The land

Beaujolais sits south of the Mâconnais (the southernmost part of Burgundy proper) and runs about 35 miles down to Lyon. The northern half — where the ten named crus live — is built on pink granite and blue schist, ideal soils for the Gamay grape. The southern half is on flatter, more clay-rich soils and produces the lighter Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages wines, including the famous Nouveau.

The hierarchy

Three tiers. Beaujolais AOC (the basic level, including Beaujolais Nouveau). Beaujolais-Villages AOC (39 specified villages with slightly stricter rules and usually better fruit). Beaujolais Crus AOC: ten named villages with their own appellation — Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Régnié, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, Chénas, Juliénas, Saint-Amour.

The crus

Each cru has its own personality. Fleurie is the most aromatic and elegant. Morgon is the most structured and age-worthy (particularly from the Côte du Py sub-zone). Moulin-à-Vent is the most powerful, sometimes called ‘the king of Beaujolais’ and historically the most cellarable. Chiroubles is the lightest, highest-elevation cru. Brouilly is the largest and most accessible. Juliénas and Saint-Amour produce serious wines but get less attention. The ‘Gang of Four’ producers — Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard, Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thévenet — kicked off the natural-Beaujolais revival in the 1980s.

Style of the wines

Bright cherry, raspberry, violet, sometimes a granitic-mineral edge. Tannin is low; acid is bright; alcohol typically 12-13%. Carbonic maceration (the partial whole-cluster fermentation widely used in the region) adds a distinctive aromatic profile of bubblegum and banana that’s most prominent in Nouveau and entry-level Beaujolais but moderated in the cru bottlings.

Vintages to know

2022 — concentrated. 2020 — outstanding. 2019 — exceptional. 2018 — generous, age-worthy. 2017 — fine. 2015 — superb.

Producers we know

Marcel Lapierre (Morgon), Jean Foillard (Morgon), Jean-Paul Thévenet (Morgon), Guy Breton (Morgon), Yvon Métras (Fleurie), Domaine Diochon (Moulin-à-Vent), Château des Jacques (Moulin-à-Vent), Domaine Anne-Sophie Dubois (Fleurie), Julie Balagny (Fleurie), Jean-Paul Brun’s Terres Dorées.