In Beaujolais, the union of granite-covered sandy and clay soil with Camay grapes, which almost never gives anything out of the ordinary, gives rise to a fresh, lively, light, but infinitely tasty wine with fruity aromas.
Lightness is a debatable virtue, and even wine enthusiasts may not think about Beaujolais for most of the year. However, for several weeks every November, when the new vintage wine appears, it persistently reminds
About myself.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, the young Beaujolais (Beaujolais Nouveau) was extremely popular: the festival of the next harvest became a truly global celebration, as if memories of ancient bacchanalia came to life in people's memory. Such a quick profit is to the liking of any winemaker, but only Beaujolais can provide it.
However, you have to pay for everything. At the peak of Beaujolais' popularity in 1992, almost half of all stocks were sold immediately, so there was little incentive to produce more serious wine. As a result, the attitude to quality suffered, and in some cases the quality of wine itself.
Beaujolais extends for 55 km from the hills south of Maconay, at the southern tip of Burgundy, to the flatter country northwest of Lyon. It produces twice as much wine as the whole of Burgundy, and, as you might expect, this region is far from homogeneous.
According to the type of soil, it is sharply divided into two parts, and the border runs along the valley of the small river Nizerand lying to the north of Villefranche, the capital of the region. To the south of it lies the Lower (Bas) Beaujolais, painted green on the map, the soil here is clayey, the wines are ordinary. The local villages are in obscurity. All they can boast of is an extra degree of strength to qualify their wines as Beaujolais Superieur. Almost 70 million liters of wine are drawn and drunk from this deep well every year.
Very fresh, young (and natural), it can be the main bistro wine served in the famous bouchons (small drinking establishments) of Lyon in jugs (pot). Increasingly, the alcohol content in it is increased by adding sugar, sacrificing a sharp, almost stinging taste and lightness. Ordinary wines of the Lower Beaujolais, even if they are well harvested, are rarely stored: the local clay soil is too cold for Camay to reach its fullness of taste.
The northern part of the region, the Upper (Haul) Beaujolais, lies on granite, sheltered by a variety of sandy soils that absorb water well, are warm and allow Camay to ripen to perfection. The 39 local villages or communes, marked on the blue or lilac colored part of the map, have the right to appeal. Their vineyards climb the western wooded slopes to over 450 m.
For Beaujolais-Villages, even young, but very concentrated, it is always worth paying more. On the other hand, by the end of November, it does not reach its climax, requiring (and deserving) at least three months of aging in the bottle. Only a few bottling producers use the names of the Beaujolais-Villages communes. The main part of the Beaujolais is sold by merchants who make various blends according to the tastes of their customers.
Ten of these communes, marked in crimson on the lilac part of the map, have the right to put their names on the labels. These Cru Beaujolais, shown in detail on the map of the next section, lie south of the Maconnais, near Pouilly-Fuisse. Small quantities of Beaujolais Blanc are also produced in this northern region - in fact, some of the villages may sell their red wine as Beaujolais-Villages and their white wine as Macon-Villages.
Camay is in his element here. Local growers do not use trellises, each vine gets its own support. These plants are somewhat reminiscent of people: upon reaching the age of 10, they are no longer involved in their formation, they are simply tied with a willow rod. The Camay vine can live as long as a human.
Beaujolais is traditionally made by carbonic acid maceration, when whole bunches are placed in a vat, and the grapes, at least in the upper part of the vat, undergo a process of accelerated fermentation, which brings out the characteristic aroma and taste of the fruit and minimizes the content of tannins and malic acid. After 3-4 days of maceration, the grapes are crushed and the fermentation is completed in the vat (already without the skin), which again minimizes the viscosity. A month after harvest, the wine is ready for filtering, bottling, labeling, shipping and drinking.
Far from the western edge of the map, beyond the mountain range in the upper Loire Basin, are three far more modest, but also Camay-faithful regions. Cote Roannaise, located on the southern and southeastern slopes of the Loire near Roanne, is also based on granite, and several local domains are able to produce wines that are as refreshingly clear as Beaujolais in its purest form.
Further south is the excellent Cotes du Forez growing Camay. Located in the heart of France near Clermont-Ferrand, Cotes d'Auvergne produces light Camay red and rosé wines, as well as a small amount of light white wine.
Harvesting near the village of Fleurie. Beaujolais is one of the few French wine regions where this process is not mechanized, as the grapes must remain intact.
Many farmers grow grapes in these hills in the north of the region, a detailed map of which is given on the next page. The so-called Nsh Beaujolais rarely use this name on their labels, so it's worth remembering the ones marked crimson on the map.
Of all the Beaujolais wines, the most famous is Beaujolais Nouveau, a young, cheerful, light wine, whose appearance is celebrated every year on the third Thursday of November. Its success even somewhat overshadows other Beaujolais names, in particular Beaujolais Villages and Beaujolais Ten Crus (Crus du Beaujolais), sophisticated wines with an exquisite varied bouquet.
Beaujolais produces predominantly red wines from a single red grape variety.
Reds: Game (gamay) - the main grape variety in Beaujolais. Refreshing light wines with bright aromas of cherries and raspberries are made from it, excellent for drinking chilled on a hot summer day.
White: Chardonnay (chardonnay) - rare white wines Beaujolais Blanc (Beaujolais Blanc) are produced from this grape variety.
