Beaujolais Crus / Beaujolais Nouveau: Do you know the difference?

The Beaujolais vineyard covers 17,324 hectares and stretches along a ribbon 10 to 15 kilometers wide and 50 kilometers long. From Mâcon (in the north) to Lyon (in the south), the rolling slopes of the Beaujolais hills can reach an altitude of over 1,000 m.

The Gamay Noir grape variety is a descendant of Pinot Noir. It reigns supreme on this land with granitic and siliceous soils where it offers an extraordinary range of wines, from the finest and most aromatic (Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages), to the richest and most complex: The ten crus of Beaujolais.

The Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived: Long live Beaujolais!

Beaujolais Nouveau is celebrated every year on the third Thursday of November when it is released onto the market. It is made from grapes grown in the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages appellations.

It represents 1/3 of the vineyard's production and corresponds to a wine brut which is just coming out of fermentation, hence its youthful lightness.

Beaujolais Crus: the expression of the terroir

The Beaujolais crus, for their part, are wines crafted with great care. Some are aged in oak barrels, and the characteristics of their respective terroirs give rise to some truly surprising qualities.

There are 10 crus, each with its own specific character linked to its different terroirs: Brouilly, Chiroubles, Chénas, Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié, and Saint-Amour. All the crus are located in the northern part of Beaujolais; the further south you go, the less complex and prestigious the wines become.

Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon, Chénas, Régnié, Juliénas, Brouilly, and Côte-de-Brouilly are Crus with a robust character. Saint-Amour tends to strike a balance between a fleshy side and more delicate characteristics, like Chiroubles or Fleurie. The latter, as its name suggests, releases floral aromas.

A little anecdote about the Windmill:

Until the 1950s, a Moulin-à-Vent sold for more than most of the finest Burgundy appellations. And for good reason! After a few years of aging, the bouquet of some bottles reveals notes of iris, faded rose, spices, and sometimes truffle. It is considered "the lord of the Beaujolais crus," the most powerful and the most age-worthy.