Beaujolais and Douro (Portugal): Contrasts in the utilization of granite and schist soils

The Beaujolais and Douro wine regions are both "blessed" with granite and schist rock types in their wine growing regions but they take contrasting approaches in dealing with this reality. In this post I will define the two rock types, address their distribution in the wine regions, and describe how they are incorporated (or not) into the vine-growing strategy.

The Rocks

According to geology.com, "granite is a light-colored, igneous rock with grains large enough to be visible with the unaided eye." Its primary constituents are quartz, feldspar, small amounts of mica and what Wilson (Terroir: The Role of Geology,Climate, and Culture in the Making of French Wines) calls "dark" minerals.

Source: granite4less.co.uk

Granite formation (Source: tovisitportugal.blogspot.com)

The feldspar, mica, and other minerals in granite are susceptible to chemical weathering which, if it occurs, alters the feldspar and mica to "easily removed" clays and causes the remaining rock structure to disintegrate to a sandy granite wash (Wilson).

Schist, again according to geology.com, "is a metamorphic rock with well-developed foliation. It often contains significant amounts of mica which allow the rock to split into thin pieces."

Schist (Source: earth.ox.ac.uk)

Granite and Schist in Beaujolais and Douro

The Beaujolais wine region is effectively divided into an upper and lower Beaujolais based on the soil composition north and south of the Nizerand River. The landscape south of the river is comprised of flat limestone-clay plains interspersed with sandy patches. North of the river, light granite- and schist-based soils predominate in the hills and stone and clay soils on the lower slopes.

The granite in Beaujolais was formed at great depth over 300 million years ago and was brought to the surface in the mid-Tertiary period by the uplift of the Massif Central and the Morvan. On its way to the surface the molten mass intruded into a crust of ancient lava and ash and metamorphosed that material into schist which accompanied the granite on its upward journey (Wilson). The principal vineyards of upper Beaujolais reside on a large massif known as the Odenas granite, a rock which weathers readily to clay minerals.

Beaujolais (Source: vineyardsandvignobles.com)

The north of Portugal consists almost exclusively of granite, the uniformity of which is interrupted by a massif of shale that extends from Barca d'Alva almost to Régua. This schist is a slate-like metamorphic rock which frequently splits into vertical layers below the surface, allowing moisture to seep in as well as providing growth pathways for the vine roots.

Lithology of the Douro region (Source: ivdp.pt)

The soils

Beaujolais is divided into Haut- and Bas-Beaujolais, based on distinctions in the soil and the intervening Nizerand river valley, with Haut-Beaujolais to the north and Bas to the south.  The north is characterized by rolling granite hills pock-marked with patches of clay and limestone and with granite and schist in the upper slopes and higher stone and clay content in the lower slopes.  The south has a flatter topographical profile than the north and has primarily clay and sandstone soils. For the purposes of our analysis, we will concentrate on the soils of Haut-Beaujolais.

The hills in the north of Beaujolais are convex and have no bellies in which to collect slope wash. As a result, the soils here are thin and primarily crumbled granite bound together by sparse clays resulting from the weathering of feldspars and micas. The sandy soils are known locally as "arene," "gore," or "gorrhe." These soils are thin, acidic, and lacking in nitrogen but contain high concentrations of mineral nutrients (potassium, phosphorous, magnesium).

The Douro soil is schistose with granite at the borders and, in some cases, penetrating horizontally into the schist layers.  Prior to its current state, the Douro land under vine was characterized by "the presence of bedrock at less than 15 cm (5 inches) below the surface" (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP)).  This was untenable for vine growth given the rooting requirements of the vine.

According to IVDP, the Douro soil has been created by man "digging down deeply and forcing the vertically layered rock to break up, thus totally altering its original disposition and creating changes to its original morphology, added to which he has applied fertilizers."  This scarification has resulted in soils with depths of between 1 and 1.3 meters.  In both cases the roots take advantage of the pliability/makeup of the underlying bedrock to dive to great depths.

The Douro soil profile consists of a 12.5-cm layer -- "the result of the digging that is done around the roots of the vines every year" -- followed by a layer of between 87.5 centimeters and 1.17 meters thickness, and then bedrock.  The composition of this topsoil is a clay-rock mix with (IVDP): little organic matter; low calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous levels; and medium-high levels of potassium. The soil pH is predominantly acid (4.6-6.5).