Beaujolais Nouveau
The Feast of Young Wine Beaujolais is a very cheerful custom that is celebrated every year on the third Thursday of November and is a huge success all over the world. The holiday is also a great success in Russia. This wine is delicate, with a mild fruity taste. Indeed, very seductive, and perfect for a friendly feast!
Beaujolais (Beaujolais)
It produces red wines with fresh fruity aromas (raspberries, strawberries, bananas) that are drunk young.
Beaujolais Villages
These vineyards are like a link between Beaujolais and other cru. The wines here are more tart and less light than Beaujolais.
Ten Crus of Beaujolais (Crus du Beaujolais)
These vineyards are located in the north of the region. On local soils, Gamay grapes reveal their full potential, endowing the wines with a rich, refined and delicate aroma. Different locations, soils and microclimates give each of the ten cru Beaujolais its own unique character. The most famous are the light Chirouble, the fragrant Fleury and the denser wines of Morgon and Moulin-à-Van.
Saint-Amour
The northernmost of the ten cru Beaujolais. The wine of this area is refined and beautiful, with bright aromas of raspberries, sweet cherries and sour cherries.
Julien (Juli?nas)
Wine Julien - deep ruby color. Its noble taste combines floral (peony) and fruity aromas (strawberry, currant).
Shena
The smallest Beaujolais vineyard, owing its name to the numerous oaks that surround the village (translated from French “ch?na” – oak). This is a soft and balanced wine with spicy and fruity aromas.
Moulin-a-Van (Moulin-?-Vent)
This cru is famous for its mill (translated from French “moulin-?-vent” – windmill). The aroma of Moulin-à-Van is refined, with predominant tones of rose and notes of sour cherries and fruit pits.
Fleurie
The local wine smells of iris, violet and rose. Floral aromas and soft velvety tannins turn Fleury into one of the best wines with a bright “feminine” character.
Chiroubles
Chirouble is a wine of beautiful garnet color, the aroma is associated with floral scents (violet and peony), and the taste is subtle and refined.
Morgon (Morgon)
The Morgon vineyard gives a noble wine, the aromas of which are reminiscent of cherry, plum, peach.
rainier
Rainier is a wine that captivates with its beautiful “dress”, bright aroma of currants and raspberries, and exquisite taste.
Brouilly
It is the southernmost of the Beaujolais vineyards. Brouilly wine resembles the taste of plums, blueberries, sometimes marked by mineral notes.
Côte de Brouilly
This is a full-bodied wine with red fruit aromas, more concentrated than Brouilly.
Every year on the third Thursday of November, France celebrates the feast of young wine made from the current year's harvest - Beaujolais Nouveau. Connoisseurs around the world are looking forward to this day to enjoy the unique taste of still unripened young wine, and master winemakers make good money on this.
Beaujolais nouveau(from the French “Beaujolais nouveau”) is a young French wine made from Gamay grapes in the province of Burgundy. A holiday of the same name is celebrated in his honor, which has become one of the most famous wine events in the world.
Beaujolais wine has a sharp taste and intolerant fruity bouquet with hints of cherries, currants and raspberries. The color of the drink is red with a slight sheen. Tasters appreciate Beaujolais for its lightness and unique taste, which is difficult to confuse with other wines.
When to celebrate. According to French law, Beaujolais nouveau is celebrated every third Thursday in November. The celebrations begin at 12 midnight sharp with the phrase "Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!" - Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived!
Beaujolais wine goes on sale immediately after the end of the fermentation process. Only 6 weeks pass from the moment of harvesting to its appearance on the counter. Experts call the holiday itself a clever marketing ploy, since it is impossible to get long-term storage wine from the Gamay grape variety. But the French managed to turn this disadvantage into the dignity of their wine. Now Beaujolais Nouveau is celebrated both in Europe and in America.
Beaujolais in a glass How to drink Beaujolais nouveau
Beaujolais wine is usually served chilled to 13°C. They drink it according to the classic wine etiquette, eating white bread, sausages, cheeses, cold cuts, soups and poultry meat. A distinctive feature of Beaujolais wines is a short shelf life (about 5 months), they are sold until March next year.
The most famous brands of Beaujolais Nouveau are:
- Domaine Yvon Metras;
- Louis Jadot;
- Georges Duboeuf;
- Albert Bichot;
- Jean-Paul Thevenet.
You can also buy Beaujolais Nouveau wine in Russia. The price for a bottle starts from 600 rubles. But experts recommend drinking it only during the celebration. This is not so much a fine wine, but a holiday that can be fun to celebrate with friends.
In the midst of the nouveau madness, it's time to return to the best Beaujolais - in the incarnation of cru.
Beaujolais Nouveau is the greatest marketing success of French winemakers of the 20th century. He could only rejoice (after all, no one forces us to drink this wine, and counting other people's income is a bad form), but one fact interferes: hectoliters of nouveau hide other Beaujolais wines from the whole world. They are not suitable for mulled wine, but they can really please a thoughtful connoisseur.
Crus Beaujolais is still a big secret among French wine lovers. Outside the country, almost no one understands what it is, and the price tags of Cru Beaujolais for knowledgeable people are just a gift of fate: there are almost no other wines of such quality and at the same time so inexpensive in Europe.
