wine union UIVB that took advantage of new rules in 1951 to set 15 November as the release date for the new vintage.

And Duboeuf recalled that UIVB director Gérard Canard had the idea to turn long-standing local celebrations of the new vintage into a sort of ‘Bastille day for wine’ – a reference to France’s national day on 14 July.

However, Duboeuf subsequently swung behind the move and certainly did more than most to bring Nouveau parties to wine lovers outside France.

Beyond Nouveau 

Duboeuf was also a strong proponent for the quality and diversity of Beaujolais wines.

‘Why were we so successful? Maybe thanks to a flair for marketing, or the ability to communicate a passion for the product,’ he said of his merchant business in 2007.

‘Beaujolais is about capturing the quintessence of Gamay, of the terroir and always the stamp of the vigneron. There’s no good négociant without a good vigneron.’

Dominique Piron, president of the Inter Beaujolais trade body, paid tribute to Georges Duboeuf’s life and said his name would be forever written into Beaujolais history.

‘Thank you Monsieur Georges for everything you brought to this region, you were the honour of Beaujolais,’ he said.

From the archive:

Read the results of our Cru Beaujolais 2015 panel tasting

Georges Duboeuf in his own words (interview from 2007)

‘The 2018 harvest was good, about 800,000 hectolitres. This year it looks like it will be less than 600,000 hectolitres,’ Ratignier told Decanter.com.

Some in the region have described seeing hailstones as large as pétanque balls following violent storms in the past week.

‘What we are seeing, as the meteorologist have said we would, is extreme climactic events,’ said Ratignier.

‘There is no middle ground anymore. Never just one storm or only rain. We had three major hailstorms on 18 August plus one or two smaller ones and plenty of rain.

‘The heat is extreme. We had temperatures of over 40 degrees this summer. And drought this year and last year. That’s not what you would call normal weather.’

As well as the damage done by the frost, heat and hail, Ratignier expects to see significant reductions during the sorting process, as less-than-perfect grapes are removed.

‘That sorting could certainly bring more surprises,’ he said.

On the quality side, however, he was much more optimistic.

‘We are looking at a really good year, the maturity is good and so is the weather forecast [from now on].’

An Inter Beaujolais press release described the 18 August hailstorms as increasingly violent, arriving one after the other between 5pm and 9pm as they travelled along a weather corridor that runs diagonally across the Beaujolais appellation.

Average losses in the area were estimated to be about 20% to 50%.

Particularly badly affected was an area known as Pierres Dorées in the heart of the Beaujolais appellation.

At Domaine J. P. Rivière, in the centre of Pierres Dorées, losses were well above average. Owner, Jean-Pierre Rivière, said that hail hit around 15 of his 25 hectares. His total losses, due to frost, heatwave and hail could reach 75%.

‘We expect a harvest of about a quarter the normal volume, or maybe a third. That will mean supply problems,’ he warned.

Meanwhile, at Domaine Rivière in Bagnols (slightly further south and west), owner Laurent Gay said his 28 hectares were hit four or five times, with damage to about 80% of the vineyard. Gay expected his harvest volume to be down about 30% compared to his annual average.

Descriptions of the hailstones varied, ranging from the equivalent of ping pong balls up to the larger metal spheres used in the French game of pétanque.

See also: Extreme weather becoming the new normal, says report

Beaujolais is currently enjoying a revival, thanks to improved quality and a run of great vintages. James Lawther MW profiles the young winemakers who are injecting new energy into the region

The rise in quality, authenticity and standing of Beaujolais these days begs the question: who is driving the revival? Beaujolais has never fostered a star-orientated culture but in the grey days of the 1980s and 1990s, when nouveau compromised the region’s reputation, names such Marcel Lapierre, Guy Breton, Jean Foillard and Jean-Paul Thévenet stood out as a beacon for characterful, complex Beaujolais.

One or two of this generation (Foillard, Yvon Métras) are still flying the flag, but in the new millennium the spirit of true Beaujolais has undeniably become more youthful. Mainly in their 30s, the young people leading the fray are often more travelled, open and worldly but they have adhered to the guiding principle of their elders and mentors, which is to maintain a respect for the land and terroir.

An in-depth soil survey of the 10 Beaujolais crus has helped to reinforce this sentiment and fomented the notion of complexity and uniqueness in the region. From this has stemmed the bottling of individual parcels and a strong organic or biodynamic culture for growing Gamay. While fermentation practices (whole bunch or destemming) and ageing (with or without oak) may vary, the idea of a natural expression prevails, which for many means no chaptalisation, natural yeasts and minimal use of sulphites.

Either home-bred or with their origins elsewhere, the younger generation has a belief in the region and a strong conviction that they are recapturing the true expression of Beaujolais. ‘The new generation are proud to be vignerons in Beaujolais and that changes everything,’ says Mathieu Lapierre, who along with his sister, Camille, now runs Domaine Marcel Lapierre.

Below are some of the men and women who are helping to restore the reputation of the region.

Richard Rottiers

Richard Rottiers has a viticultural background, but based in Chablis rather than Beaujolais. Following vintages in New Zealand and South Africa, and agricultural studies in Lyon, he worked for three years at one of the leading estates in Beaujolais, Château Thivin, before acquiring his eponymous 3ha domaine in Moulin-à-Vent in 2007. Why Moulin-à-Vent? ‘It’s the wine I prefer and the slopes where I have my vines are not quite as severe, so I can plough and work the soils in organic fashion,’ he explains. The camaraderie of like-minded vignerons such as the Thillardon brothers helped in the early days with shared tasks and equipment. His biggest problem has been hail; the domaine (now 7 ha) was hit to varying degrees seven times in the last 10 years. He produces three cuvées of Moulin-à-Vent: a generic blend of parcels, Dernier Souffle and Champ de Cour, the clay content in his sector giving a certain generosity to the wines.

Mee Godard

Mee Godard’s slight frame belies her inner strength. This is someone who doesn’t count the hours when it comes to running her eponymous property in Morgon and raising a family. Of Korean origin but adopted by a French couple when she was a baby, her road to the Beaujolais has been rich in experience but far from straightforward. Three years at Oregon State University were followed by an oenology degree at Montpellier then work in Champagne and the south of France. In 2007 she arrived in Burgundy where she worked for Domaine Chanson, Château de Corton-André and Comtes Lafon before setting up in Morgon in 2013. ‘I signed the contract for 5ha and started pruning the next day,’ she recalls. The wines are bottled according to parcel: Corcelette, Grand Cras and Côte du Py as well as a special selection Passerelle 577 (the name alludes to her origins and a lucky number) and since 2016, a Moulin-à-Vent. These are complex, structured wines; 2016 the best yet.

Mathieu Mélinand

Before joining the family-owned Domaine des Marrans in 2008, Mathieu Mélinand worked vintages at Pegasus Bay in New Zealand and Forester Estate in Western Australia. Two things struck him overseas: the absence of rules and the use of natural yeast at Pegasus Bay. ‘If it works there, then it should work in Beaujolais,’ he reflected. He now uses indigenous yeast at his 20ha, Fleurie-based property, has returned to ploughing the soils, and ages the wine in older foudres. ‘These practices used to be implemented at the estate before they were abandoned,’ he says. There’s also a steady move towards biodynamics, initiated by his wife, Pauline Passot, who worked at the biodynamically run Seresin Estate in New Zealand and at Domaine Michel Lafarge in Burgundy. Mélinand makes wines that are structured and traditional with expressive fruit and lively acidity.

Louis-Clément David-Beaupère

The 7ha Domaine David-Beaupère was originally purchased by Louis-Clément David-Beaupère’s grandfather in the 1960s then leased to a grower by his father, who was a doctor. When the latter declared he wanted to sell, David-Beaupère dropped his job in the financial sector and announced that he was going to take over. Following three years of viticultural studies, he installed himself at the property in 2008. ‘People thought I was mad at the time but that wouldn’t be the case today,’ he says. The vines are now cultivated organically or are under conversion, and another 2ha in Moulin-à-Vent have just been planted. The Juliénas is produced in three cuvées, a young vine and two individual parcels: La Bottière (70-year-old vines planted around the house) and Vayolette. Fruit and freshness mark the wines.

Mathieu and Camille Lapierre

A brother-and-sister duo from a Morgon estate with an established reputation, Mathieu and Camille Lapierre jointly run Domaine Marcel Lapierre. In the 1980s Marcel Lapierre championed unadulterated, natural wine (organic cultivation, natural yeast, no chemical additives) and both Mathieu and Camille continue to adhere to the same principle – albeit with a touch more pragmatism than ideology. Mathieu initially trained as a chef, working in restaurants in France, the US and Canada before joining his father in 2005; while Camille worked as a sommelier before arriving at the family domaine in 2013. The Lapierre Morgon is a blend of different parcels cultivated organically, some with a nod to biodynamics. A percentage of the wine is made without sulphur dioxide but clients are given the option of an addition at bottling if preferred.

Claire Chasselay

Claire Chasselay represents the continuity and durability on which the Beaujolais is founded. The Chasselay family can trace its history as vignerons back to 1464 and Claire’s work ethic follows her parents’ example. In 2008 she and brother Fabien Chasselay joined them at Domaine JG Chasselay in the southern Beaujolais following her viticultural studies and a stint in Australia. The domaine has been organically certified since 2006 and the Chasselays work with whole-bunch fruit, natural yeast and limited use of sulphites. Claire’s role is multi-tasking, including everything from work in the vineyard and winemaking to wine tastings at the cellar door and preparing dishes for customers at the domaine’s B&B. The style of the wines is fresh, fruity and appetising.

Nicolas Chemarin

If you haven’t heard of the commune of Marchampt, it’s not a surprise. Located in the far-flung eastern limits of Beaujolais, it is credited with about 100ha of vines planted on steep slopes that rise from 360m to 550m, and a dozen or so vignerons who supply the local cooperative. Nicolas Chemarin is the only independent grower in the village who makes wine. A fourth-generation vigneron, he acquired his first vines in 2006 and now has 10ha, mainly Beaujolais-Villages but with a little Régnié, Morgon and Brouilly. He is clearly motivated, as on the steeper slopes much of the work is done by hand, with the vines attached to wooden pickets as in Côte-Rôtie. Low yields and ripe fruit are customary; the expression of red fruit and spice prevalent.