Vineyard characteristics and practices

There are approximately 3600 vineyards in the 55,000 acres that constitute Beaujolais. The vineyards tend to be small to mid-sized plots owned by hundreds of farmers and carrying between 9000 and 13,000 vines per hectare.  For the most part, the fruit is sold to negociants who produce and market the wines.  In the north the vineyards sit on gently sloping hills at elevations that range between 500 and 2000 feet. The resultant exposure to the sun allows quicker ripening and harvesting in the north when compared to the south.  Vine training is primarily Goebelet but, recently, some Guyot training has been utilized in the south.

The low nutrient levels in the Douro will act to reduce yield and retard fruit ripening if unaddressed.  The solution is the application of fertilizers for the macronutrients and foliar sprays for the boron deficiency. Lime is added to the soil as necessary to counteract the effects of low pH. The vines reside on hillside terraces and are Guyot- or cordon-trained. Planting density is on the order of 6000 vines/hectare.  Drip irrigation is shunned.

Comparative utilization of available soils

Gamay has found a home in the granitic soils of Haut-Beaujolais. This vine was ripped out of the primary areas of Burgundy by Philip the Bold in 1395 due to its fecundity but the thin, sandy soils of Beaujolais are the "right challenge" for its voracious growth. The principal vineyards of Haut-Beaujolais are situated on a large massif known as the Odenas Granite which contains black mica, a material which weathers easily to clay minerals. The thinness of the Beaujolais soil is, therefore, compensated for by high levels of nutrients such as potassium, phosphorous, and magnesium. It should be noted that the wines produced from this combination of soils and vine are not prone to extended longevity.

The opposite is the case in the Douro region where schist reigns supreme. Its water acquisition and retention properties, as well as its provision of growth pathways for the vine roots, make it the soil of choice in the region. Its low nutrient levels are compensated for by the addition of fertilizers for macronutrients and foliar sprays for boron deficiency. When granite breaks through to the surface, the terrain is considered unplantable and vineyards planted on granite are penalized in their Casa do Douro classification (rating of Douro vineyards on a quality scale ranging from A to F) as assigned and maintained by the regulatory authorities. The grapes produced from this regime yield intensely flavored wines which can stand up to the intensity of 20% alcohol fortification and long aging while retaining their fruit characteristics.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

2009 Beaujolais Tasting: Cru Wines

The press had spoken glowingly of the 2009 vintage in Beaujolais, as had critics and winemakers alike.  Even Andrew McNamara, the Master Sommelier who was leading us in this tasting, had referred to the vintage as the best he had ever seen coming out of Beaujolais.  Yet we were more than of a quarter of the way through the tasting and had not yet encountered any earth-shaking wines.  But maybe our fortunes would change with a shift to tasting the cru Beaujolais wines.  Our experiences in that regard is the subject of this post.

Before we get to the wines, some acknowledgements that should have been covered in my earlier post.  First, the wines were provided by Ron Siegel, John Alport, and the author.  Some of the wines had to be shipped in overnight (given the time of the year and the fact that the tasting was being held in Florida) and the cost of shipping was significantly greater than the cost of the wine.  Secondly, I would like to thank Ron for securing the tasting locale and associated excellent service personnel.

Now back to the wines.  The characteristics of the individual crus were covered in an earlier post as was the tasting order, which flowed from lightest to most robust.  The first cru tasted was the Vissoux Brouilly Pierreux.  On the nose butterscotch, carmel, and raspberry.  On the palate, tart cranberry, raspberry, dusty earth, and a certain spiciness.  Also, some evidence of tannin and texture.

The second wine tasted was the Domaine des Braves Régnie.  This estate is owned by Paul Cinquin and was initially founded by his grandfather.  It was broken up into many pieces as a result of the French inheritance laws but Paul has reconstituted 20+ acres of the original estate on soil that is a mix of sand and clay.  Paul picks his fruit seven to ten days later than his neighbors in order to ensure maximal ripeness.  The wine is unique in Beaujolais in that it is a blend of three distinct vilification methods: thermo (for color and lightness of aromas); pigeage (for extraction of tannins and aromas); and semi-carbonic (for fruit and soft tannins).  The wines are 100% tank-aged and are bottled unfined and lightly filtered.  This wine threw off aromas of bubblegum, red fruit, perfume, game, and earth.  It was fuller-bodied than any wine tasted to this time and was smooth on the palate.  Now we were beginning to cook with gas.