10 facts about Beaujolais
The Beaujolais region is formally part of Burgundy, but has completely different soils and its own grape variety, Gamay. The name "Beaujolais" comes from the town of Beaujoux, founded in the 10th century. And the first vineyards in the region appeared in the 9th century. Beaujolais stretches for about 60 km along the Saone from Macon in the north to Lyon in the south. The largest city in the region - Lyon, as the French proverb says, stands on three rivers: the Rhone, the Saone and the Beaujolais.
Beaujolais is the only vineyard of this size (20,000 hectares) planted with gamet in the world. It became a "reserve" game after the Burgundian Duke Philip the Brave in 1395 forbade the cultivation of this variety anywhere else.
According to local legend, the crusaders went to the Promised Land not at all for the Holy Grail, but for new varieties of grapes, among which was game. Unfortunately, the legend has not been confirmed by historical evidence.
In Beaujolais, the vast majority of vineyards are very small plots (from 1 to 12 hectares) owned by independent winegrowers, who, as a rule, sell their harvest to merchants, and not local, but Burgundian ones.
On the territory of the Beaujolais region itself, less than half of the Beaujolais wines are bottled, and only about 15% of the total volume are the wines of small farms using only harvest from their own vineyards.
The Beaujolais classification distinguishes four quality levels (corresponding to four appellations): the lowest is Beaujolais Nouveau, then the “basic” Beaujolais AOC, then Beaujolais Villages and, finally, the best Beaujolais is Beaujolais Cru.
The Beaujolais Cru category is the wines of ten communes (villages) in the north of the region. Their vineyards cover just over a quarter of the total area of Beaujolais vineyards. On the labels of these wines, the word Beaujolais is not written - only the name of the Cru itself.
The wines of each of the Beaujolais crus have their own stylistic characteristics, due to some differences in soils. And even the dishes recommended for Beaujolais from different cru will be different.
Unlike most red wines, Beaujolais cru should be chilled before serving. The recommended temperature for most crus is 14°, but some should be chilled to 11-13°. The crus aging potential is 3-5 years.
Non-cru
To understand what a cru in Beaujolais is, you first need to understand the general classification of this region.
Beaujolais Nouveau (the one that arrives on the third Thursday of November) is the lowest rung of the hierarchy. The whole story of Beaujolais Nouveau is the fruit of the post-war economic boom of the 1950s. Before the Second World War, no one had heard of any “young Beaujolais” holidays, but a few years after its end, several enterprising merchants decided to shake up the perked up European market. To do this, they hired not only press agents, but also pretty models, movie stars and other beautiful and famous people who took part in a fun holiday with pleasure. And the general madness began.
Although even then Alexis Lichine (the great Bordeaux winemaker of Russian origin) wrote in his book on French wines that “this wine does not even deserve to be mentioned. Until the 1950s, it never even saw the inside of the bottle, and then some strange snobbery, on the contrary, pulled it from the cheap eateries of Lyon to world fame. A little later, the American vintner Gerald Weymax, famous for his malice, added to this the catchphrase "Asking what Beaujolais Nouveau is this year is like asking what Pepsi is this week."
Nevertheless, Beaujolais Nouveau became perhaps the most popular French wine in the world, and by the 1970s it was sold everywhere, from Alaska to Australia. The problem is that it is with his "compote" style that buyers around the world have come to associate any wine from Beaujolais. In fairness, it must be said that the next in the quality hierarchy Beaujolais AOC often corresponds to this prejudice. This appellation covers almost 10,000 hectares and supplies a huge amount of uncomplicated, lively and, occasionally, very pleasant wines. Ordinary Beaujolais is best drunk within a year after harvest, and when served, it is best to cool it down to 11 °.
The next step is Beaujolais Villages, 5850 hectares and 39 villages that have the right to write their name on the labels (but rarely do this, because these villages are not known even in nearby Lyon, not to mention other parts of France and the world). Unlike clay-limestone Beaujolais, the Beaujolais-Village appellation is located on clay soils interspersed with crystalline rocks. It is a source of attractive wines with clean berry aromas and mild flavors. They should be chilled just as much as regular Beaujolais and drunk just as quickly.
And only after Beaujolais Villages, at the top of the Beaujolais quality ladder, do we enter the world of cru.
In terms of value for money, Cru Beaujolais has few competitors in France. Nouveau, even at its best, remains "artisanal caramel", and interesting Beaujolais and Beaujoalis-Villages are always the result of a very long search. At the same time, Cru Beaujolais is a rather serious wine, and good examples in this appellation are much more common.
At the same time, both Nouveau and Cru are made from the same grape - game (if whole - black game with white juice). The key difference is in the terroirs and vinification processes.
nine plus one
So what is a cru in Beaujolais? These are ten distinct terroirs in the north of the region, where soil and microclimate characteristics make it possible to make wines that can stand on a par with excellent communal Burgundy appellations. Previously, there were nine cru, and the tenth - Rainier appeared only in 1988, after many years of research that confirmed its potential. The difficulty in understanding the crus system is that they are very different. Getting to know them is like climbing from the simplest and most short-lived wines to increasingly complex wines with great potential. If you list the crus in order of increasing complexity, then the list will look like this:
- Chiroubles
- Saint-Amour (St.-Amour)
- Rainier (Regnie)
- Shena (Chenas)
- Côte de Brouilly
- Bruilli (Brouilly)
- Fleurie
- Julien (Julienas)
- Morgon (Morgon)
- Moulin-a-Vent.