Claude-Emmanuelle and Louis-Benoît Desvignes

The initial challenge for this sister-and brother team was to maintain the solid reputation of the eighth-generation family property, Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes. Their father, Louis-Claude, had already set the tone by highlighting the different parcels in Morgon and bottling his own wines as far back as the 1960s. Claude-Emmanuelle joined him in 2001, then in 2004 she and Louis-Benoît took over the reins on his retirement. Subtle changes have given greater precision to the wines: the soils are now ploughed, even greater emphasis is given to the parcels and in the winery a pneumatic press has been added and the grapes receive gentler handling. The wines are then aged in concrete tanks. ‘Our father passed on the idea of producing a that reflects and respects the terroir, and that’s what try to do,’ says Louis-Benoît. As president of the yearly tasting event, Bien Boire en Beaujolais, he’s also at the forefront of promoting Beaujolais’s new generation.

Charly Thévenet

A local boy through and through, Charly Thévenet was born and brought up in the region, nurtured in the credo of traditional winemaking by his father Jean-Paul and by Marcel Lapierre, for whom he worked for a while. ‘Their basic principles were the use of natural yeast (and consequently no chemicals in the vineyard) and to harvest ripe fruit – and for the wines I like it would be impossible to do anything else,’ he says. In 2007 he bought a 3ha vineyard in Régnié, running the tiny domaine separately from his father’s in Morgon, while at the same time working alongside him. From this year the two will be amalgamated as Jean- Paul retires. Charly now vinifies with whole bunches at low temperatures. ‘The technique works in the Beaujolais with our old vines as you get the fruit and the notion of terroir,’ he explains. Like his father he is a recognised figure in the region, but outside discreet and adverse to publicity.

Paul-Henri Thillardon

A single-minded spirit, that’s Paul-Henri Thillardon. Originally from the southern Beaujolais where his father was a vigneron, he gravitated north, falling in love with Chénas, where he settled with 3ha in 2008 aged 22. In this little-known appellation the early years were difficult, exacerbated by his biodynamic approach, even using horses to plough on some of the steeper slopes. Joined by his brother, Charles, in 2014, Domaine Thillardon has now grown to 12ha, principally in Chénas where four different parcels produce four distinct cuvées. Pigs, chickens, ducks and bees complete the picture of biodiversity. Paul-Henri favours fruit and supple tannins, but his wines also have a saline minerality. In terms of winemaking, a pre-fermentation cold soak and full carbonic maceration allow extraction on the fruit using indigenous yeast. Wines are then aged in 600-litre barrels or Burgundian pieces for six to eight months.

Andrew Jefford explains a secret of French vineyard ownership.

If you travel in French wine regions and meet French wine growers, you’re likely to hear that a certain percentage of the land they farm is a ‘fermage’ or, more rarely, a ‘métayage’. What’s meant by these terms?

A fermage is a piece of land which is owned by someone other than the person cultivating it: a farming tenancy, in effect. In 2010, two-thirds of all French agricultural land was tenant-farmed. Because vineyard land tends to inspire affection in the families who own it, even when they have become involved in other activities, fermages are very common French wine regions — though you may not necessarily be aware of this from wine labels.

By far the largest parcel of Montrachet, for example, is the 2 ha and 6 ares of the Puligny side of the vineyard sold by Drouhin – though the owner, since the C14, is the family of the Marquis de Laguiche. Drouhin’s label makes the land ownership clear (and in any case this arrangement is more partnership than classic fermage). What is less well-known, and not evident from labels, is that the celebrated purchase of William Fèvre’s mouthwatering 40 ha domain in Chablis (including 12 ha of Premiers Crus and 16 ha of Grands Crus) by the Henriot familiy’s Bouchard Père et Fils in 1998 did not include ownership of the land itself, which stayed with the Fèvre family. You could argue that since the Bouchard team do all of the cultivation and vinification, theirs is the only signature which matters, but it was initially a fermage. Matters have changed subsequently, and Bouchard now owns about a third of the land.

There are often tensions in viticultural fermage arrangements, as might readily be imagined. A tenant who works particularly hard to improve the quality and reputation of a vineyard or set of vineyards in order to obtain a higher bottle price will see all the longer term benefits in terms of vineyard improvement and reputation accrue to the landlord. Tensions can also arise since the primary responsibility for the installations and planted vines themselves lies (according to article 1719-4 of France’s Code civil) with the landlord, and landlords are less readily disposed to invest in vine quality than their tenants might wish. In our age of trunk disease (about which I will provide an update before long), this problem can become acute.

Vineyard landlords, though, also have reasons to feel hard done by, since the primary legislation affecting agricultural tenancies dates from the 1940s, with its very different rural scene and interventionist political policies. Rentals are fixed by the government within certain value bands. Tenancy periods (usually for nine, 18 or 27 years) can almost always be renewed by the tenant if the tenant wishes, even if the landlord would like to sell the land. In such a case, the tenant has first right of refusal on purchase of the land, and is also entitled to turn to the law if he considers the price excessive.

In a viticultural fermage agreement, the tenant pays the landlord money in return for land; not so in a métayage agreement. There the grower pays the landlord in kind, with grapes – usually two-thirds to the grower and one-third to the landlord. Sharecropping arrangements of this sort are considered less effective than fermage arrangements, since there is less incentive for growers to optimize their work, and in general no more than one per cent of all French agricultural land is worked in this way. In at least one wine region, though, it is still regularly encountered, as I found to my surprise last year.

“Beaujolais was the part of the French countryside where there was the most métayage. It’s true all over the region, but the crus are more behind than other parts. For me, in the crus, it’s still the Middle Ages.” The speaker is Dominique Piron, the Président of Inter Beaujolais, and a winegrower with deep family roots in Morgon, so he knows his subject. He fleshed out the story when I had lunch with him in Fleurie’s Auberge du Cep last October. It’s one which illustrates the often slow pace of change in rural France.

“Under Napoléon III [who ruled France between 1852 and 1870], France did well, and Lyon in particular did very well. Metallurgy, the silk industry, engineering – many fortunes were created, and all these industrialists tended to invest in Beaujolais. It was the prettiest region, under three hours by horse from the city, and they all came here with their families. But these proprietors never played the role of economic leaders; they just came at weekends, or in August. Their children and their grandchildren didn’t invest either, and they didn’t buy up each other’s shareholdings, so gradually the ownership became very complicated. All the installations were in a bad state; the buildings were falling down; after 150 years of métayage, there was a lack of family culture, of vision, of transmission.”

According to Piron, “all the big old properties” have consequently been sold over the last few decades, and this has had the advantage of providing new land to those who were ready and able to invest, though the métayers have often lost out. The inertia and lack of vision which was the legacy of a sharecropping past remains in evidence, though, particularly in the crus. “In southern Beaujolais, the vineyards have been renovated, the properties are larger, and that works very well. If we organize a technical meeting, all the people from the south come. In the north, the attitude has been ‘My grandfather did things like that and I don’t see any need to change.’ It’s drawing to an end, now, with the younger generation, but I point out to people that the recent crisis in Beaujolais wasn’t a normal crisis of sales like it might have been elsewhere. It was the result of almost two centuries of history.”

Last year provided a perfect emblem of that transition, when one of the largest properties in the crus, the magnificent 99-ha Ch de la Chaize at Odénas in Brouilly, was sold to the Président of the Lyon-based infrastructure, real estate and ‘well-being’ Groupe Maïa, Christophe Gruy. It wasn’t wholly typical, in that the property has been in the hands of the Roussy de Sales family since 1735, prior to Lyon’s industrial revolution, and Chaize had been, by all accounts, well-run. The property did, though, have seven métayers – including Armand and Céline Vernus of Ch Moulin Favre.

Christophe Gruy wanted to convert the whole domain to organic cultivation, so he needed his métayers to follow suit; the only alternative was to convert to a fermage (since the wine would not then appear under the Chaize label, organics wouldn’t be necessary). In the latter case, though, the new fermage tenants would need a cellar of their own — which not all the métayers had.

As a consequence, all of the seven métayage agreements have come to an end, Céline Vernus told me. She and Armand have switched to fermage, reducing their tenancy from 8.5 ha to 5 ha (they have other vines of their own to work with, as well as a well-equipped cellar). Two of the other métayers have become Chaize employees, and the rest have been bought out of their métayage agreements. Thus Beaujolais’ sharecropping past, and that of France as a whole, is slowly drawing to a close.

Read more Andrew Jefford columns on Decanter.com

Two tough hail years are testing Beaujolais’ new stars, as Andrew Jefford reports below.

I recently visited four of my favourite younger Beaujolais producers. Great wines, but bad news: all are facing career-threatening challenges thanks to two successive years of hail-induced losses.

Richard Rottiers, for example, has lost 80 per cent of his Moulin-à-Vent harvest in both 2016 and 2017. He’s trying to supplement the meagre harvest with some micro-négoce wines, but finding Moulin-à-Vent (his own appellation) is impossible, and sourcing organically grown fruit in the Beaujolais crus (where many vineyards are on steep slopes — acutely challenging for organic practices) is always difficult. The result? He’s decided to net his own vineyards against hail for 2018, even though he thinks that INAO will consequently force him to sell his Moulin-à-Vent as Vin de France. “Things have to change,” he says, “or we’ll die.”

The brilliant Mee Godard is in a similar fix. Her Morgon vineyards were hailed three times this summer. She’d normally hope for at least 35 hl/ha, but she’s harvested only 7 hl/ha. This, too, follows challenging losses last year as well – half the crop lost on her Morgon Corcellet (her largest holdings), for example. “I’m trying to get a little négociant card as I won’t be able to keep going if there is another year like this.”

