Focus on These 10 Villages When Looking for the Best Beaujolais
This tiny region south of Burgundy is packed with easy drinking bottles, and almost all of them will give you a good time. Most are quaffable party starters, but the best of the bunch are hedonistic, sensual, and immediate. You'll mostly find them in the 10 villages in the northern half of Beaujolais. Called crus, this is where you’ll find seriously delicious wine worthy of the slightly higher price tag.
The Difference Between Cru Beaujolais And Everything Else
While wines in the southern half of the region — Beaujolais Villages and Beaujolais — are also made with Gamay and (usually) the traditional carbonic maceration method, cru Beaujolais benefits from complex soils that make its wines stand out.
In the south, you’ll find fertile clay and sedimentary soils. In the north, winemakers benefit from poor granite soils that produce higher-quality fruit. The results speak for themselves. Cru Beaujolais is a storm of power and electricity, with mind-blowingly vivid aromas of fruit, flowers and spice.
Bottom line, Cru Beaujolais is Terrific Year-Round Wine
Wines from the 10 Crus of Beaujolais are what you want to drink on repeat all year long. They owe allegiance to no season, have no banner other than pleasure. They cut a lush path through Thanksgiving feasts and drive electric currents through dripping mouthfuls of beefy burger. They can take a cheeseboard from ho hum to Dionysian smorgasbord, and transform a sturdy mason jar into a holy grail for front porch stoop sessions with your friends.
Your Quick Start Guide to Finding the Best Beaujolais
That said, finding wines from the 10 crus can be tricky unless you know what to look for. You won’t see the name “Beaujolais” on the label, instead you’ll see one of the 10 village names. We’ve included pronunciation guides so that you can ask for these in your local wine shop, as well as some general aromas and tasting notes you might find in each (although these may vary). Once you’re familiar with all 10 of the Beaujolais crus, and know how to ask for them at your local shop, it's up to you to try as many as you can and discover your favorites.
The 10 Crus
Juliénas
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Pronunciation: Jool yeh nah
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Color: Deep ruby
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Aromas: Red fruit, strawberry, violet, cinnamon, red currant, and peony
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Notes: This is a rich, powerful wine that should be drunk immediately
Saint-Amour
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Pronunciation: Sen ta moor
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Aromas: Kirsch, spice, peony, iris, raspberry, violet
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Notes: You’ll find a lot of variety in the character of the wines. Some are light and easy, while others dark and complex. The differences come from the varied types of soil found in Saint-Amour.
Chénas
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Pronunciation: Shay nah
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Aromas: Black fruit, wild roses, and spice
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Notes: The smallest of all 10 crus. The wines are graceful and effortless.
Fleurie
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Pronunciation: Fluh ree
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Aromas: Iris, violet, rose, red fruit, peaches.
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Notes: The most delicate of all the 10 crus. Ethereal and atmospheric.
Moulin-a-Vent
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Pronuncation: Moo lahn a vahn
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Aromas: Floral, iris, lily, violet peony
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Notes: Hearty Beaujolais with fascinating texture and aromas. Named after the historic windmill at the top of the hill where the vines grow.
Chiroubles
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Pronunciation: Shee roob luh
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Aromas: Violet
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Notes: The highest elevation crus. The wines are very low tannin and light-bodied.
Morgon
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Pronunciation: More gon
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Aromas: Earthy aromas with apricot and peach
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Notes: By far the most intense. The wines of Morgon are powerful, structured, and serious. They’re rich in color and aroma.
Régnié
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Pronunciation: Ray nyay
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Aromas: Red currant and raspberry
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Notes: A recently established cru that makes full-bodied, voluptuous wines.
Brouilly
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Pronunciation: Broo yee
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Aromas: Raspberries, cherries, blueberries, currants
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Notes: The pink granite soils result in light-bodied wines.
Côte de Brouilly
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Pronunciation: Koht du broo yee
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Aromas: Lively with deep fruits
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Notes: Located at higher elevation on an extinct volcano.
Now that you're equipped with a new understanding of the 10 crus, check out our collection of Beaujolais and get to work finding your favorite.