In total, they occupy about 6400 hectares. The main type of soil for all is granite, but in each cru it has its own characteristics, which explain the character of each wine. By the way, according to the law, the word “Beaujolais”, so familiar to all consumers, is not on the label of wines of this class. According to the rules of the appellations, they are marked only with the name of the cru, so it is worth remembering them.
BeaujolaisMoulin-a-Vent / Moulin-a-Vent
650 ha
Soils: Granite soils are characterized by high manganese content, which determine the unusual character of the local wines.
Style: The most famous and truly the best cru of Beaujolais. Its name comes from a strange windmill, which has long become a symbol of both Beaujolais in general and this cru in particular. This most full-bodied Beaujolais at a young age is sometimes distinguished by a slight bitterness, which disappears with aging.
Serving temperature: 14°C
Morgon / Morgon
1100 ha
Soils: The vineyards are planted on loose slate and granite gravel, which the locals call "rotten stone."
Style: Despite the strange name of the soils, the grapes on them grow beautifully and produce quite serious wines with good depth. The typical Morgon is a full-bodied wine with notes of apricots and plums and excellent aging abilities.
Serving temperature:13°C
Julien / Julienas
580 ha
Soils: Slate and clay are added to the granite familiar throughout the region. Style: Cru got its name from Julius Caesar. Not the most durable cru, although the wine of successful vintages can live and develop much longer than the 2-3 years required by the appellation standard. Adding clay to the soil "compacts" the berry flavors of cherries and strawberries.
Serving temperature: 13°C
Fleurie / Fleurie
800 ha
Soils: Granite sand.
Style: Considered to be Moulin-à-Van's main competitor in the fight for the title of "better cru Beaujolais", although they are very different in style.
A typical Fleury should be velvety, soft and fragrant like a flower bouquet: rose petals, violets and irises. In the best examples, floral aromas are complemented by berry aromas (red and black currants). It is often referred to as the most "feminine" cru.
Serving temperature: 13°C
Bruilly / Brouilly
1200 ha
Soils: Southernmost cru. In Bruilly, the soils contain more sand with granitic inclusions. The largest of all the cru is located at the foot of the hill of the same name.
Style: It is believed that it is with Bruy that it is best to start acquaintance with cru Beaujolais.
The wines of Bruilly are quite understandable, but at the same time they clearly demonstrate the differences between the cru and the usual Beaujolais - a richer ruby color and more refined aromas of plums and red berries.
Serving temperature: Approx. 12°C
Côte de Brouilly
290 ha
Soils: Cru lies on the slopes of the hill of Bruyil. Soils - a special type of volcanic rock, Andean granite, which contains a lot of copper. Often there are inclusions of slate.
Style: An almost purple wine that often smells like fresh grapes. To fully develop, it needs about a year of exposure.
Serving temperature: Approx. 13°C
Shena / Chenas
260 ha
Soils: Cru lies next to Moulin-à-Van. Soils - granite sand.
Characteristics: Due to the similarity of terroirs to Moulin-à-Vint, the wines show a characteristic bitterness at a young age, but the aging ability of Chénas is less than that of Moulin-à-Vent.
Style: Usually exhibits ruby color with garnet undertones and a bouquet with floral and woody tones.
Serving temperature: 14°C
Renier / Regnie
650 ha
Soils: A mixture of granite and sand.
Style: The style of the local wines is something between the two neighboring cru - slightly lighter than Moulin-a-Vent and Morgon, but more full-bodied than Brouilly. Graceful structure, as well as aromas of redcurrant and raspberry distinguish Renié in good years.
Serving temperature: 12°C
Saint-Amour / St.-Amour
280 ha
Soils: The northernmost cru is located already in the department of Saone-et-Loire. The only cru where the soils are not granite, but a mixture of clay and sand.
Style: Most in demand before Valentine's Day - the name, translated as "holy love", tempts all lovers to give the object of their feelings this wine. Usually in such cases one does not think about the quality of the drink itself, although Saint Amour is a very pleasant wine with characteristic violet and spicy aromas and occasional notes of apricot.
Serving temperature: 13°C
Chiruble / Chiroubles
340 ha
Soils: The highest cru, located at an altitude of 400 m above sea level. The soils are a mixture of granite and volcanic rocks, which determines the lightness of the wines.
Style: The most subtle and delicate, but at the same time the most short-lived wines of all the cru. This wine is characterized by light floral aromas of peony, violets and lilies.
Serving temperature: 12°
Many English critics write that a glass of good Beaujolais Cru will appeal even to representatives of the generation that has been grown in the last ten years on “overclocked and tuned” red blockbusters.
Who is less?
To convey to the consumer all the features of the different terroirs of the ten cru, the winemaker must make quite a lot of effort. Today, one of the topics for discussion in Beaujolais, including the cru, is the level of yield. This problem is always particularly acute in the "negotsianist" regions. The official yield in Beaujolais is 58 hl/ha for cru, 60 hl/ha for Beaujolais Villages and 66 hl/ha for regular Beaujolais. At the same time, all serious cru producers are sure that collecting more than 45 hl/ha means ruining the wine (in Moulin-a-Van, the best estates with their own vineyards try not to exceed the bar of 40 hl/ha).