The next wine up was the Damien Coquelet Chiroubles Vielles Vignes.  The label on this bottle was rather unprepossessing, as French wine labels go, but this was one serious wine.  The nose launched us into a lengthy discussion on brett and its contribution to/detraction from wines.  This wine did exhibit some brett on the nose but it was not off-putting.  The wine had great body, asian spices, and a pepperiness to accompany kirsch-liqueur and black-fruit flavors.  It had a long, silky finish.  Impressive.  I have bought a case of this wine post the tasting.

Chateau Thivin Brouilly was the next scheduled wine in the lineup.  This estate has 8.3 hectares of east-, south-, and southwest-facing vineyards on the steep slopes of Mount Brouilly.  The soil is composed of blue stones of volcanic origin.  The estate's vineyard strategies promote natural regulation of pests and diseases, proper soil conditions, and sun exposure and aeration for the hanging fruit.  Grapes are hand-harvested  in whole bunches, macerated for 8-12 days, and aged in oak casks for 6 months.  Tart red fruit on the nose confirmed on the palate along with some minerality and a medium finish.

The wine from the cru of St. Amour was the Domaine des Champs-Grilles Revillon.  This wine exuded sweet, floral notes with a hint of decomposing rose petals.  It was light of body, soft, feminine, and elegant.  It was not as acidic as the crus tasted to date and was endowed with late-arriving tannins which dried out the palate on the finish.

The Pierre-Marie Chermette property that is the source of the Fleurie wine is called Poncie and is a 4.5 hectare, southeast-facing plot on the heights of the cru.  This vineyard was planted 35 years ago on pink granite soil that is rich in mica and quartz.  This wine is meaty and iron-rich on the nose; somewhat reminiscent of a charred grill.  Light on the palate.  Rustic with a non-round mouthfeel.

The contribution from the Juliénas cru was the Domaine Eve and Michel Rey Les Paquelets. The grapes for this wine were sourced from low-yielding vines with an average age of 90 years.  Slightly medicinal on the nose with lots of (good) funk and granite.  Dense on the palate with great texture and a fulsome representation of acidity and tannin.  This was the most Burgundian of the wines tasted that day and earned the designation "wine of the day."  I have since bought a case of this wine.

The next wine tasted was the Jean-Paul Thevenet Morgon.  Jean-Paul Thevenet is one of Beaujolais' most respected growers.  He practices organic cultivation, ferments with natural yeasts, and adds little or no sulfur to his wines.  This particular wine was aged for 6-8 months in aged Romanée Conti oak barrels and is bottled unfiltered.  This wine exudes perfume.  Florality and a little bit of sulfur on the nose.  Spicy and metallic on the palate.

The Jean-Paul Brun Domain des Terres Dorées Moulin-à-Vent had hints of reduction and burnt matches on the nose and was rich, big, and balanced on the palate.  Another victim of my post-tasting shopping spree.

The final wine of the tasting was the Domaine Piron-Lameloise Chenas Quartz.  This wine had lots of fruit on the nose and spice and tannins on the palate.

All in all a wonderful event.  Andrew walked us through the wines in a masterful fashion, imparting nuggets of wisdom along the way.  The cru Beaujolais stood out and have made me a believer; so much so that I have since bought three cases of the standout crus with the intent of tracking their evolution over time.  In my opinion (based on the performance of the wines in this tasting), cru Beaujolais from the 2009 vintage is deserving of your consideration.

2009 Beaujolais Tasting: Non-Cru Wines

Beaujolais, and, specifically, cru Beaujolais, is an excellent option for the serious -- or the not so serious -- wine drinker, a point that was driven home to me during the course of a 2009 Beaujolais tasting which I hosted at the Capital Grille in Orlando on August 9th.  The objective of the tasting was to explore the breadth of Beaujolais for this much-heralded vintage.  The tasting panel consisted of nine people and we were fortunate to be led in this effort by Master Sommelier Andrew McNamara.  The tasting will be reported in two posts: this one covering the non-cru

Master Sommelier Andrew McNamara and John Alport (Augustan)

Adam Chilvers (Wineontheway.com) and Ron Siegel

 wines and a second covering the cru tastings.

The wine lineup is presented in the table below.  The wines were tasted lightest to heaviest with the sparkling and white comprising the first flight.

