Beaujolais: top-scoring St-Amour, Régnié, Juliénas and Chénas 2018 wines
After tasting more than 110 Beaujolais wines from 2018, Andy Howard MW says the vintage is one to enjoy with a range of enjoyable bottles coming from the crus of Saint-Amour, Régnié, Juliénas and Chénas.
See the full Beaujolais 2018 cru vintage report
Individual cru analysis and top-scoring wines for:
Morgon | Moulin-à-Vent | Fleurie | Brouilly & Côte de Brouilly
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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Domaine Thillardon, Chassignol, Beaujolais, Chénas, Burgundy, France, 2015
91
Fine, spicy, elegant Chénas with plenty of weight on the palate but still retains lift and lots of refinement. More earthy, autumn-leaf characters on the palate with attractive redcurrant and raspberry leaf notes. Ageing very gracefully and although this 2015 is at its best now, this will still drink well for several more years.
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Domaine Céline & Nicolas Hirsch, Les Brureaux, Beaujolais, Chénas, Burgundy, France, 2018
From 65-year-old vines and yields of 30hl/ha. A very smooth, intense Chénas with a deep, regal purple colour and attractive violet scent. Oak maturation is...
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Domaine Le Cotoyon, Fût de Chêne, Beaujolais, Juliénas, Burgundy, France, 2018
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