Merchants interested in the quality of the final product are also in favor of reduced yields, but the only way for them to achieve this is to pay the growers the difference, and many houses have already adopted this practice. However, for the majority of winegrowers who own plots of about 6 hectares (the average size for Beaujolais), a decrease in yield (and therefore - "green harvest", pruning, etc.) is associated with additional costs that negotiant "premiums" do not fully cover yet. Any farmer in Beaujolais will say that the minimum level is 50 hl/ha, otherwise he will go broke. Therefore, smaller yields can be afforded either by large houses in their own vineyards, or by small producers who have already managed to achieve a serious international reputation, thanks to which they can keep prices for their wines slightly above average. In addition, only small wineries with their own vineyards can consistently solve the main problem of modern Beaujolais - the excessive use of chemicals. In most regions of France, lutte raisonée, that is, “reasonable control” against diseases and pests, has already become almost a commonplace, but in Beaujolais they still think more often in quantitative rather than qualitative dimensions, and quite a lot of various chemicals are used in the vineyards.
It is wrong to think that only Nouveau is made by carbon maceration, as this method is also used for other wines, including crus. However, wines above Nouveau undergo carbon maceration at a different temperature. Nouveau is macerated at 20°, when the extraction of tannins from the skins is not too active, so the wine is light-bodied, soft and with a bright bouquet of fruity aromas. More serious wines, such as Domaine Berrod's Beaujolais-Villages, go through this process at about 30°, allowing much more complete extraction of both tannins and aromatics. True, in any case, this technology makes gamay wines extremely short-lived: Nouveau is legally prohibited from selling from March 1 of the year following the harvest, and Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages, obtained using carbon maceration, can be sold longer, but still do not live more than one and a half - two years.
Yeast and sugar
The use of herbicides and pesticides, in addition to being not very good in itself, also entails great difficulties with vinification. The fact is that most of the sprays (against oidium, mildew, etc.) kill some of the natural yeast on the skin of the berries. As a result, during the fermentation process, winemakers are simply forced to add artificial yeast to the must, which destroys the “terroir” of the wine. In addition, artificial yeast is simply more technologically advanced, since it “covers up” many of the grower’s shortcomings. Those who use them say that this is necessary in order to surely bring the fermentation to the end. Mostly in Beaujolais, artificial yeast brand 71B is used. They are produced in Holland from tomatoes and they give that riot of banana flavors that are so familiar to Beaujolais and so, in general, atypical for red wines.
A few "dissidents" (such as Jean-Paul Brun of the Domaine des Terres Dorées) believe - and prove with years of experience - that conscientious work in the vineyard, the avoidance of chemicals and the careful timing of the harvest allow natural fermentation without problems .
In addition to artificial yeast, Beaujolais now has two more main vinification issues: sulfur and chaptalization. Chaptalization was unavoidable for many years, as game, as an early variety, never had a high sugar content. Recently, thoughtful winemakers are trying to move away from this practice, especially since nature itself is helping them: warming, which is doubtful for some experts, is quite obvious in Beaujolais, and grapes have been gaining more and more sugar on their own in recent years. But the use of sulfur is still being discussed. Small wineries and some individual merchants are gradually abandoning the use of artificial yeast and "extra" sulfur (adding the bare minimum and only at the end of malolactic fermentation). And it is these wines that French sommeliers and foreign connoisseurs who know the local realities hunt for.
Cru +
The different nature of the cru is also expressed in the fact that there is, perhaps, no such dish that would become an ideal companion for all ten. For each type of cruc you need to choose something different. The usual recommendations are:
- Saint-Amour, Chiroubles and Brouilly - an aperitif, with cold cuts, chicken, Saint-Marselain cheese. Americans, who have nothing sacred, advise Chiroubles with chicken nuggets;
- Côte de Brouilly - young is good for an aperitif, more seasoned - for fried and baked meat;
- Fleurie - for light snacks, fried chicken and fried lamb with herbs, especially rosemary, thyme, mint and bay leaf;
- Juliénas and Saint-Amour for chicken, white meat and rustic terrine;
- Morgon - an aperitif, also good with red meat, chicken in complex sauces and aged Saint-Marcellin cheese;
- Moulin-a-Vent - for game and meat in rich sauces, such as cassoulet. Young specimens go well with barbecue and goat cheeses.
The inscription on the Beaujolais Supérieur label does not mean anything (it is not regulated by the appellation decree) and will most likely only indicate a slightly increased alcohol level in the wine.
The expert of the wine club InWine Club Ekaterina Zakharova is decisive in her assessments:
I don’t consider the Beaujolais Nouveau holiday a scam, but I don’t see anything good in it either. Beaujolais Nouveau is a low tannin, fruity, light, primitive red wine, not intended for long aging. Due to the seeming lightness of the wine, its similarity to fruit compote, inexperienced consumers often drink too much Beaujolais Nouveau, which threatens with poisoning and a severe hangover.
According to Zakharova, the French do not always joke kindly about the holiday, reflecting this side of it in unambiguous cartoons - they are easy to find on the Internet.
Of course, no one forces anyone to drink this wine, but once launched, successful marketing technologies hardly get off track. So it turns out that manufacturers are financially interested in importers, importers - restaurateurs and wine boutiques, and the latter - consumers.