In his opening remarks Andrew reminded us that Beaujolais is really a part of Burgundy and that the two regions overlap in Beuajolais' northernmost areas.  Beaujolais wine, according to Andrew, owes its heritage to the religious orders that came into the region and made wine from the indigenous grape, Gamay.  Philip the Bold felt that Gamay was only fit to be served to pigs and livestock and ordered the vines pulled out.  The Gamay vines in Beaujolais were spared that fate and have survived and thrived in the region over the years.

While Beaujolais is a part of Burgundy, in many ways it is Rhone-like, says Andrew.  For example, the soil in many parts of Beaujolais is granitic, a Rhone characteristic.  Second, both Gamay and Syrah are descended from Gouvay Blanc, an ancient varietal originally grown in Central Europe.

With the attention being paid to Beaujolais, a number of producers from outside are beginning to make wines in the region.  Most of the very good Beaujolais wines are still, however, mede by Beaujolais specialists. As we turned our attention towards tasting the wines, Andrew stated that the 2009 vintage was the greatest Beaujolais vintage that he had ever tasted.

The first wine tasted was the Domaine Vissoux Brut Blanc de Blanc.  This winery and its practices have been summarized in a previous post.  

This sparkling wine is 100% Chardonnay from grapes grown on a 2.5 hectare, southwest-facing plot which sits on a limestone-clay soil.  This blend of 2006, 2007, and 2008 vintages has seen very little dosage liqueur and has been aged for 18 months.  The bubbles on this wine appear to be short-lived.  Initial bread aroma with a hint of apricot followed by a more distinct rubber note.  On the palate a short, tongue-coating finish.  Less minerality, alcohol, and yeastiness than a traditional champagne.  I will not be running out to buy this wine anytime soon.

The second wine tasted was the Domain des Terres Dorées Beaujolais Blanc.  This winery and its practices have been summarized in a previous post.  On the nose the wine was fruity,

oily with a beeswax character, herbal with a basil tint, and had grapefruit notes. On the palate grapefruit and lemon rind with good acidity.  This wine was lean and light with a residual bitterness on the palate.  This wine was not well regarded by the tasting panel.

At this juncture the tasting switched to the forte of Beaujolais, wines made from the Gamay grape.  The first red wine tasted was the Domaine Dupeuble Pere et Fils Beaujolais.  This producer ferments the wine using natural yeasts, uses no sulfur, and bottles unfined and unfiltered.  This wine had aromas of bubblegum, fruit, rubber, and cotton candy.  Tart cherry on the palate with a hint of bitterness on the medium finish.

The final non-cru wine tasted was the Mommessin Beaujolais-Villages Vielles Vignes.  The grapes for this wine were sourced from 40- to 80-year-old vines located on granite-schist-limestone hillside plots.  The grapes are handpicked, sorted, and vatted as whole bunches, then bled in search of greater concentration.  The grapes are fermented for 9 days in vats after which malolactic fermentation occurs.  Cherry and bubblegum on the nose.  On the palate a tartness and tannin (some wood, some grape).  A full, richer body with fine-grained tannins.  More character and greater length than any of the preceding wines.  Hopefully a harbinger of things to come.

With the tasting of the Mommessin, folks were lessening the frequency of accusatory glances cast my way.  Up to this point the looks were clearly asking "Why are you wasting our time here today?"  I started to breathe a little easier.  Cru wines up next.

2009 Beaujolais Tasting Lineup and Profiles of Selected Producers

In preparation for our upcoming 2009 Beaujolais Tasting, I have provided an overview of the Beaujolais sub-region, elaborated on the Beaujolais appellations, discussed the characteristics of the Gamay grape, and sang the praises of the 2009 vintage.  Based on the foregoing, the wines in the table below have been selected to allow us a taste-through of the sub-region.  In order to round out the coverage that has been provided to date, I

will profile the producers, beginning with Domaine du Vissoux and Domaine des Terres Dorées -- two producers with similar viniculture philosophies -- in this post.

Domaine du Vissoux

Domaine du Vissoux product will be used for our sparkling, Fleurie, and Brouilly wines.  The estate, located primarily in the hamlet of Vissoux, is owned by Martine and Pierre-Marie Chermette and the main property is a southeast-facing parcel sited on a bed of granite and planted to Gamay (14 hectares, Beaujolais) and Chardonnay (0.5 hectare, Beaujolais Blanc).  The Gamay vines range between 75- and 90-years old while the Chardonnay vines are approximately 25-years old.  The estate also grows another 0.5 hectare of Chardonnay grapes on 25-year-old vines in the nearby hamlet of Nandry and, further, has vineyards in Oingt-Le Bois à Oingt (6 hectares of Chardonnay), Brouilly (15 hectares), Fleurie (4.5 hectares), and Moulin-à-Vent (4.5 hectares).

