The best wines from Beaujolais in France

The French Beaujolais is best known for the Beaujolais Primeur (or Nouveau), which is available in liquor stores worldwide on the third Thursday of November. Very young red with a light, fresh taste. Less well known are the white wines from Beaujolais. And much better are the red wines that are drunk young, but not as young as the Primeur.

The Beaujolais falls just below Burgundy, to which it actually belongs according to French wine laws. Pinot Noir from Beaujolais is usually sold as AC Bourgogne. But for red Beaujolais, Gamay is by far the most important grape. The Beaujolais Primeur – which accounts for about half of the total wine production – is made from it.

The Gamay produces light red, lively wines with intensive aromas of violets, roses and small red fruits such as red berries, raspberry and cherry. These are wines with not too much alcohol, which are drunk slightly chilled. The winemakers may add a little alcohol. If they do, it says Superior on the bottle.

Beaujolais-Village and Cru de Beaujolais

The region has 38 municipalities that can say AOC Beaujolais-Villages or their own municipal name on the label. The best red Beaujolais are the Crus: the best vineyards in the region. There are ten in total: Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Régné, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Morgon, Chiroubles, Chénas, Saint-Amour and Juliénas. Stricter rules apply to wines from these Crus. For example, the yield per hectare must be limited.

The soil of the vineyard in particular makes the difference in Beaujolais. The 'normal' Beaujolais comes from the south, where the soil contains clay and slate. The Villages and Crus come from the hills in the north, with granite in the ground. They are often slightly fuller and juicier and can be stored for a few years. In terms of quality, you can compare them with a decent Pinot Noir Burgundy, although they are considerably cheaper.

White wine from Beaujolais

Most white wines from Beaujolais are made from Chardonnay, although some Aligoté has also been planted. The best-known appellation is Pouilly-Fuissé. A fresh wine from Chardonnay. Unfortunately, it comes in different quality levels, so Pouilly-Fuissé on the label does not always guarantee a great wine.