According to our wine expert, this wine is of rather low quality, which is not worth the money and the hype that is organized around it every year.
In the last ten years, in the professional world, it has become not only not fashionable, but even ashamed not only to use, but also to sell Beaujolais Nouveau. This position is close to me, I respect and support it.
Finally, Zakharova notes that the Beaujolais zone is technically included in the Burgundy region. However, it is the negative reputation of Beaujolais Nouveau wines that causes significant damage to the image of other Beaujolais wines and Gamay. According to Life's interlocutor, it is quite difficult to convince a consumer who once tasted a primitive Beaujolais Nouveau that simply Beaujolais or Beaujolais from individual villages, and even more so from well-known vineyards, can be completely different in style: more strict , tannic, elegant.
Serious wines "Beaujolais" exist, in contrast to the advertised "Nouveau" they have character, individuality and aging potential, and I would advise you to pay attention to them first of all, - the wine expert recommends. .
Wine Tour and November Highlights Bonn Hospice Wine Auction and Beaujolais Young Wine FestivalBonusTour of Lyon
6 days / 5 nights
If you are a real lover of wine, holidays, large-scale events, then you simply cannot miss a visit to France during this wine extravaganza!
Meeting in Lyon. You can fly to Paris and take a train to Lyon (2.5 hours). You can fly to Geneva. Transfer possible. Or leave from Annecy. Conditions and time of arrival and transfer are negotiated in advance.
The first part of the famous feast of young wine in a picturesque region. In Beaujolais, we will taste not only fragrant Beaujolais Nouveau, but also its 9 cru, the most famous of which are Mulan-en-van and Morgon. We will stay in a hotel at a real wine-growing chateau with a stunningly beautiful French garden surrounded by vineyards. Accommodation at the four-star Chateau de Pizay! At your service pool, spa, sauna, hammam. Large two-story rooms, generous breakfasts and a very beautiful hotel grounds.
The center of the earth this evening will be in a tent in the historic capital of Beaujolais. We are waiting for an incendiary program, a delicious dinner from the best chefs of the region in six servings accompanied by wine, and, of course, a good mood!
Part two and we are in the heart of Burgundy winemaking - Beaune. And when! At the hottest time! During the annual auction of the Bon Almshouse, where all wine connoisseurs, stars, millionaires, and just holiday lovers, as well as those who like to drink well and eat deliciously, come together)) We will taste the best wine from different territories, or rather, Burgundy appellations , hunt for black Burgundy truffle, try Burgundy cheeses, Dijon mustard, the famous cassis liqueur and much more. We will also attend a gala dinner with a real Burgundian brotherhood. Accommodation in a four-star hotel of the Mercure hotel chain in the suburbs of Beaune.
This is a unique tour, it's like a birthday - only once a year. It's not to be missed! Go book!
Tuesday 13/11
- Meeting in Lyon (possibility of transfer from Geneva, Annecy is discussed separately)
- Lunch in a traditional Lyon bouchon
- Easy tour of
- Moving in Beaujolais
- Check-in at a comfortable hotel among the vineyards at the castle and a beautiful French park
- Dinner at the gastronomic restaurant in our chateau hotel
Wednesday 14/11
- Very good continental breakfast at the hotel
- Time for SPA (for a fee).
- 12-00 Playing as a professional sommelier.
- 13-00 Cru Beaujolais tasting
- Tasting of sausages and Beaujolais specialists.
- 15-00 Transfer to the historical capital of Beaujolais - God
- A short tour of the region
- Feast of wine with glasses on the neck))
- 19-30 joint dinner hosted by winemakers of Beaujolais with a concert
- Meeting Beaujolais Nouveau, procession with torches
- 00-00 Barrel opening and young wine tasting
- pyrotechnic show
- Late return to the hotel
Thursday 15/11
- Breakfast in the hotel
- 11-30 Departure from the hotel to Burgundy
- 13:00 tasting and lunch of Burgundy wines in the Côte de Beaune appellation. Meursault, Puligny
- Check-in at a hotel in the nearest suburb of Beaune.
- Transfer to Beaune
- Evening city tour
- Dinner at a Burgundy restaurant. Dinner menu, glass of wine
- Light show on the historic facades of the city
- Return to the hotel
Friday 16/11
- Continental breakfast at the hotel
- Transfer to the truffle farm
- truffle hunting
- Lunch at a truffle farm
- Cradle of Burgundy winemaking - excursion to Clos de Vougeot
- Wine tasting of Côte de Nuits at a small family winery with divine wines.
- Return to the hotel.
- *dinner is not included, but I will book you a restaurant with a Michelin star or Bistro from the same chef if you wish. From the hotel 15 minutes on foot.
Saturday 17/11
- Breakfast in the hotel
- Visit of the famous Bon Almshouse. Even if you don't like museums, I strongly advise you to go, it's amazing!
- Walks in the festive city of Bon
- Free time, street lunch at your discretion *not included
- departure for a Gala dinner (either a star restaurant, or, I hope, you will be able to get to the solemn chapter of one of the wine and gastronomic orders of Burgundy)
- return to the hotel
- Breakfast in the hotel
- free time in Beaune
- transfer to the train station or airport of Geneva (by agreement) or Lyon. please write in advance.
