Wine guide: Beaujolais

My fascination for all things Beaujolais started back in 2006 while I was working in Saskatoon for my friend Megan. She turned me onto a village level bottle of Bouchard Aine & Fils Beaujolais Supérieur. 

I was just learning about wine at the time but knew that I should love a light wine like pinot noir. And since the grape used to make Beaujolais, gamay, possessed many of the same qualities, I was open to giving it a go.

To say nothing of the wine itself, I was transfixed immediately as to how similar the two were in color and intensity. It was refreshing and delicate and very easy to drink. However, as I’ve come to learn more about wine in general since, understanding what I was drinking then and what styles of Beaujolais I can consume now is very different.

Therefore, let’s dig through things to find out more…

What is Beaujolais?

A wine made from the grape varietal gamay.

• There are three classifications of Beaujolais wine: Beaujolais AOP, Beaujolais Villages AOP and Cru Beaujolais

• Taste profile: Dry, medium to light body, low tannins (that grippy feeling you get in your mouth), medium to high acidity, 10-11.5% abv

• Dominant flavors: Pomegranate, banana, violet, blackberry bramble, cherry, raspberry, plum.

• Food pairing: Pairs with most dishes, from barbeque to salmon. Versatile.

Styles

There are three types of Beaujolais.

• Nouveau: Beaujolais Nouveau began as an early release wine, drunk by vineyard workers, to celebrate the end of harvest. These wines are dropped onto the market the third Thursday of every November. They are meant to be cheap and cheerful. Drink them young and don’t try to age them.

• Villages: Like the Bouchard Aine & Fils Beaujolais Supérieur I mentioned earlier, villages Beaujolais are the middle of the road good value wines you’d want to buy on a Monday night when you’re excited to binge episodes of White Lotus. 38 villages produce this style. They’ll run you around $18 - $30. These wines are similarly light and easy but with a bit more structure.

• Crus: The gems of the lot. There are 10 crus (cru means vineyard or a group of vineyards) located in Beaujolais with each possessing its own distinct style. Below is a graphic from Wine Folly detailing how everything breaks down.

If you find a wine with one of these crus names on it, buy it! There’s a high chance you’re getting a great wine. Crus Beaujolais possesses more structure, finesse, balance and development. These wines will not disappoint. Most range from about $30-$60 dollars. Additionally, the caveat behind everything here is the similarity between gamay and pinot noir whilst the difference in price.

Top end Burgundian pinot noir will run you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Outside of this region, only a few pockets exist where you can get good pinot noir. Willamette in Oregon is a good spot. So is Central Otago in New Zealand as well as the Sonoma Coast and the southern part of California.

• Here in British Columbia we’re beginning to see real promise with this varietal, specifically those from Synchromesh. 

However, in spite of where great pinot noir comes from, most have a hefty price tag. That’s unfortunately just how it goes with this varietal. Cru Beaujolais on the other hand, often does not and it is here where its true value lies.

The 10 Crus, from north to south are St-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, and Côte de Brouilly. Each one has its own personality, its own charms. And one of the greatest pleasures in wine is working your way through the region, exploring each of them in turn.

I’m not going to go through each Crus for you here. However, I will give you some highlights of the main three, Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon and Fleurie.

From Flatiron Wines & Spirits:

Moulin-à-Vent

 “This is considered the sturdiest, most tannic, longest-lived among the 10 Crus of Beaujolais. When you hear about folks opening up delicious bottles of 50-year old Beaujolais, it’s usually Moulin-à-Vent. But remember, we are still talking about Gamay. The wine is never that tannic, and most examples are still very approachable when they’re young, unless the vintage is a particularly structured one.”

Morgon

“Of the 10 crus of Beaujolais, this is the closest to Moulin-à-Vent in terms of weight and structure, and it can age nearly as well. It has a firm minerality, thanks chiefly to its granitic soils, and a fruit profile that shades towards orange.

But, the chief advantage of Morgon is that it is blessed with an extraordinarily range of excellent producers. This includes all four of the “Gang of Four,” protégés of natural wine pioneer Jules Chauvet: Jean-Paul Thevenet, Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard, and Guy Breton. All of these producers are excellent, and you should stock up whenever you see them available.”

Fleurie

“Outside of Morgon, Fleurie appears to have the greatest concentration of good producers throughout the 10 Crus of Beaujolais. And with particularly fine terroir, Fleurie is another great source of Cru Beaujolais. “Fleur,” of course, means “flower” in French, and indeed the wines of Fleurie are characterized by a distinct floral note – think violets.” 

Insider knowledge

Gamay is the sixth most planted grape varietal in BC with over 189 acres planted. Top producers are: Blue Mountain, Haywire and Robin Ridge.

Where to buy?

Kitsilano Wine Cellars will have the largest selection. You should find decent lots up at any Liberty Wine Merchants or at Marquis Wine Cellars. Most BCL’s have a few bottles, but the best selection will be at any signature store or at 39th and Cambie.

In restaurants, Kelcie Jones never fails with her list up at Elephant where she’s pouring:

• LA GROSSE PIERRE CHIROUBLES gamay 2019 Beaujolais, France: Costs $76. Grown at high altitudes, this is a lighter style with much finesse. Suave, silky and elegant.

As well, Kissa Tanto GM Justin Isidro and sommelier, Belinda Siu, have listed a stupendous bottle of:

• JEAN FOILLARD MORGON gamay, 2020 beaujolais, France: Costs $132.

A true pioneer of the Morgon style. An excellent wine for dinner.

This is in addition to the substantially massive selection you can find at Elisa Steak. Just look at this list (!!!).

At these price points, you’re getting steals all around. Especially for that Domaine Jules Desjourneys. As a pinot noir, that would fetch double the price for the same quality.

So to recap, you’re in good hands if you choose to drink Beaujolais, specifically Cru Beaujolais. A wine on the rise that’s not to be missed.