Gamay & Its Own Unique World of Beaujolais: More Than Just Nouveau
– not all Beaujolais are created equal - discover why!
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In our last B-series article we went from Burgundy to Bordeaux.
Now let’s trace our steps back to Burgundy, then flow southbound on the Saône River to get to:
B is for Beaujolais wine region.
Before you close this email or move on to another article on the Substack app…REMEMBER not all Beaujolais wine is created equal.
Why do you say that? You have never said that about any grape, region, or producer??
Beaujolais produces a large amount of wine for its size. Whenever a region has a high production, a wide style and quality difference exists. Additionally, like a lot of wine regions, the 70s and 80’s was not always good for their reputation.
Read on and understand why. Think of how many things have changed in 40 - 50 years!! Wine included!
I’m still with you - where were we?
…the Saône River.
Beaujolais is the wine region literally sandwiched between Burgundy just to the north and Rhône Valley wine regions just to the south. In the city of Lyon just south of Beaujolais, the Saône River meets the Rhône River which eventually dumps into the Mediterranean.
If you get very quiet, you can hear the echo of Roman footsteps from long ago as this was the ancient Roman trade route up the Rhône and Saône rivers.
Records exist of Roman vines in Mont Brouilly (Brulliacus in Latin) and in Morgon. Benedictine monks also established vineyards as early as the 7th century.
Which grapes are grown here anyway?
Gamay
Gamay is 97% of Beaujolais’ grape production. Growing essentially only one grape variety is unusual compared to most of the world’s wine regions.
Gamay is actually an ancient Burgundian red grape, and yet Gamay currently accounts for only 3% of Burgundy’s grape production.
Weird! Why?
Enter the first duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold (1363-1404).
Philip, the son of King John of France, was a wino like the best of us! And most notably one who was interested in the economic health of his duchy. Gamay, which at the time also grew in Burgundy, produces higher yields than Pinot Noir. It is believed that Philip already understood that higher yielding grapes produced lower concentration wines.
Wanting to maintain his reputation for high quality wines, he issued an edict in 1395 saying Gamay was harmful to human beings and ordering the vines be pulled.
Unbeknownst to him, this served Gamay well as it does better in the granitic soils of the northern portion of Beaujolais. The granite slows down the ripening which results in increased flavor complexity. By the 1800s Beaujolais enjoyed a reputation as significant as Burgundy’s.
Take that, Philip the Bold!
This northern portion has 11 sub-regions, 10 of them categorized as crus, are numbered 3 to 12 on the map. Cru is a French term for a vineyard recognized officially for being higher quality. (Cru translates to growth in English.) In Beaujolais, each cru has a different flavor and structure profile associated with different communes with different soil types.
The crus are the best Beaujolais has to offer, capable of ageing 10 or more years. Their winemaking is typically similar to Burgundy’s, including ageing in wooden barrels.
Surrounding the crus is:
The Beaujolais-Villages sub-region, #2 on the map, which have similar restrictive grape growing wine laws as the crus, but with higher yields allowed. Today’s featured wine is a Beaujolais-Village (so hang on to that thought).
Eventually the Beaujolais wine region allowed production in the most southern portion of Beaujolais (#1 on the map). This expansion is on less suitable, flatter, and more fertile land, resulting in higher yields (and lower flavor concentration).
Does this relate to the drop in quality that you discussed at the beginning of this article?
Precisely.
And then came the Beaujolais Nouveau phenomenon.
Named ‘Nouveau’ (new in English) because these wines are bottled within days of the end of fermentation, these wines are intended to be drunk young. They come from either the Beaujolais or the Beaujolais-Village sub-region, and are light, refreshing, and fruit-driven in style.
Starting in 1964, producers including George Duboeuf, a French wine merchant, created a new market with the Nouveau wines. Wine festivals, media events, and Beaujolais wine galas across the world – revolving around the hype of the Beaujolais Nouveau release on the third Thursday of every November. It was a big deal.
It however peaked in 1988. Vinification was sometimes rushed in the 70s and 80s, giving wines flavored of bananas, boiled sweets, and even acetone.
Sound like they were victims of their own success!
I need to elaborate on winemaking as this is the main reason for varying styles.
Some of you will have heard of carbonic maceration and semi-carbonic maceration. Both these methods involve whole grape bunches used in winemaking – in other words the grapes are not crushed prior to fermentation. These whole grapes are put in an anaerobic environment (aka no oxygen) - in this case Carbon Dioxide (CO2) fills the fermentation tank.
In this circumstance, a very strange (and super cool) phenomenon happens called intracellular fermentation – where a spontaneous fermentation happens within each individual grape.
Whoa! Kinda wild!
Small amounts of malic acid and sugar in the grapes convert to alcohol without the presence of yeast. Only 0.5 - 2.2 % of alcohol is produced at which point the grape skins erupt and this intercellular fermentation stops. Then, regular/normal yeast fermentation starts and is allowed to continue to completion.
The carbonic/semi-carbonic maceration gives flavors of kirsch, candied cherry, bubble gum, cinnamon, and strawberry. The wines are generally light to moderately-light body with light to medium tannins.
This profile is a love it or hate it deal. But not all Beaujolais wines are made this way.
Some producers are moving away from carbonic maceration winemaking in the attempt to regain its past prestige, especially the Beaujolais Crus and Beaujolais-Villages. In the case of the featured wine by wine merchant Mary Taylor, (who has been featured here before), the winemaking resembles that of a Burgundy wine.
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Mary Taylor Beaujolais-Villages 2021 from Beaujolais, France
Style: Old World Medium Body Red
Varieties: 100% Gamay
This charming wine has red cherry, black cherry, blackberry, and red plum fruit notes as well as cocoa, earth, and a hint of leather. It has moderately high intensity and well-integrated medium tannins.
Best pairings: Roasted poultry, Grilled pork tenderloin, Quiche, Grilled vegetables, Salade Niçoise, Pasta or bean salad with a tangy vinaigrette, Soft mild cheeses.
Serving Temperature: 16 degrees Celsius
Serving Tips: Optional decant followed by an immediate pour.
Cost: ~$33 Cdn
I have compiled all my wine recommendations in one place. I will do my best to keep this up to date. I also include the link(s) to the article in which the wine was featured.
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SOURCES:
Beaujolais-Villages (no date) MARY TAYLOR WINE. Available at: https://mt.wine/wines/beaujolais-villages/ (Accessed: 22 July 2024).
Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Our 12 appellations - beaujolais (no date). Available at: https://www.beaujolais.com/en/discover/nos-12-appellations/ (Accessed: 22 July 2024).
Philip II (no date) Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Philip-II-duke-of-Burgundy (Accessed: 22 July 2024).
Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2021) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
Great article. I’ve always been a fan of Beaujolais, especially the Cru’s, and yes Nouveau!
I’ll open an aged Cru tomorrow. I have lots in my cellar