Mathieu Mélinand and his partner Pauline Passot at Domaine des Marrans in Fleurie have lost 40 per cent of the harvest in 2017 after losing 50 per cent in 2016. Brother-and-sister team Louis-Benoît and Claude-Emmanuelle Desvignes have harvested just 23 hl/ha from their Morgon vineyards this year “though lots of our friends have nothing,” according to Louis-Benoît. “The Côte de Py was the worst hit on July 30^th, but we didn’t have a single parcel that wasn’t hit and some were completely wiped out.”

Ever-stormier summers are now a fact of life, particularly for vineyards sited in continental climate zones like Beaujolais and Burgundy. INAO has been running tests on netted vineyards (already commonplace in hail-prone Mendoza) for three years, and growers hope that eventually they will be permitted, perhaps from the 2019 vintage. Will it be too late for the vulnerable?

The irony in all of this is that Beaujolais cru quality in 2017 looks exceptionally good, after very fair results in 2016 and a generous, fine-quality 2015 vintage, making this the perfect moment to assess the attainment of these young stars. Nature’s violence, though, means that they cannot profit from their achievements as they deserve.

One of the perennial interests of ambitious Beaujolais is fermentation practices, which vary more in terms of fine detail from cellar to cellar than in any other region I know. (Even the name for a fermentation cellar in Beaujolais is different to elsewhere – here it’s called not a cave, a caveau or a chai but a cuvage.)

A trait shared by Rottiers, Godard, Domaine de Marrans and Desvignes is that they all work with whole-bunch fruit as far as possible, though the exact percentage depends on the vintage and the quality of the raw materials (the hail damage of the last two years has meant that some destemming has been obligatory).

Godard is the only one of the four to crush the harvest, while the rest work with uncrushed bunches. All favour long, unhurried fermentations of 12 to 20 days with varying levels of intervention: one pumpover a day for Mathieu Mélinand; submerged cap with some pumpover and occasional rack-and-return for Richard Rottiers; pumpover to begin with followed by rack-and-return for the Desvignes family; both punch-downs and pumpover for Mee Godard, whose fermentations are the longest of all, though with just gentle trickling of the wine through the cap at the end of fermentation.

After fermentation, the cellaring stages vary, too: the Desvignes family use no oak at all, but only concrete and steel, while the others use a combination of large wooden foudres, demi-muids and smaller wood, almost all of it older. The results, as I hope the tasting notes below will indicate, are some superb wines, wines of structure, depth and penetration as well as beguiling fruit: truly wines which could be served on all of the same occasions as any great young Burgundy or Northern Rhône red.

I’ve got one last question for you, though: are you ready for Beaujolais like that? There is a school of aesthetics which declares Beaujolais of this sort to be ‘over-extracted’ and lacking in the delicacy, freshness, smooth succulence and perfumed immediacy which has lain at the core of Beaujolais’ historic appeal, even in the crus.  Should, in other words, all Beaujolais look exclusively north for its aesthetic identity, or should it be permitted to look south, too?

Denaturing or falsifying the character of the crus is not at stake; the character of Gamay in these distinguished sites comes out with the clarity of a solo horn call in either case. But do you point the expressive range of fine Fleurie, Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent towards what was historically sanctioned alone — or do you allow these wines a full range of expressive possibilities, even if that might seem confronting at first?

I’m firmly in the latter camp – and here’s some examples from each grower to show why.

Morgon, Javernières, Louis Claude Desvignes 2016

Javernières is a sub-zone of Côte de Py with particularly generous, clayey soils sited on the southern part of the hill. Deep, translucent red in colour, with a warm, roasty, almost Gevrey-like style of aromatic fruit. On the palate, the wine is fleshy and exuberant, pure and long, and still in a whirl of scented fruit just now. The bass-line grippiness tells you that there will be plenty to sustain the wine in time once the fruit calms. 93 points /100

Morgon, Les Impénitents, Louis Claude Desvignes 2016

This special cuvée, a Beaujolais landmark, is made from three small parcels of vines within Javernières planted in 1912 and 1914. The scents of this clear, vividly coloured wine tell you that it was picked just on the cusp of perfect ripeness: blackberry and black cherry freshened by plant sap. It’s sweet, fresh, complete and grand, with an almost saline edge to the fruit, splendid structure (in general this cuvee is made with 100 per cent whole bunch), complexity and dimensions. 94

Morgon, Les Impénitents, Louis Claude Desvignes 2010

A fine example of an aged Morgon, this is clear red in colour with just a little bricking.  Sweet, warm, almost Pinotty scents dry grass, confit fruits and soft spices, but nothing in excess. Deep, complex and structured on the palate, with a breadth and generosity which (in contrast to the nose) looks south rather than north. Ready now. 91

Morgon, Grand Cras, Mee Godard 2016

Mee Godard has managed to capture the essence of the 2016 vintage with this clear, limpid, perfectly judged wine. Ethereal cherry scents mingle with a little ivy-leaf freshness, while the palate is poised, pure and alive with a tumble of flavours : sappy-salty cherry but much else, too. There’s nothing overburdened or clumsy here; just fluttering freshness.  92

Morgon, Côte de Py, Mee Godard 2015

Darkly coloured, with a splendid aromatic profile now losing its primary fruit charm and settling down into something stonier and more shadowy, less evident. On the palate, it is deep, textured and grippy but so succulent, too – perfectly meshed tannins, in other words. The acids are splendid, too: bright, vivid, fruit-drenched, slowly sinking towards that gruff stoniness so satisfyingly evident in the aromas. A virtuoso effort. 94 

Morgon, Passerelle 577, Mee Godard 2016

This is Mee Godard’s top-wine: a micro-selection whose name alludes to her ‘passage’ as an adopted Korean child to France and eventually to Morgon. In this case, the 2016 is even better than the 2015 as the oak is a little less evident, though don’t be misled: there is nothing forceful or galumphing about either wine. Ample, deftly coloured aromas draw you into a palate of fresh, zesty, gathered poise in which the energy of cherry, apple, plum and cranberry are dimpled with tannins and citrus zests. 95

Morgon, Corcelette, Domaine des Marrans 2015

Deep in colour, and whooping with kirsch-like black cherry fruits. The wine is dark, spicy, vivid and deep. It’s fresh and deep on the palate, too, with soft tannins and explosively juicy, sour-cherry acidity which combine in a depth-charge of energy and fresh exuberance. 91

Fleurie, Clos du Pavillon, Domaine des Marrans 2015

From 70-year-old vines planted in a site which has both clay and pink granite sands, and given 18 months in big wood before bottling. Deep in colour, with fresh, pristine, sweet red fruits and spices. After that disarming nose, the depth of the palate surprises: crunchy, fresh, deep, with curling, rich acidity with a stony, ‘granite’ impact to it and decent backing tannins, too. The fruit finishes with citrus-pith bitter edges, yet the grace and charm of Fleurie is amply evident, too. 92

Moulin-à-Vent, Richard Rottiers 2016

Because of the slashed crop, Rottiers only made a single cuvée of Moulin-à-Vent in this vintage. Limpid and translucent, with lightly sketched floral aromas. On the palate, the wine is light, delicate and elegant, too: a beautiful liaison of aromatic finesse and fine-grained tannins, delicately printed with the austere grace of holly berry and citrus. 92

Moulin-à-Vent, Richard Rottiers 2015

After the deft understatement of the 2016, you quickly sense the burry, brambly generosity of this more deeply coloured 2015. It’s not a massive mouthful, but it is very round, satisfying and complete, ballasted with sumptuous tannins and generous in expression rather than weight and force. 92 

Moulin-à-Vent, Champ de Cour, Richard Rottiers 2015

This is made from a tiny 0.8 ha parcel of old vines in the Champ de Cour climat with clay-over-granite soils; unusually in this vintage it had a month with its skins and stems. Deep though translucent in colour, with sweet, fresh, graceful scents of raspberry liqueur and Christmas spice. Rich, tender, subtle, detailed and velvet-textured on the palate, with almost tarry autumnal flavours and bramble fruits. Pure pleasure. 94

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Château de la Chaize, one of the largest wine estates in Beaujolais, is changing hands after three-and-a-half centuries of being owned by the same family.

Château de la Chaize has been sold to Maïa Group, an independent French company specialising in infrastructure and real estate.

A fee was not disclosed, but local newspaper Le Progrès said it was understood to be a record sum for a Beaujolais producer.

Situated in Odénas, in the Rhône department, La Chaize extends over 250 hectares, with 99 hectares in the Brouilly appellation.

Those 99 hectares produce 8% of the total production of Brouilly, one of the 10 crus of Beaujolais.

The Brouilly appellation is valued at €70,000 per hectare, but it was estimated that the whole deal could have reached tens of millions of euros.

‘We took a family decision to sell,’ Caroline de Roussy de Sales, estate manager and a member of the previous owning family, was quoted as saying in Le Progrès. She said that it was important to sell to somebody who wanted to develop the vineyards and invest.

Founded in 1670 by the seneschal of Lyon François de la Chaize d’Aix, the main Château de la Chaize building and gardens were completed by Jules-Hardouin Mansart and André le Nôtre, respectively architect and gardener of the Château de Versailles.

Christophe Gruy, Maïa group president, described the purchase as a ‘beautiful challenge’. He said that he wanted to convert the estate to organic viticulture.

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The Beaujolais revival continues apace, and leading the charge are the 10 Beaujolais cru appellations. Find out what our judges thought of this strongly anticipated vintage...

Decanter’s experts tasted and discussed cru Beaujolais 2015 for the September 2017 issue of Decanter magazine.

While there were no outright stars, these wines still impressed for their character, structure and ageability – not to mention food friendliness and value. With an average price of between £10 and £18, there is still plenty here to praise.

The scores:

121 wines tasted

Exceptional – 0

Outstanding – 0

Highly Recommended – 32

Recommended – 65

Commended – 19

Fair – 5

Poor – 0

Faulty – 0

The judges:

Andy Howard MW; James Lawther MW; Matt Wilkin MS

Click here to view the full results of the cru Beaujolais 2015 panel tasting

At a similar panel tasting of cru Beaujolais in the August 2015 issue, both Andy Howard MW and James Lawther MW came away enthralled by the 2013 vintage. ‘And because 2015 is so highly regarded, I expected to see things moving to an even higher level,’ said Howard.

