Beaujolais
Gamay's homeland — and far more than Nouveau.
Officially part of greater Burgundy but a world of its own, Beaujolais is almost entirely Gamay. Its fame — and its image problem — came from Beaujolais Nouveau, the fruity young wine released on the third Thursday of every November. The serious story is in the north, where ten crus on granite hillsides, from Fleurie to Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent, make wines of real depth, some of which age for a decade. Many producers ferment whole bunches in tanks full of carbon dioxide — carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration — which gives the region its bright, juicy, low-tannin signature.
Grapes grown here 2
What the region makes
Released weeks after harvest: red berries, banana, bubblegum. Drink it immediately.
A step up in concentration, from the villages of the north.
Ten named villages. Fleurie is floral; Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent are firmer and age well.
Worth knowing
In 1395 Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, banned Gamay from the Côte d'Or as a "disloyal" grape — pushing it south into Beaujolais.
Beaujolais Nouveau is released on the third Thursday of November each year.
Try this region if you like light, juicy reds you can chill.
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