The estate pursues an "integrated agriculture" policy with practices such as: (i) tilling or shallow ploughing between vines (or, alternately, grassing); (ii) yield control through hand-pruning; and (iii) growth management (budding, branch thinning).  Grapes are picked manually at optimal ripeness and are sorted both in the vineyard and in the cellar.

The estate's vinification practices are minimalist in order to provide the best environment for the character of the fruit to shine through.  Unlike most of the producers in Beaujolais, Domaine du Vissoux uses natural yeasts rather than 71B, the tomato-based, industrial yeast which is thought by some to impart candy and banana aromas and flavors to the wine. Further, little or no sugar is added to the must to increase the alcohol levels and little or no sulfur is added.  Grapes are vinified using semi-carbonic fermentation with twice-a-day pump overs beginning after two or three days of maceration.  The maceration periods are: 4 to 6 days for Beaujolais Nouveau; 6 to 8 days for "spring Beaujolais;" and 10 to 12 days for cru.  The macerated grapes are then pressed in a pneumatic press.


Domaine des Terres Dorées

Domaine des Terres Dorées product will be used for our Beaujolais Blanc and Moulin-à-Vent wines. Domaine des Terres Dorées is located in Charnay, a village about 30-minutes drive from Lyon, in an area called The Golden Stone Region (so called because the color of the limestone used in its historic buildings imparts a "warm, golden-brown complexion" to these stone houses).  The owner and winemaker is Jean-Paul Brun.  The primary vineyard is a 25-hectare parcel sited on permeable clay and limestone soil and planted to Gamay.  Jean-Paul also farms a 3-hectare Chardonnay plot and a 2-hectare Pinot Noir plot in close proximity to the main vineyard.  Further afield he owns small, granite-based parcels in Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon, and Côte de Brouilly.

Jean-Paul's style leans to the traditional with an emphasis on allowing the fruit to shine through unencumbered.  Like Domaine du Vissoux, he uses indigenous yeasts, does not chaptalize, and uses little or no sulfur.  Further, he does not filter his wines due to a belief that filtering strips out some of the natural flavors of the wine.

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I will cover the remaining producers in subsequent posts.

Gamay Grape and the 2009 Vintage in Beaujolais

Gamay -- official name Gamay noir à Jus Blanc -- is famously known as the black grape of Beaujolais but is also grown to a lesser extent in the Loire, Jura and Savoie, and the Rhone Valley.  Named after a Burgundian hamlet in close proximity to Puligny-Montrachet, the varietal is the result of an ancient cross between Pinot Noir and Gouvais Blanc, an ancient varietal originally grown in Central Europe (According to Wineworld's Blog, "gouvais blanc was given by emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus (born 232 – 282 and emperor from 276 – 282), from Pannonia, to Gauls who planted it close to pinot vineyards where many spontaneous crosses resulted ...").  The varietal enjoyed the full run of Burgundy until ordered pulled out by Duke Philip the Bold who wanted to eliminate competition for Pinot Noir.  The vines in Beaujolais did not suffer the same fate as their core Burgundian counterparts and have flourished in the region to this day.

Gamay grows best in granite and limestone soils and struggles in alkaline conditions.  Its growing cycle is on the early end of the spectrum and, as such, it is susceptible to spring frosts.  The berries are large with thin, tough skins and grow in large clusters.  Wines from the varietal are generally fruity and acidic and winemakers have utilized carbonic maceration to accentaute the fruitiness.  Wines from the grape genearlly have a fruity, floral bouquet and aromas of bubble gum, banana, cotton candy, and vanilla.

2009 Vintage

Primarily due to the flash-in-the-pan nature of Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais wines have not gained significant traction in the marketplace -- or the attention of the wine press and critics -- but the 2009 vintage has contributed significantly to putting the cru Beaujolais wines back on the wine-drinking map.  To begin with, the vintage was blessed with almost-perfect growing conditions with steady warming through August punctuated with a little rain in June.  Growing conditions and crop management processes resulted in low yield of high-quality fruit with great balance in sugar and acidity and high tannin levels.  These grapes were harvested between August 25th and September 25th and produced elegant, concentrated wines.  Georges Duboeuf, the so-called King of Beaujolais, calls 2009 "the vintage of the century" and describes the wines as being "... incredibly elegant and delicious ..."  The Wine Advocate refers to the 2009 Beaujolais wines as "... gloriously generous and genuinely complex ..." 