‘Unfortunately, while there were a lot of good wines, nothing really elevated itself to the top tier across the different crus.’

In terms of flavour spectrum, these 2015 vintage wines showcased Gamay’s classic red cherry profile, with the more structured versions displaying notes of black and sour cherry.

‘There was plenty of character and density,’ thought Matt Wilkin MS, while Howard also picked out a ‘granitic-graphite’ element in quite a few examples, noting: ‘That’s an additional string to the bow that you don’t get in the non-cru wines.’

Overall, the biggest let-down was the lack of high-scoring wines. ‘I was surprised Côte du Py didn’t feature more strongly – that was a disappointment,’ said Howard. ‘Of course, some wines may be in lock-down at this point, and need time to express themselves.’

Continue reading below

Cru Beaujolais 2015 panel tasting top scorers:

To read Decanter’s full panel tasting reports, subscribe to Decanter magazine – available in print and digital.

The vintage

Once in a lifetime vintage for many producers, but less classic in style. Dark, rich and powerful. Structured for ageing.

Winemaking

By and large the majority of growers practise a form of semi-carbonic maceration coupled with pumping over, pigeage or rack and return to gain more substance and structure. The wines are then aged in neutral tank or old casks for roughly a year. The fruit expression should be apparent, but the extent of extraction and length of cuvaison (up to 15 days) will also have a say in the style of the wine, as will the quality of the press wine. Growers are also being encouraged to highlight the character of site-specific wines by marking the name of the lieu-dit on the label, adding another tweak to the nuance of the wine.

The crus

Granite predominates in Chiroubles, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent and Régnié, but whereas Chiroubles with its steep slopes and higher altitude produces lively, floral scented wines, Fleurie, with its dramatic inclines lower down, is elegant, perfumed and finely textured. Moulin-à-Vent has gentler contours and is complex and longer ageing, while Régnié errs on the side of suppleness and fruit.

Juliénas has the lowest granite content but plenty of ‘blue stone’ sedimentary rock, as does the Côte de Brouilly; the former exudes minerality, the latter generosity and elegance. Blue stone appears again with granite and alluvial deposits in Morgon, where the finely structured wines have the ability to age. Chénas can also be structured whereas St-Amour, with its more diverse soils, is light and appetising. The most southerly cru, Brouilly, is also the largest and produces solid, fruit-driven wines to be appreciated young.

All three agreed that Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent stood out for their structure and ageing potential. The best of Chiroubles also displayed the cru’s lighter, floral hallmark style, but Howard felt that Fleurie showed less consistency. Chénas and Côte de Brouilly had a low turnout, so it was difficult to form an overall conclusion.

Alcohol

There was a slight criticism over alcohol levels. ‘At the leafier, leaner side of cru Beaujolais, some wines are around 12.5%, moving up to 13% and 13.5%. But 14.5% is not what I want or look for,’ said Lawther. But, he added, ‘they were the exceptions rather than the rule’.

Ageability

With the exception of the top Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon wines, most are drinkable now. Equally, the best also have the capacity keep for another seven to 10 years thanks to their acidity and structure, as Lawther pointed out. The panel also agreed that people should keep their cru Beaujolais longer than they tend to.

Food pairing

From his sommelier perspective, Wilkin advised: ‘For the prettier, lighter-styled, bright wines you can go for classic duck egg with lardons. But some of the other wines are quite weighty and concentrated, and demand grilled meats or even fatty beef cuts like bavet or onglet. Cru Beaujolais goes beyond the charcuterie board!’

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Some of the Beaujolais 2017 harvest may have been lost after vineyards were hit by a torrent of summer hail.

Image credit: @ophelie_gf

A fierce hailstorm hit the Beaujolais region at 4:45pm on 10 July.

It’s a case of déjà-vu for some producers after the same corridor of Beaujolais vineyards suffered from hail in June 2016, said Mélina Condy from region wine body InterBeaujolais.

‘But this is on a on a bigger and wider scale,’ she told Decanter.com.

Early signs suggested that Beaujolais Crus, situated in the north, were among the worst vineyard affected. From Beaujeu to Moulin-à-Vent, the storm impacted Chiroubles, the north of Régnié, Morgon, Chenas, Moulin-à-Vent and Fleurie.

The pretty village of Fleurie was particularly badly hit, with violent winds and a lot of houses and wineries damaged. The fire department was overwhelmed with calls for the entire night between Fleurie and Moulin-à-Vent.

‘It was a tornado; I have rarely seen this,’ said Dominique Piron, president of InterBeaujolais and owner of Domaine Piron.

Producers triggered anti-hail canons but these were not enough and the wine also caused damage. ‘The small hailstones and the wind had a sandblasting effect’ on the vines, Piron added.

InterBeaujolais officials and winemakers were assessing damage on Tuesday morning (11 July), but it was too early to give a detailed picture.

‘A lot of people are affected, to varying degrees,’ said Piron.

‘In our modern world, it is difficult to accept such a sudden event. But it is unfortunately the lot of those who work with nature.’

Editing by Chris Mercer

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Andrew Jefford finds out how Beaujolais is setting itself to rights – with help from the great 2015 vintage. Read below and see several Beaujolais Cru wines to seek out.

“Thank God for 2015!” I was in Villefranche, chatting with Jean Bourjade, the Director of Inter-Beaujolais at the beginning of this month, and it was when I asked about 2015 that he broke into that English expostulation. The quality of the cru wines from that vintage is outstanding (see a selection of tasting notes below), and it seems to have come at the right time for the region as it slowly lifts itself out of the doldrums which saw 6,000 ha uprooted over the last decade and a half. There’s nothing like a good vintage to put wind in the sails.

According to Bourjade, Beaujolais has just spent a million euros on the most comprehensive soil study ever undertaken by a single region. This is being carried out by the Isère-based Sigales (a company which has carried out similar vineyard studies in Switzerland, as well as for Mâcon, Savoie and the Rhône regions), and it’s involved taking over 6,000 soil core samples as well as digging 600 different trenches all over the region since 2010. At least 1500 Beaujolais growers have got involved in meetings connected with the study, and each of the ten crus now has a much more comprehensive soil map than those formerly available. The study is concluding with further research in the Beaujolais-Villages and Beaujolais zone at present.

What every wine student learns is that Beaujolais is (along with the nearby northern Rhône) one of the few French regions to boast ‘granite soils’ — but the study has filled out this vague generalization with ample detail. There’s only one cru, for example, whose soils are entirely based on weathered granite materials (saprolite), and that is Chiroubles. Only three others (Fleurie, Régnié and Moulin-à-Vent) can claim that over half their soils are derived from granite.

For the rest, the picture is much more complex, with many soils based on alluvial deposits and sedimentary materials of volcanic origin (the ‘blue stones’ found particularly in Côte de Brouilly and Juliénas, but also to a lesser extent in Morgon, Brouilly and St Amour). Juliénas has the lowest percentage of granite-derived soils (just 14%). In general, the trenches dug by the Sigales team showed that the average maximum depth to which the roots reached was 142 cm: deep enough to prove that a huge amount of weathering of bedrock has gone on in Beaujolais over the last several million years.

Of course an incantation of soil types can only take producers some way towards an understanding of the potential of his or her vineyards, but there is widespread recognition in Beaujolais that research of this sort, and the cherishing of qualitative nuance which it implies, has been neglected in the past. Something else the region is doing, stressed Bourjade, is encouraging growers to use lieux-dits names as a way of recovering the ‘climats’ which Beaujolais once possessed (each climat grouped together a number of different lieux-dits under a communal name, Côte de Py in Morgon being a well-known example). These climats were detailed and submitted to INAO in the early part of the twentieth century – but, with typical bad luck, the Beaujolais dossier was lost as some point. The region itself only discovered this in 2009 when it was informed by the INAO that the climats had ‘no official recognition’ – hence the recovery effort.

What we could call swelling ‘Beaujolais Pride’ is not simply evident at a regional level but among growers and, no less importantly, négociants, too. To cite just one example, I was impressed with the ‘Grandes Mises’ series of cru wines from Mommessin when I tried these in 2014, and when they again showed outstandingly well in the 2015 tasting I went to visit their base at Quincié. “We have around 50 growing partners in Beaujolais,” oenologist Jean-Baptiste Bachevillier told me, “and we’ve been working with many of them for a very long time. The idea was to work with them on parcel selections, to make really serious wines – wines which can hold their head up high and give Beaujolais back its fine-wine identity.” That is indeed what’s needed, at every level — and 2015 has helped.

The Beaujolais 2015 vintage

The growing season, growers reported, unfolded according to the script they would have written for themselves – except that quantities were smaller than they would have liked. The main threat to quality came towards the end of July, when the vines were beginning to show signs of drought stress, but cooler nights and showers in August helped enormously, with most beginning harvest towards the end of that month. Acidities were fresher and balances livelier than in 2009, while the wines avoided some of the hardness of 2005, with a sweeter and more tender style. Beaujolais vinifications are so various and sometimes risk-taking in style, however, that it’s still important to buy on recommendation; my January Villefranche tasting revealed disappointments as well as great buys (some notes were made during an earlier visit in October 2015).