Festival of young wine Beaujolais
Millions of people not only in France, but all over the world every year anxiously wait for the third Thursday of November to visit the largest Beaujolais festival. This is the day of young wine in France, which, despite its popularity, still causes controversy among consumers. Someone thinks that young wine is an unusual and unique drink, which deserves a holiday in honor of its unique taste. Others say that Beaujolais Day is just a highly successful marketing ploy by Burgundian winegrowers that helps them make big profits every year by selling a mediocre drink to an unsophisticated public.
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Of course, no one can judge the sides of this heated dispute. Each person has the right to decide for himself which explanation is closer to him. But still, no one can argue with the fact that the Beaujolais holiday is a wonderful tradition, which is one of the main decorations of the amazing country of France. Every year, Beaujolais Day brings together many people with one goal - to visit as many pubs as possible and drink at least a glass of unusual young French wine in each.
History of appearance
The celebration of the new harvest of Beaujolais began in France recently, around the middle of the twentieth century. Thanks to the wonderful taste of young wine and its unique atmosphere, this holiday in such a short time was able to gain recognition not only in France, but throughout the world. Thanks to this, New Harvest Day has become a global tradition.
The start of the celebration begins with the small town of Beaujolais, where in a single formation, armed with burning torches, they march to the main square of the city, where barrels of wine from the new Beaujolais harvest are already waiting for everyone.
The Day of Young Wine is a grandiose celebration, it pleases and amazes everyone who comes with its scale. Exactly at midnight, the barrels are uncorked and everyone can fill their glass with a delicious and unusual drink. You can easily guess how events develop further, but it’s still better to visit this gorgeous and exciting festival once than hear or read about it a hundred times. There are no analogues to this event all over the world, except that a beer festival in Germany called Oktoberfest can come to mind.
Already, many fans of Beaujolais Nouveau are in anticipation of the celebration, which will take place on the sixteenth of November in two thousand and seventeen and on the fifteenth of November in two thousand and eighteen.
How to get to Beaujolais 2019
Teise village in the Beaujolais region (France)
The famous vineyards of Beaujolais Nouveau
Buying special tours for a trip to the Beaujolais Nouveau festival is not worth it. It is national and will be celebrated throughout the country in 2019, so you can appreciate the taste and aroma of a young drink in Paris and Nice. But to visit at this time in his homeland - Bozho - is very interesting. Every year, before the opening of the holiday, a parade of winemakers with torches takes place in the region. All 3 days of the celebration on the square there is a circus big top and pleasant music plays.
How to get to the Beaujolais region
Getting there is easier from Lyon. This city has an airport, so there should be no problems with a flight from Paris (as well as Moscow and other cities). There are about thirty trains daily from Lyon to Bojo.
WE ARE JUST AMAZING. WINEMAKERS ABOUT YOUNG WINE 2018
The appearance of Beaujolais Nouveau is not only a fun gastronomic celebration, but also a significant event for the entire wine world. If you believe the modern legend, then by a glass of young French wine from Gamay you can tell how all the other “new wines” will turn out - from any other grape varieties and in various countries.
Experts are skeptical of such stories, but they agree that Beaujolais Nouveau is a mirror of the "climatic year" for almost all of France. It can be used to determine the style and character of future wines dated "2018" from other appellations of Burgundy, the Rhone Valley, Languedoc and even Alsace.
And if you remember what the summer of the outgoing year was like, then you probably understand that Beaujolais Nouveau 2018 will be juicy, bright and not at all acidic. Moreover, the climatic year was so good that the experts even dared to compare the young wine with mature samples that had already been decorated. The grapes ripened so evenly and for a long time that they ended up with a fairly full-bodied and spectacular wine, in which you can catch a complex texture and a truly ripe organoleptic.
In such a situation, we can safely say that the new "vintage", although it reflected the low potential of the harvest (other wines will also turn out bright, juicy and ripe, but not at all set up for long-term storage), it will certainly be remembered for a long time - a number of experts have already dubbed Beaujolais Nouveau 2018 is the best in many, many years!
“I have never drunk such a Beaujolais! It was the first time we saw and harvested such beautiful grapes for the first time - perfect ripeness in perfect conditions. We are simply amazed! Of course, such statements are not the best marketing, but this year I cannot say otherwise!
By tradition, two Beaujolais Nouveaus will arrive at ODOCHNI stores at once.
| Wine Beaujolais Nouveau 2018 Domaine de Pierre Doré Best price Pascal Dufair: “Volume, explosion of flavors! Autumn pleasure that allows you to forget about the routine. Tranquility, luxury, sensual pleasure. The bouquet contains hot aromas of late summer: ripe figs, elderberry, raspberries and wild strawberries, currants, spices and juniper. The taste demonstrates a real "fruity whirlwind" - delicate freshness, nuances of crushed berries and tropical fruits. The aftertaste is voluminous and powerful! |
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Pascal Dufair: “The aroma is very intense, rich, colorful and complex - it attacks with red berries, tones of grapes, plums, cherries, currant jelly, continues with hints of sweet pepper, cloves, menthol, crossed with extraordinary notes of mandarin and bergamot. The taste is rich and elastic - it reveals hints of ripe fruit compote, freshness, silky tannins and a fairly long aftertaste reminiscent of fresh jam. |
Excursions in Paris at the best prices
Unusual, creative routes designed by local residents. They know and love the city, they will tell you what to spend time on and how you can save money on a trip. All tours are conducted in Russian.