All in all, 2009 seems like a "come-home" vintage for those who have fled the fold and a great time for the uninitiated to become involved with Beaujolais wines.

Beaujolais AOCs

Beaujolais has long been hidden behind, and judged by, Beaujolais Nouveau the light, fruity wine that is eagerly snapped up by its adherents upon its annual November release and drunk almost before they have gotten back to the car.  But if you judge Beaujolais only by this ephemeral offering, you are misinformed; a condition which I hope to redress in this post.

The Beaujolais sub-region has 10 distinct appellations for red wines and a regional appellation for white wine.

The Beaujolais AOC, as shown in the map above, occupies the southern and eastern flanks of the sub-region.  This AOC covers 60 villages and10,000 hectares and is the source for fully 50% of all Beaujolais wine. The soil is primarily clay and limestone and the resulting wine is simple and meant to be drunk in the first year of the vintage.  The wine must be a minimum 9% alcohol and yield is limited to 55hl/ha.  Production averages 75 million bottles per year half of which is Beaujolais Nouveau. This area was accredited in 1937 and is the only Beaujolais AOC in which Guyot vine training is permitted.

Beaujolais Superiéur is sourced from selected vineyards within Beaujolais, has a higher ripeness level stipulated before harvesting, and is vinified to a 1% higher alcohol level than is basic Beaujolais.  The wines resulting from this process are light, fruity, and best suited for early consumption.

Beaujolais Villages covers wines sourced from 38 communes to the north and west of Beaujolais.  A village may append its individual name to the label if the wine is produced from grapes grown only in that commune.  Beaujolais Villages is 6000 hectares in size and is the source of 25% of the wine produced in Beaujolais.  The soils in this region have a higher granite content than is the case for the rest of Beaujolais and this, coupled with south-facing slopes for vineyards in the eastern foothills of the Massif Central, contributes to the attainment of optimal ripeness by its grapes and wines that are fuller-bodied and of greater complexity than Beaujolais wines.

Cru Beaujolais is the highest classification in Beaujolais and covers the wine produced in a 6500-hectares area encompassing seven named villages in the northern part of the region and the vineyards around the foot of Mont Brouilly. The wines are mostly produced using traditional fermentation methods and a little oak and have ageing potential of 5 to 15 years.

The lightest-bodied of the Cru Beaujolais wines are produced in Brouilly, Régnié, and Chiroubles.  Brouilly is the largest of the crus and sits in the foothills of Mont Brouilly.  Its soils range from pink granite through chalky clay deposits.  The planting of the white varietals Aligoté, Chardonnay, and Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet) is permitted in this cru.  Régnié wines are sourced from grapes grown on the gently sloping hillsides surrounding the village of Régnié-Durette.  The 650 hectares of vineyards sit at an average elevation of 350 meters on soil that is granitic and sandy with a high mineral content.  Wines from this cru are elegant and structured with good aging potential.  Chiroubles has the highest altitude of the crus with elevation ranging between 250 and 450 meters.  Cool climates and long ripening seasons in this 360-hectare, granitic-sand cru make for light, fragrant, delicate wines.

St. Amour, Fleurie, and Côte de Brouilly are known for medium-bodied wines. The soil in St. Amour is granitic clay and schist and the wines produced therein range from Beaujoulais-Nouveau-style to fuller-bodied, complex reds.  Fleurie is sometimes referred to as the queen of Beaujolais and its wines are "fresh, floral, fragrant, and elegant."  Fleurie has 890 hectares of vines resting on granitic soil and produces 3 million bottles annually.  Côte de Brouilly sits higher up on the Mont Brouilly slope than does Brouilly and the soil here fluctuates between blue stones and marbled green stones.  The wines are more concentrated and have better aging potential than do the wines of Brouilly.


The wines of Juliénas, Chénas, Morgon, and Moulin-à-vent are the fullest-bodied of the wines produced in Beaujolais.  Juliénas has granitic soils in the west and sedimentary soils in the east.  Wines from this commune are characterized by red fruit, berry, floral, and vanilla aromas.  Chenas is the smallest of the communes and is named for the oak forest that once dominated the hillside.  The wine has a distinctive wild rose character and a 15-year shelf life.  Morgon, on the other hand, is one of the largest crus.  Its schist soil is older and more weathered than the other crus resulting in earthier, fleshier wines with good aging potential.  Moulin-à-vent has pink granite soil with a high manganese content, a composition that is  toxic to the grape vine and results in reduced crop levels.  The resulting wine is concentrated, richer and has fuller flavors.  These wines age well.