2015 Beaujolais Crus: A selection

Brouilly, Ch de Pierreux 2015

The Boisset-owned Ch de Pierreux in Brouilly is one of the region’s most lustrously endowed estates, with no fewer than 190 ha planted with Gamay. The 2015 is dark, with scents of dark cherry and dug earth; the palate is intense, crunchy, spicy, pure and long, very much in the black-fruit idiom but without ever toppling into clumsiness. 90

Chénas, Vigne de 1939, Pascal Aufranc 2015

Deep, dark, almost saturated black red, with a fine architecture of lush, rich fruits: cherry, mulberry, almost peach, too. There is impressive depth of fruit, resonance and inner perfumes to this amply ripe, old-vine cuvée. Supple tannins (though the fruit is not destemmed). 90 

Côte de Brouilly, Ch Thivin 2015

Perhaps it’s auto-suggestion, but you expect airy grace from vineyards on the slopes of Mont Brouilly, and that’s always what the limpid, refreshing yet ringingly pure wines of Ch Thivin provide. The 2015 vintage, though, enabled the fruit to gather its forces to almost overwhelming effect: unusually intricate allusions on the nose, then a cloudburst of fruit on the tongue, singing, vivid and graceful. 93

Fleurie, Clos de la Roilette 2015

Alain Coudert’s 9-ha Clos de la Roilette shows copy-book floral aomas in 2015 (peony and freesia bringing the plum-strawberry extra charm). On the palate there’s a big splash of red fruit with both flower and spice perfumes (a touch of tar, too) to carry, jostle and tickle the fruits along. 91

Juliénas, Ch des Capitans, Duboeuf 2015

As you’d expect, there are many outstanding Duboeuf bottling from 2015 and the Ch des Capitans stands out not least because it’s one of the oaked wines of the vintage which carries that extra flavour charge with great panache. The ‘Capitans’ climat is one sited on alluvial piedmont soils, and the wine’s weighty, dense, unctuous style, with lots of chew to it, strikes a very different note to most of its peers. 91

Morgon, Côte de Py, Dominique Piron 2015

A gruffer, stonier, less evidently fruity scent than many of its peers, though warm, vivid red fruits are nonetheless in evidence. On the palate, this is a dense, close-grained and impressively structured – textured, grippy, warm, almost meaty, packed with an energy which comes from fruit but which seems to express so much more than fruit. 92

Moulin-à-Vent, Ch du Moulin-a-Vent 2015

The aromas of this 2015 are finely composed already: fresh red and black fruits, and a gentle honeyed sweetness to balance out that freshness and give it some filling warmth. On the palate, this is complex, fine-meshed midweight with deftly woven fruits, currants and spices. An exercise in unforced grace from a vintage in which it was easy to push all the buttons. 91

St Amour, Mommessin ‘Les Grandes Mises’ 2015

I enjoyed tasting this new Mommessin range so much that it’s hard to pick out just one wine from it (it includes, by the way, a Morgon Grand Cras as well as a Morgon Côte de Py), but the St Amour version effortlessly dominated the other wines from that cru with which it was served, with ample aromatic elegance, freshness and sweet charm. The palate was concentrated, elegant again, delicately structured and aromatically precise: a grippy black-cherry base with a mist of fresh raspberry top notes. 91

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Local officials have called for parts of Beaujolais to be declared a disaster zone after fierce hail storms severely damaged several vineards in the area.

Only one month after a first episode of hail, northern Beaujolais was hit by another violent hail storm and lot of rain on the evening of Friday 24 June.

Mélina Condy, from regional wine body Inter-Beaujolais, said ‘3,000 hectares or 20% of the vineyard’ was at least partially damaged.

Effects are feared worse than last month’s storm, because of violent winds and 80mm of rain accompanying the hail.

• Related: ‘Catastrophic’ hail in Chablis, Beaujolais and Cognac

The crus of Beaujolais, the best part of Beaujolais, are situated in the north.

Fleurie, one of them, is believed to have suffered most. ‘70% to 80% of the vineyards are totally destroyed by the hail,’ said Frédéric Miguet, mayor of Fleurie.

There was also a landslide that has spread soil on the roads and potentially disrupted vineyard terroirs.

Moulin-à-Vent was hit hard, too.

Thibault Liger-Belair, the biodynamic winemaker, estimated that he lost 75% of his 2016 harvest.

He sprayed valerian and arnica just after the hail and said that he hoped the pruning system used in Beaujolais (a short pruning) to lessen the impact on 2017.

Others crus hit by this violent hailstorm included Morgon, although the Côte de Py was only moderately affected overall. All vineyards in Chiroubles have now been damaged by hail in the past month, at least to some extent.

Local officials will spend the next few days assessing the damage properly. There have already been calls for the French government to declare northern Beaujolais a disaster zone, which would open up state aid to affect growers.

This new disaster may further weaken a significant number of Beaujolais properties that are not believed to be in very good financial health.

Editing by Chris Mercer

The 10 crus of Beaujolais have instructed a series of working groups to identify and list individual climats by June next year, as they seek to emulate Burgundy by linking vineyards more closely to terroir.

The programme follows a four year study into the terroir across the Beaujolais crus of Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Regnié, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Moulin à Vent, Chénas, Juliénas and Saint Amour that was published through a series of maps in 2014.

The maps identified that the soils types of the Beaujolais crus are far more complex than previously thought.

This lends weight to the idea of profiling and recording individual plots of vines, or climats, in a similar way to the Côte d’Or or Côte Chalonnaise in Burgundy.

Audrey Charton, president of the ODG des Crus du Beaujolais, said that this will be the first step towards asking for recognition of Premier Cru sites in the region, and that the climat list will be submitted for official recognition by French authorities in June 2016.

• READ: Anson on Thursday: Just don’t call them Crus du Beaujolais

‘Each appellation has its own terroir and typicity, and our job now is to record their complexity. We also have to work on establishing stricter viticultural and vinification guidelines within each appellation to ensure promotion of the terroir.’

Although the process is at an early stage, it is expected that in an appellation such as Moulin à Vent will contain around 60 climats, although only a small number of those would be eligible eventually for Premier Cru status.

‘One of our key tasks is not only mapping the soils across the crus, but convincing the winemakers of the treasures they have beneath their feet,’ Charton said. ‘Some don’t even realise how good their terroir can be.’

• Top 2013 cru Beaujolais reds to try

There are more signs of rising tension between Beaujolais winemakers after Sebastien Coquard, president of the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages body, told producers he was stepping down.

Coquard is believed to have resigned from his position as president of the ODG (trade body) for Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages on 17 October.

An email memo signed by Coquard and seen by Decanter.com says that he faced ‘threats’ to his privacy and was under ‘untolerable’ pressure.

No allegations were made against specific individuals, but the move is a further sign of tension in Beaujolais, where winemakers recently agreed an uneasy truce with local merchants over prices for the promising 2015 vintage.

‘I have constantly repeated, explained and warned that without a fundamental re-evaluation of our economic organisation and marketing methods, we will not succeed in reversing a curve that that has been dropping for over 20 years,’ says the statement signed by Coquard and dated 17 October. He questioned winemakers’ commitment to unity.

‘I have had enough of working under pressure, and even receiving threats to my privacy. This is unacceptable and I cannot tolerate it.

‘In this context, I have decided to reclaim my freedom. So I have announced to the board of the ODG [the regional body], which met on Friday 16 October, that I am resigning from the post of president.’

• READ: Beaujolais winemakers agree uneasy truce

Coquard had been president of the local winemaking council since 2013, and involved in the Beaujolais region for eight years.

Recent street protests in Villefranche-sur-Saône were only the latest episode of a turbulent period for Beaujolais. Producers were also split over proposed appellation rule changes last December.

‘The is always some pressure on people like us,’ Frédéric Laveur, président of ODG Beaujolais Villages and owner of Domaine de la Petite Maison Haute. ‘We are vignerons and our job is to make wine, not to make politics. In a very difficult period, I can understand that people resigned. Sebastien Coquard was an excellent President.’

• READ: Anson – Just don’t call them Beaujolais Crus

(Editing by Chris Mercer)

The 2015 vintage may hold a tantalising opportunity for those looking to push the quality message of Beaujolais around the region's 10 'crus', writes Jane Anson. But is there a bigger image problem for producers?

Downtown Lyon

It’s not just the Michelin-starred restaurants that make Lyon such a foodie town. There are, admittedly, 14 of them, but the true joy of Lyon is to search out the ever-changing scene of wine bars, brasseries and neighbourhood bistros that give a nod to the city’s heritage while reinventing what it looks like today.

One of the best places to get a feel for this is The Confluence, an urban renewal project led by architects including Herzog & de Meuron that is halfway through an astonishing renovation of a rundown warehouse district set at the confluence of the Saône and Rhone rivers.

These are the great wine rivers that give Lyon its heart, and The Confluence should offer hope to a cluster of wine appellations that sit alongside their banks and are equally looking for a reinvention.

Impossible to drive through this landscape, that spines upwards from the town of Belleville, 50km north of Lyon along the Saône river, without the breath catching in your throat. Brouilly and its Côte, Regnié, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Moulin à Vent, Chénas, Juliénas and Saint Amour may not have the dramatic escarpments of Côte Rotie to the south of Lyon, but they reward instead with an immoderate array of granite, silex, limestone, marne, clay and schist soils hidden within gently billowing slopes that glide from one to the other, set by turns towards the morning or evening sun, and everything in between.

‘Crus du Beaujolais’

The exact nature of the soils of these 10 Beaujolais crus – or ‘crus du Beaujolais’ – has finally been subject to detailed geological studies carried between 2010 and 2014. A resulting series of maps was issued last year that shows exactly how much more there is to these soils beyond the ‘granite’ that is most typically assigned to them.

I saw these maps hanging on the walls of every estate that I visited in Fleurie, Brouilly and Moulin à Vent last week. They have become a talisman for the continued drive towards separating the crus from the mother region of Beaujolais. And a way to establish the crus as separate, it is worth adding, from each other.

‘Would anyone speak about Vosne-Romanée as only a cru de Bourgogne?’. Alexandra de Vazeilles at Château des Bachelards in Fleurie asks me several versions of this question over the course of our two days together. ‘Would we ever see Pauillac as simply a cru de Bordeaux? These are separate appellations with their own identities, and we need to do a better job of conveying that to wine lovers’.

De Vazeilles, who prefers to declassify her non-Fleurie or Saint Amour vines into IGP Collines Rhodaniennes rather than label them Beaujolais Villages, is part of a new generation of winemakers determined to do exactly that.

She is fully supportive of the decision taken earlier this year to break away from Beaujolais’ umbrella winemaking union and believes the next step should be the creation of separate wine syndicates (ODGs) to oversee each appellation, as currently there is one single ODG for the 10 Beaujolais Crus.

