The Crus of Beaujolais

When wine lovers think of the wines of Beaujolais, light and fruity wines come to mind. The wines from the Beaujolais Crus are perfect for those who want the best of both worlds from this region – fruity, yet with terroir-specific distinctiveness and a nod to Burgundian winemaking methods. It is fascinating to witness how the humble Gamay grape can be expressed in many ways in these Crus!

Beaujolais has two main parts – the north and the south. The mountainous northern part houses the Crus where the soils are predominantly granite and schist. These well-drained, low-nutrient soils grow Gamay grapes that are highly concentrated compared to the rest of the appellations in Beaujolais. The vines need to dig deep in these 300-million-year-old soils to find sources of water, creating incredible intensity and ageing potential that is apparent in the final product in bottle. While there are times when a Beaujolais AOC or a Beaujolais Villages AOC is delightful with a weekday meal, the wines from the Beaujolais Crus are worthy to uncork for celebrations.

The ten Crus each produce distinctive wines. From north to south: Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Côte de Brouilly, and Brouilly. The AOC laws are stringent for Beaujolais Crus. They dictate that the vine density must be at least 6000 vines/hectare, 100% hand harvesting to select only unblemished grapes and growing yields of 56 hl/ha (the lowest of all the appellations in Beaujolais!). Not only that, but the wines are also made similarly to the reds in Burgundy at a fraction of the price. Who doesn’t love a great price-to-quality ratio?

It begs the question now – what to try? A great mixed case is the (Lot 4240, p.15) Château de Durette Cru Case that allows you to try the strawberry, lingenberry, cinnamon and violet notes of Juliénas and the full-bodied, powerful “King of Beaujolais”, Moulin-à-Vent. Another great option is the (Lot 4241, p.16) Château de Durette Cru Case with tart cherry, cassis, and white peach notes of Régnié and Chénas’ great aging potential with delicate floral notes of rose and peony. And don’t forget about the (Lot 4242, p.18) Château de Durette Cru Case with Morgon that has Pinot Noir-like earthy notes and Côte de Brouilly with its silky tannins, lively acidity, and fresh cranberry aromas.

This Cellar, Opimian has provided Members with the opportunity to get a wine from each of these ten Crus to advance your cellar. In addition to the Mixed Cases, consider ordering Chiroubles, Fleurie, Brouilly and Saint-Amour, all available in these pages.This is a great time to invest in the full collection!