Cru Beaujolais: 20 great alternatives to red Burgundy this Christmas

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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