Chapoutier interest

It is a perfect example of the reflex in Beaujolais to paint itself with a broad brush – and is something that is repeated at subtle levels all over the region. I did a fascinating tasting of the 2014 vintage with director Gregoire Hoppenot of Maison Trenel, the négociant house that was bought a few months ago by Michel Chapoutier.

The bottles in front of us came from eight of the ‘crus’, ranging in taste from a spicy, tannic Morgon to a pure example of the floral sexiness of Fleurie. The Brouilly lacked some finesse, while the Saint Amour was packed with minerality and smokiness – very different, and yet each bottle was rather astonishingly priced the same.

‘That was the policy for many years,’ Hoppenot – who is also new to Trenel, as is winemaker Nicolas Dietrich – said with a barely perceptible shrug before adding perhaps a little undiplomatically, ‘The Chapoutier house doesn’t have the same blind spots because it is not from Beaujolais’.

• READ: Beaujolais: revival of the fittest

And there is a palpable feeling that the excellent 2015 vintage is the moment to showcase how the gamay grown in these vineyards is capable of greatness. It should be accepted by now that age, yield control and terroir change everything for this grape. I love the natural acidity of gamay that when taken in hand delivers lift and a sense of unforced pleasure.

Stack that up alongside the fleshy vibrancy of its fruit and it’s easy to see why the best of these wines are just so mouth-wateringly moreish. And yet the message stubbornly refuses to catch on. There was a chorus of approval for the 2009 and 2010 vintages, but things have gone quiet since (even the excellent 2011 didn’t grab the same headlines). Now 2015 holds out a tantalising opportunity.

‘Exceptional concentration, small yields, good alcohol levels, great ageing potential, somewhere between 2005 and 2009 in terms of character,’ is how Hoppenot describes the 2015. And crucially, Chapoutier plans to make the most of its potential. He is planning, among other measures, to buy grapes rather than finished wine from his existing growers, to buy vines himself, and to isolate individual climats to vinify separately.

Chapoutier is at the beginning of a strategy already employed by Burgundy’s Maison Albert Bichot at Domaine de Rochegrès, Louis Jadot at Château des Jacques and the Labruyère family at Domaine Labruyère, all in Moulin à Vent. All have notably increased their focus on vinifiying and bottling individual terroirs – joining small producers such as Richard Rottiers who has been bottling cuvées such as the brilliant Moulin à Vent Dernier Souffle, from a plot just next to the cemetery in Romanèche-Thorins, since 2010.

They are not yet silencing the arguments that continue to rage around the future direction of these Saône vineyards, but they are providing some wonderful-tasting contributions to the debate.

• See Decanter’s top 2013 Beaujolais ‘cru’ wines

Beaujolais winemakers and negociants have agreed on an unofficial minimum price for this year's vintage, but it is a fragile peace.

Following winemaker protests over Beaujolais prices in September, the region’s négociants have reached an unofficial agreement to buy bulk wine for both Beaujolais Villages and Beaujolais primeurs 2015 at a price of no less than €200 per 100 litres – equivalent to around €1.5 per bottle.

Organic wine will be sold at no less than €300 per 100 litres.

More than 500 Beaujolais winemakers protested in Villefranche-sue-Saone, claiming they were being offered 25% less money for what appears to be a very good 2015 vintage versus prices paid for 2014. Producers had been offered €180 per 100 litres and were demanding at least €220.

The local winemaking council said of the compromise total of €200, ‘Any wine sold below this price will result in the strongest action being taken.’

But, there were signs that Beaujolais Villages producers remain unhappy. ‘The quality of 2015 is truly exceptional,’ Gregoire Hoppenot, of Maison Tremel, told decanter.com.

‘But yields are low because of the drought, so the price offered was untenable. However, the idea of selling both Beauolais Villages and Beaujolais at the same price is crazy. The only good thing about this suggestion is that this should encourage organic viticulture across the region.’

‘There is a decision agreed to in a meeting, and then the reality,’ said Gilles Gelin of Domaine des Nugues in Fleurie, who also owns 44 acres of Beaujolais Villages. ‘I can’t see this lasting’.

Hundreds of Beaujolais winemakers have marched through the streets of Villefranche-sur-Saône to call for higher prices for Beaujolais Nouveau.

Many negociants, who buy the wine in bulk for resale under their own labels, have offered just €180 per hectolitre of Beaujolais Nouveau, according to those at the Beaujolais winemakers protest. Around 500 producers took to the streets on 25 September.

Between 2011 and 2012, prices increased from €162.68 to €221.54, due to winter frost, before dropping to €217.95 last year.

• READ: Who is drinking Beaujolais Nouveau?

‘A decrease to €180 for a great vintage like 2015 is absurd,’ Landry Collonge, of Domaine André Collonge et Fils told Decanter.com, ‘especially since the 2015 yields are 15% to 20% down due to the drought.’

At this price, ‘we will make no profit; we demand a revaluation in order to sustain our business and our family,’ he added.

• READ: Beaujolais aims for sparkling wine appellation

In ten years, sales of Beaujolais Nouveau have fallen twice, reflecting a structural rather than an economic problem in the region.

The price per hectare ranges from €11,000 against €90,000 for the same area in the Moulin-à-Vent appellation, and ‘the power of the négociants is increasingly important and does not allow us to compete and to have strength in negotiating,’ concluded Landry Collonge.

Bulk wines represent 85% of the volume of each vintage produced in Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau, and two major players, Georges Duboeuf and Boisset, share the market with some co-operatives.

There’s a shake-up going on in Beaujolais that wine lovers should heed. The Beaujolais crus, in particular, are demonstrating that there’s more to the Gamay grape than just Nouveau. A series of successful vintages, including the exceptional 2009, are part of the reason but old vines, a unique terroir and a growing band of diligent and determined producers are also vital factors.

Trying to convince consumers that Beaujolais reds can be serious is not an easy task. Beaujolais Nouveau has held such a stranglehold on taste and communication since the 1970s that it’s difficult to believe the region produces anything other than this light, fruity and rather standardised libation. Indeed, at the height of its success in the late 1980s, Nouveau accounted for more than half of the region’s production. This has now been throttled back to about a third (30 million bottles in 2013) but continues to have an impact on perception.Of more interest to consumers, though, is what’s different in the glass. What do you get that is above and beyond regular Beaujolais? Well, at their best, these are wines of real personality and character that speak of soil and climate. The grape may be Gamay, but the crus find some resonance with the wines of their Burgundian neighbours to thenorth and those from the northern Rhône some 70km south. A semi-continental climate and poor, granite-based soils (those in southern Beaujolais are richer and produce lighter wines) provide freshness and structure, the acidity and supple tannins contributing a linear precision and firmness ideally enjoyed with food. Alcohol levels are a reasonable 12.5% to 13%.

Aromatically, one can find minerality, for want of a better word, with often a hint of the pepper and spice associated with the northern Rhône. The fruit expression can be red or dark depending on the style of the vintage, the crus with their southerly and easterly hillside exposures ripening earlier than vineyards at the southern end of the region. In short the crus have a delicious smack of fruit but also the structure to age, some resembling a mature Pinot Noir with a few years in bottle.

James Lawther MW picks his top cru Beaujolais reds from the 2013 vintage…

The head of the wine council for Beaujolais has revealed that the region is hoping to gain appellation status for its sparkling wines, although approval is expected to take around five years.

Beaujolais has been producing a small quantity of sparkling wines over the past few decades, but labelled as table wines under the Vins de France classification.

Jean Bourjade, managing director of Inter Beaujolais, said a sparkling Beaujolais appellation would not try to compete with well-established sparkling wines, such as Champagne, Prosecco or Cava.

He said producers would offer something a bit different – with a comparatively low alcohol level of 9% abv and higher residual sugar. Made from the Gamay grape, the wines still have a natural acidity, freshness and ‘explosion of fruit’, said Bourjade.

As well as tapping into the worldwide popularity of sparkling wine, Inter Beaujolais hopes that a Beaujolais sparkling wine will help with an ongoing campaign to reduce the region’s reputation for Beaujolais Nouveau from the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages areas.

The sparkling wines will not be made in the 10 Beaujolais Crus.

If appellation status is achieved, Bourjade said sparkling Beaujolais will dominate a new chunk of an ‘almost untapped market’.

The production levels for the sparkling wine are currently between 600,000 and 800,000 bottles per year, but if awarded appellation status this could reach ‘millions and millions’, according to Bourjade.

Separately, Bourjade added that Beaujolais Nouveau sales have grown consecutively in the UK for the past four years, despite Inter Beaujolais investing no marketing money in the category.

See the results from the cru Beaujolais 2013s panel tasting in the August issue of Decanter – on sale now or subscribe here.

See related Decanter articles on Beaujolais:

Beaujolais: revival of the fittest

From St-Amour in the north to Brouilly in the south, the 10 crus of Beaujolais suffered in the past from

Who is drinking Beaujolais Nouveau?

Beaujolais Nouveau may be derided as a gimmick by some wine lovers, but official figures in the Decanter graphic below

Michel Chapoutier buys Beaujolais negociant

Michel Chapoutier, owner of numerous wine estates in the northern and southern Rhone, has acquired Beaujolais negociant La Maison Trenel.

French officials have targeted a second biodynamic winemaker for refusing to spray vines against flavescence doree disease, this time in the Beaujolais Cru area of Moulin a Vent.

Thibault Liger-Belair, a proponent of biodynamic viticulture, is due to appear before a court in Villefranche-sur-Saône in the Rhone for ‘refusing to perform measures of plant protection’, according the France‘s agriculture ministry.

It is the latest example of the concern surrounding a leaf-rotting disease named flavescence doree, which has no known cure and has been likened by some experts to the phylloxera pest that scythed down European vineyards in the late 19th Century.

In a similar court case last year, winemaker Emmanuel Giboulot won an appeal – albeit on a procedural point – against his conviction for refusing to spray vines as a preventive measure.

Thibault Liger-Belair owns two domaines, one at Nuits Saint Georges in Burgundy and one at Moulin à Vent, a Beaujolais Cru appellation. The Moulin à Vent commune straddles the departments of Rhone and Saone-et-Loire.