Beaujolais Blanc is a regional appellation for white wine but its production is concentrated mainly in the far north, bordering Maconnais.  This appellation came into being in 1937 with the designated varietals being Chardonnay and Aligoté.  The use of Aligoté in the AOC will be phased out by 2024.  The grapes  are crushed on arrival at the cellars and fermented for two weeks. The wines are characterized by floral notes, stone fruit flavors, limited ageability.  Many producers in the north prefer to bring their white wines to market under the more prestigious Macon label, thus depressing the nominal production levels of Beaujolais Blanc.

Beaujolais Sub-Region of Burgundy: An Overview

I recently signed up to attend the NY instance of The Guild of Sommeliers Beaujolais tastings but was a no-show due to conflicting priorities.  In that comprehensive Beaujolais tastings are infrequent, I gained access to a list of the event wines in order to reproduce the tasting in Orlando  (Andrew McNamara, Master Sommelier, was instrumental in getting me access to that list of wines and for that I would like to express my appreciation.).  Leading up to the tasting I will be exploring a number of facets of Beaujolais wines, beginning here with a discourse on the region.

The Beaujolais wine region is located in eastern France with Burgundy to its north (technically Beaujolais is a sub-region of Burgundy), the Rhone Valley to its south, and the Saone river hugging tightly to its eastern flank.  Proximate cities are Macon to the north and Lyon to the south.  The region measures 50 km long with width ranging between 10 and 15 km.

Source: zelas.co.uk

Beaujolais has a continental climate -- cold, dry winters and hot summers -- which is tempered by the Massif Central to the west, the Alps to the east, and its proximity to the Mediterranean.  The region is blessed with a warm growing season but the possibility of frost in the spring, or hail in the summer, is ever-present.

Beaujolais is divided into Haut and Bas Beaujolais, based on distinctions in the soil and the intervening Nizerand river valley, with Haut Beaujolais to the north and Bas to the south.  The north is characterized by rolling granite hills pock marked with patches of clay and limestone and with granite and schist in the upper slopes and higher stone and clay content in the lower slopes.  The south has a flatter topographical profile than the north and has primarily clay and sandstone soils.

There are approximately 3600 vineyards in the 55,000 acres that constitute Beaujolais.  The vineyards tend to be small to mid-sized plots owned by hundreds of farmers and carrying between 9000 and 13,000 vines per hectare.  For the most part, the fruit is sold to negociants who produce and market the wines.  In the north the vineyards sit on gently sloping hills at elevations that range between 500 and 2000 feet. The resultant exposure to the sun allows quicker ripening and harvesting in the north when compared to the south.  Vine training is primarily Goebelet but, recently, some Guyot training has been utilized in the south.

Source: Beaujolais.com

One of the unique aspects of Beaujolais winemaking is the widespread use of carbonic maceration for vinification of most of its red wines.  In this method of vinification the grapes are hand-picked in whole bunches and the bunches are placed serially into the fermentation tank.  The weight of the most recently placed grapes causes the lower bunches to burst and the juice that is released begins to ferment.  The carbon dioxide that is released during this process causes in-berry fermentation and the production of brightly colored, low-tannin wines with a characteristic fruity flavor.

A large part of Beaujolais' repute -- and disrepute -- is based on its Beaujolais Nouveau, a red, fruity, light, early drinking wine.  This wine, as is the case for most of the red wine produced in Beaujolais, is made from the Gamay grape.  Small quantities of Pinot Noir are used for red and rosé wines, a practice which will be discontinued after the 2015 harvest.  Chardonnay and Aligoté are used for the production of the little white wine that is produced in the region as well as for blending with red wines up to a limit of 15%.   The wines of Beaujolais are generally characterized by ripe, fruit-driven flavors with the wines from the north being aromatic, structured, and complex while those from the south are lighter, fruity, and early drinking.  Annual production in the region is about 190 million bottles.  Notable producers are Georges Duboeuf, Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard, Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thivenet, and Pierre Chermette.

Beaujolais has 12 appellations, each producing its own distinctive style of wine.  I will detail these appellations in my next post.