‘In Rhone, we have no duty of treatment,’ Liger-Belair told Decanter.com. But, the local authorities in Saône-et-Loire have declared treatment necessary.

‘There is no risk because the flavescence doree is present 30 kilometres from my vineyard,’ said Liger-Belair. ‘But the [ministry] requires a systematic treatment even if insects are not present. I have some conviction to respect my terroirs, but I made prospective studies in the vineyards and if I see some insects I will treat with pesticide as the law requires.’

Flavescence doree was first spotted in Armagnac in the 1950s. However, there is still no cure, and the disease is highly contagious. It causes leaves to yellow and grapes to shrivel, killing young vines and reducing the productivity of older ones.

If convicted, Liger-Belair faces a maximum fine of 30,000 euros and up to six months in prison. Emmanuel Giboulot was fined 1,000 euros, with 500 euros suspended, in his original conviction.

Read more about flavescence doree and the debate surrounding it:

• Jefford on Monday: Disobeying the prefect
• Flavescence Doree: the vine disease with no known cure

Written by Yohan Castaing

From St-Amour in the north to Brouilly in the south, the 10 crus of Beaujolais suffered in the past from a lack of investment and poor winemaking, not to mention the glut of Nouveau. But things have changed, says James Lawther MW

Claude-Edouard Geoffray of Chateau Thivin (right); pumping Gamay juice back over the skins

Quick links:

• Know your Beaujolais crus
• James Lawther’s top 2013 cru Beaujolais reds

There’s a shake-up going on in Beaujolais that wine lovers should heed. The Beaujolais crus, in particular, are demonstrating that there’s more to the Gamay grape than just Nouveau. A series of successful vintages, including the exceptional 2009, are part of the reason but old vines, a unique terroir and a growing band of diligent and determined producers are also vital factors.

Trying to convince consumers that Beaujolais can be serious is not an easy task. Beaujolais Nouveau has held such a stranglehold on taste and communication since the 1970s that it’s difficult to believe the region produces anything other than this light, fruity and rather standardised libation. Indeed, at the height of its success in the late 1980s, Nouveau accounted for more than half of the region’s production. This has now been throttled back to about a third (30 million bottles in 2013) but continues to have an impact on perception.

So why get excited about what’s going on in the region? Well, on the grand scale, and mainly due to a downturn in demand, the total vineyard area has been reduced to 16,571 hectares (2013) from a high of 23,000ha in the late 1980s. Consequently, production has been curbed in an bid to assuage the crisis. Of most interest, though, is what’s happening in the 6,191ha that constitute the 10 Beaujolais crus.

These are located in the north of the region, just south of the Mâconnais, in a strikingly hilly terrain composed predominantly of granite and schist soils. Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, St-Amour and the others all have individual identities but their common factor is that they represent the quality end of Beaujolais. This has been somewhat hidden in the past by the influence of Nouveau, a lack of investment and, if truth be told, not enough decent winemaking. But things are changing.

On the political and administrative front, the crus have just quit (in December 2014) the body that promotes and manages all the appellations of the region. Under their own banner, the ODG, and led by their spirited president from Fleurie, Audrey Charton, they are taking their destiny in their own hands. ‘We want to have a stronger presence so we can raise the standard of wine throughout the region,’ she says. Locally, this is seen as a seismic decision and could have further ramifications.

Personality and terroir

Of more interest to consumers, though, is what’s different in the glass. What do you get that is above and beyond regular Beaujolais? Well, at their best, these are wines of real personality and character that speak of soil and climate. The grape may be Gamay, but the crus find some resonance with the wines of their Burgundian neighbours to the north and those from the northern Rhône some 70km south. A semi-continental climate and poor, granite-based soils (those in southern Beaujolais are richer and produce lighter wines) provide freshness and structure, the acidity and supple tannins contributing a linear precision and firmness ideally enjoyed with food. Alcohol levels are a reasonable 12.5% to 13%.

Aromatically, one can find minerality, for want of a better word, with often a hint of the pepper and spice associated with the northern Rhône. The fruit expression can be red or dark depending on the style of the vintage, the crus with their southerly and easterly hillside exposures ripening earlier than vineyards at the southern end of the region. In short the crus have a delicious smack of fruit but also the structure to age, some resembling a mature Pinot Noir with a few years in bottle.

Individual nuances found among the 10 crus is dependent on elevation, exposure and soil profile. Since 2009 a detailed study of the soils has been underway, the results now in the public domain. What has proved to be staggering is the diversity even over a short distance, but in essence the principal soil types are granite, a ‘blue stone’ slate and diorite mix, ancient alluvial stones and limestone. Each cru finds its personality via the mix of these elements, the growers now with a clearer idea of what each parcel contains.

The official density of planting for the crus is 6,000 vines/hectare, but in reality the top growers often work with 10,000 to 12,000 vines/hectare, pruned in the traditional, yield-curbing gobelet fashion. The other surprise is the age of the vines. I was amazed to learn the advanced age of many of the vineyards – parcels at Domaine Louis-Claude Desvignes in Morgon range from 60 to 100 years, for instance, while Thibault Liger-Belair quoted 50 to 140 years at his eponymous domaine in Moulinà- Vent. Hand harvesting clearly remains de facto, although machines are now permitted.

Winemaker influence

As for winemaking, some points need clarification. These days the most contentious technique in Beaujolais is not carbonic maceration, where intact bunches of grapes undergo an intracellular fermentation over about a week in a sealed tank of carbon dioxide. Instead, the controversial process is thermovinification, where the grape must is heated to 60°C for 12 hours before being cooled rapidly over about four days. This extracts aroma and colour but leads to homogenisation and wines that are aromatic but dull and short on the palate.

Most growers in the Beaujolais crus abhor this technique, relying on one of two other methods instead. The majority practise a form of semicarbonic maceration, whereby whole bunches are placed in a tank and both normal and intracellular fermentation is allowed to take place. Extraction of aroma and colour is obtained by pumping the juice back over the macerated skins, punching down the skins, or racking the juice off and returning it to the tank, in a process lasting up to 15 days. The wines are then aged in a neutral tank or old casks for about a year.

The other winemaking process, which is referred to locally as the ‘Burgundian method’, is simply the classic method of fermenting destemmed and crushed grapes. Both techniques work the grape must to obtain structure and substance and take the wine beyond an aromatic burst of fruit.

The other implicit influence is that of vintage. Climate still has the final say in ripeness and style of wine and, in recent times, the choice for the consumer has boiled down to later- and earlierripening years. Recent Beaujolais vintages like 2009, 2011 and 2014 were all earlier ripening – 2009 atypically rich and opulent, 2011 concentrated and complex and 2014 looking to be full-bodied and food-friendly. These are the vintages with a modern feel. If you would prefer something along more classical lines, try the later-ripening 2010s and 2013s, which are fine, fresh and structured. Beware of 2012, which was compromised by rain.

Investment and change

I mentioned at the outset that investment had been lacking and winemaking could be improved, but here too there has been change. At a judicious level, domaines like Daniel Bouland and Louis-Claude Desvignes in Morgon have in recent years acquired pneumatic presses and this has clearly helped improve the textural quality of their wines. New names and a younger generation have also entered the frame with figures like Jean-Marc Burgaud in Morgon and Claude-Edouard Geoffray at Château Thivin demonstrating technical prowess.

On a grander scale there has also been change of ownership, with Burgundy, in particular, investing heavily in the crus. Thibault Liger-Belair from Nuits-St-Georges bought his first vines in 2008 and now has 11ha. ‘People thought I was mad at the time, but land values have since increased by 20% due to demand,’ he says. Other Burgundian growers present in the crus are Frédéric Lafarge of Volnay and Louis Boillot of Chambolle-Musigny.

Nor are the serious négociants absent. Jadot acquired Château des Jacques in 1996, but more recently the Henriot family of Bouchard Père et Fils bought Villa Ponciago (2008), Albert Bichot acquired Domaine de Rochegrès (2014) and Joseph Drouhin has just taken over the management of the Hospices de Belleville, which owns vineyards in Brouilly, Fleurie and Morgon.

Other investors from outside Burgundy have also acquired holdings, so clearly things are humming. Fleurie, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent are leading the charge, so keep an eye out for these crus. Above all, remember that if you want authenticity, terroir and character then the Beaujolais crus really can deliver. It’s chalk and cheese compared to Nouveau.

James Lawther MW is a Decanter contributing editor, author, lecturer and tour guide.

Written by James Lawther MW

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From St-Amour in the north to Brouilly in the south, the 10 crus of Beaujolais suffered in the past from a lack of investment and poor winemaking, not to mention the glut of Nouveau. But things have changed, says James Lawther MW

Know your Beaujolais crus

James Lawther’s top 2013 cru Beaujolais reds

Juliénas(578ha) Mainly blue-stone soils. Deeply coloured wines with red fruits, minerality and freshness.

St-Amour (319ha) Diverse soils. Lively, light, fruity and floral wines. Chénas (249ha) A steep granite hill with alluvial slopes. Generous, darkfruited, structured wines.

Moulin-à-Vent (717ha) Pink granite slopes. Concentrated, complex, powerful with definite ageing potential.

Fleurie (914ha) 90% pink granite. Elegant, aromatic, floral, finely textured wines.

Chiroubles (334ha) Pink granite slopes of the highest altitude. Lively, fragrant, delicate wines.

Morgon (1,114ha) Granite and alluvial soils with seams of blue stone. Dense, structured, ageworthy wines with black cherry characters.

Regnié (368ha) Granite soils. Supple, fruity wines with a red fruit character.

Brouilly (1,257ha) Pink granite, ancient alluvial pebbles and limestone hillocks. Sound, generous, fruity wines.

Côte de Brouilly (340ha) Blue stone and shale on steep slopes. Dense wines with fine tannins, pepper and mineral notes; fine ageing potential.

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From St-Amour in the north to Brouilly in the south, the 10 crus of Beaujolais suffered in the past from a lack of investment and poor winemaking, not to mention the glut of Nouveau. But things have changed, says James Lawther MW

Lawther’s top 2013 cru Beaujolais reds

Blog: Who is drinking Beaujolais Nouveau?

Château Thivin, La Chapelle, Côte de Brouilly

17.5pts/20 (91/100pts)

Dense and racy with an affirmed structure. Spice and red fruit notes. Fine texture. Loads of freshness and length.

Price: £18-£20.50 (2011) Domaine Direct, Theatre of Wine

Drink 2016-2022

Alc 13%

Domaine Daniel Bouland, Vieilles Vignes, Morgon

17.5pts/20 (91/100pts)

Concentrated and intense. Complex dark fruit, pepper and liquorice notes. Firm but refined texture. Structured. Long, saline finish.

Price: £19.26 Seckford, Vine Trail

Drink 2015-2022

Alc 13%

Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair, Vieilles Vignes, Moulin-à-Vent

17.5pts/20 (91/100pts)

Tight, dense and structured. Intense nose with morello cherry notes. Mineral palate and long, firm finish.

Price: £13.33 (ib) Flint Wines

Drink 2017-2024

Alc 13%

Domaine Chignard, Les Moriers, Fleurie

17pts/20 (90/100pts)

Elegant red fruit and lifted floral nose. Silky texture. Poised and complete. Delicious.

Price: £12.50-£16.50 AG Wines, Berry Bros & Rudd, The Wine Society

Drink 2015-2018

Alc 12.5%

Domaine Louis-Claude Desvignes, La Voûte St-Vincent, Morgon

17pts/20 (90/100pts)

Floral-violet nose. Very much on the fruit but good intensity. Finely woven tannins. Pure and almost feminine for a Morgon. Good value.

Price: £13.95 Berry Bros & Rudd

Drink 2015-2017

Alc 13%

Jean-Marc Burgaud, Côte du Py, Morgon

17pts/20 (90/100pts)

Dark cherry notes with a hint of black pepper. Tight, firm and structured. Length and grip on the finish. Great value from the most famous slope in Morgon.

Price: £13.50-£16.50 Berry Bros & Rudd, The Wine Society

Drink 2015-2020

Alc 13%

Domaine Laurent Martray, Vieilles Vignes, Brouilly

16.5pts/20 (88/100pts)

Lovely depth of fruit. Eminently drinkable but should hold up for a few more years.

Price: £14.95 Lea & Sandeman

Drink 2015-2018

Alc 12.5%

Domaine Paul Janin et Fils, Les Vignes du Tremblay, Moulin-à-Vent

16.5pts/20 (88/100pts)

Subtle red fruit expression with a mineral character. Firm and structured in style. Well defined.

Price: £14.30 Christopher Piper, Domaine Direct

Drink 2015-2020

Alc 13%

Dominique Piron, Domaine de la Chanaise, Morgon

16.5pts/20 (88/100pts)

Red fruit and lifted floral aroma and flavour. Round and supple on attack then firm and structured on the finish.

Price: £13.99 Averys, Domaine Direct, Telegraph Wines

Drink 2015-2017

Alc 12.5%

Lucien Lardy, Les Roches, Fleurie

16.5pts/20 (88/100pts)

Firmer and more masculine in style than many Fleuries. Juicy red fruit with a strong tannic frame. Fresh finish.

Price: £10.95 The Imperial Wine Co

Drink 2015-2020

Alc 12.5%

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Michel Chapoutier, owner of numerous wine estates in the northern and southern Rhone, has acquired Beaujolais negociant La Maison Trenel.

Michel Chapoutier confirmed to Decanter.com that he has bought Trenel through his holding company MMC and not his main wine company M. Chapoutier SA, meaning that the Trénel wines will continue trading under their original names, without any mention of Chapoutier on the labels.

Financial details were not disclosed. Chapoutier is president of the Rhone region’s wine trade body, Inter-Rhone, and also has estates in Australia, Portugal and Alsace.

‘Beaujolais is a region in renaissance, with a new generation of dynamic winemakers, and we are very confident of being able to further develop this high quality négociant company,’ Chapoutier said.

Maison Trenel was founded by Claude-Henri Trenel in 1928 and is based in Charnay-les-Macon. It is run today by Gilles Melmoun and sells a range of Beaujolais crus, together with Macon wines.

The sale was completed on 30 March, 2015.

See also:

• Decanter travel guide: Beaujolais, France
• Beaujolais parties on, despite cash flow concerns

Written by Jane Anson

Beaujolais Nouveau may be derided as a gimmick by some wine lovers, but official figures in the Decanter graphic below show there is still plenty of consumer demand around the world.

Revellers gathered in the town of Beaujeu last Thursday night to celebrate the arrival of the first Beaujolais wine from the 2014 vintage.

Almost 10,000km to the east and several hours earlier, party-goers in Japan had done much the same thing. Some particularly enthusiastic consumers even jumped into wine baths to toast the new vintage at Japan’s Hakone Kowakien Yunessun resort, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Beaujolais Nouveau night – always the third Thursday in November – tends to divide opinion among wine drinkers.

It has lost some of its allure in certain countries, such as the UK, where the Inter Beaujolais wine trade council has focused more effort on communicating the region’s quality credentials via Beaujolais Villages and the 10 Beaujolais Crus.

It’s a strategy that shows signs of working, according to one of the UK’s biggest merchants, Bibendum. It said late last week that it sees stronger interest in Beaujolais, particularly among more affluent consumers, who have got over the ‘negative image’ created by the ‘Nouveau craze’ of the 1980s.

Yet, what’s clear from the infographic above is that Beaujolais Nouveau remains an important sales mechanism for many producers.

More than 13.3m bottles were exported in 2013, albeit down by around 9% versus 2012, according to figures published by Ubifrance and Inter Beaujolais. Japan alone received the equivalent of almost 8m bottles, while China could be one to watch. The country was only just behind the UK in 2013, shows the chart.

Written by Chris Mercer

Hear from our Burgundy & Beaujolais Regional Chair Jasper Morris MW on which wines to buy, which wines to leave on the shelf and what to keep an eye on from this year's Decanter World Wine Awards....

Burgundy can be a tricky category in wine competitions – the region is so fragmented that there’s little available of any given wine, so there’s less incentive to enter competitions when there is not the weight of a brand behind it. This shows particularly in the shortage of wines – especially reds – from the village, premier cru and grand cru appellations of the Côte d’Or. Yet we were very enthused by the overall quality right down to Commended. There were some great individual results in lowly categories such as Bourgogne Blanc, Beaujolais Villages and Hautes Côtes de Beaune, while the flights of Chablis were stunning.

What should we buy from here?

For the whites, the north and south of the region, Chablis and Mâcon, offer the best value and the greatest interest. Chablis certainly enjoyed considerable success in this year’s competition and it was a pleasure to taste so many wines that properly reflect the region, rather than just more international Chardonnay. Prices have risen sharply for red wines at all levels, but fortunately not so much for the lesser appellations. There’s some great generic Burgundy to be had including from the Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Nuits, which may have benefited from global warming. But if you want exciting, individual wine at a relatively affordable price (either side of the £15 mark) look to the crus of Beaujolais.

What should we leave on the shelf?

2011 is less compelling than the vintages on either side (though don’t ignore it from your favourite producers). Some of the wines seem lean and green now, though they should fatten up later. It’s a difficult time for Crémant de Bourgogne after successive short crops have slashed the supply available for sparkling wine programmes, increased the price and perhaps affected the style.

What should we keep an eye on?

Beaujolais and Mâconnais are enjoying a renaissance thanks to a new generation of growers who have escaped the mindset of the deflationary spiral of lower prices and rising costs. This trend is set to continue with some brilliant, fresh and imaginative wines from Beaujolais, and Côte d’Or challengers from the villages of the Mâconnais. In the background are the lesser reds and whites from the Yonne, from such appellations as Epineuil, Irancy, Côtes d’Auxerre and Bourgogne from Tonnerre or Vézelay. We didn’t have enough examples to form a compelling argument this year, but it’s surely an area to watch for attractive, affordable wines.

Written by Decanter

Beaujolais producers have distanced themselves from a local wine showing the controversial 'quenelle' sign on its label.

A wine named ‘Beaujolais Quenelle‘ and depicting a beret-wearing winemaker performing the sign was this week for sale online via a retailer named Sanguisterrae.

Some have associated the quenelle sign with antisemitism, likening it to an upside down Nazi salute with one arm down straight and the other placed across the chest. But, others argue it is merely anti-establishment.

Debate over its use has grown in recent months in both France and the UK, following high-level exposure that has included French footballer Nicolas Anelka performing the sign after scoring in the English Premier League.

Around 2,000 bottles of Beaujolais Quenelle were made by small-scale winemaker Jean-Paul Decourd, based in Chatillon, after he received an order from a private client.

When contacted by decanter.com, Decourd reiterated comments made to regional newspaper Le Progres that he ‘had no idea what the sign meant’ when the order was placed, in October last year.

The wine was this week on sale for €40.13 per six-bottle case, excluding tax, on the Sanguisterrae.fr website.

‘In our mind, it is a humorous way to entertain our customers and to show our dissatisfaction to the French rulling class,’ a spokesperson for Sanguisterrae told decanter.com.

The retailer’s owner is listed as a firm called ‘Culture Pour Tous‘. Official company records obtained from the French authorities show that the firm is registered to the same address in St Denis, Paris, as the secretariat of a political group named Egalite & Reconciliation.

That group, which also links to Sanguisterrae on its website, describes itself as in favour of national unity, with leftwing, working class sympathies and rightwing values. However, several political commentators say the group has links to France’s far right.

Trade body Inter Beaujolais has contacted winemaker Decourd and is keen to distance the wine region from the debate. ‘This is a storm in a teacup,’ its managing director, Jean Bourjade, told decanter.com.

‘I feel sorry for the grower, who did not know what the label was all about. It’s an isolated incident and a small production. We don’t want the Beaujolais region to be associated with this.’

The French comedian who claims to have invented the quenelle sign, Dieudonné M’bala M’bala, was this week banned from entering the UK.

Written by Chris Mercer