Discovering a new national holiday, the traveler learns the culture of the people, their heritage and values. The young wine festival shows the openness of the French, their ability to enjoy life. This is a great occasion to once again hug each other and smile.
French regions, cities and resorts of Provence - route. A trip to the carnival in Nice, popular French cuisine. The best in France - everything about Paris from A to Z, as well as points of interest in France. Big.
Beaujolais nouveau not comme il faut
What is Beaujolais Nouveau? Red wine from a young harvest of the Gamay variety. It owes its bright fruity aroma with notes of banana and lollipops to the production method - carbonic (or carbonic acid) maceration: the bunches are placed in a vat along with the combs, closed, the grapes are crushed under the weight of their mass, and the fermentation process is accompanied by the release of carbon dioxide. There are almost no nouveau in Beaujolais, as it is bottled already 1.5 months after harvest - hence its lightness and "compote". It is not intended for long exposure and is drunk throughout the year.
The famous French winemaker of Russian origin Sasha Lishin wrote in his book that Beaujolais Nouveau is not worthy of mention. And Parisians believe that Beaujolais Nouveau is not about wine, but about fun. They drink it either out of hopelessness, when all worthy wines have already ended, and courage needs to be continued, or - in honor of the holiday in November, moving from one bar to another to raise the level of happiness in the blood and suffer from a headache in the morning.
Other Beaujolais
In the same region of Beaujolais, there are wines of a completely different level - beaujolais-villages (beaujolais village) and cru beaujolais (cru beaujolais), they can be stored for more than three years. The only thing that unites them with Beaujolais Nouveau is the grape variety and the name of the region. Beaujolais Village is a silky wine with an enveloping floral and berry aroma, delicate on the palate. It has an ideal ratio of price and quality, the shelf life varies around two years, it harmonizes perfectly with meat dishes.
Cru Beaujolais is at the top of the pyramid: a serious wine from one of the 10 cru (dedicated vineyards with a special microclimate) in Beaujolais that can compete with Burgundy. On the labels of such wines, they no longer write “beaujolais”, but indicate the specific name of the cru, for example, fleurie (fleurie): it is considered one of the best in the category, soft and velvety, exudes the aroma of roses and violets, like in a flower bouquet. Fleury is incomparably combined with meat dishes and poultry.
Make way for the young
What is the value of young wines? In their lightness, aroma and democracy, and they are simply created to drink them young (within 1-3 years). The world has not converged like a wedge on Beaujolais Nouveau, there are many worthy alternatives.
The Portuguese "vinho verde" literally translates to "green wine". But this is not about color, but about youth. A sure way to spoil the impression is to drink it after a year. Vinho Verde is a delicate wine made from local grape varieties with a slight effervescence and explosive freshness of citrus notes, exotic fruits or sweet berries in the aroma. It will be an excellent aperitif, will effortlessly complement light salads and seafood dishes.
Most rosé and white democratic wines also do not have a high storage potential - they should be drunk within 1-3 years. With a long exposure, they lose their freshness and floweriness. The exceptions are the great wines from Burgundy, which are oak aged and can be stored for quite a long time, especially in magnums. They "ripen" and acquire a very interesting character, but this rather confirms the rule. This theory works for some red wines as well.
The prices indicated on this page are valid as of 11/15/2018.
The quantity of goods is limited.
History reference
Bojole has its own holiday in France, Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé, which is celebrated every third Thursday in November. At the same time, this fast-maturing alcohol has been made in the region of the same name since the middle of the 19th century, and the first laws that regulated the production process regarding the creation of young wine in France are dated September 8, 1951.
In particular, it should be noted that initially the wine of the current year began to be sold in the country from December 15, but due to numerous requests from Beaujolais producers, these dates were shifted to mid-late November. Subsequently, the date was changed several times by legislative acts, until in 1985 it was firmly established on the third Thursday of November.
The Beaujolais wine region has the status of an appellation controlled by origin (AOC). It is located north of Lyon, occupies part of the department of Rhone-Alpes and the southern part of Burgundy. Beaujolais is considered part of the wine region of Burgundy, but the soil and climate make the region very different from its neighbors.
Beaujolais produces more wine than the Burgundian regions of Chablis, Côte d'Or, Côte Chalonaise and Maconay combined. Most of the wines are sold a year after harvest. The vast majority of Beaujolais wines are red, but there are also whites (from Aligote and Chardonnay) and rosés. Now their share is extremely low, but manufacturers plan to increase their popularity.
Promotion of Beaujolais wines in France and abroad is carried out by the organization of producers Inter Beaujolais. According to her, the French market is now in a state of stagnation - 63% of products are supplied to it. Exports provide the momentum - Beaujolais wines are quite popular, especially in countries such as Germany and Japan. The Russian market is also growing at a tremendous pace - in 2011, Beaujolais exports to Russia grew by 167% compared to last year. In fact, exports are even greater, since a large part of the wine comes to our country through the Baltic States, and not directly.
Beaujolais has a very rich history of winemaking. The Romans began to grow grapes here. From the 7th to the 15th century, winemaking was mainly done by Benedictine monks. Until the 17th century, wines were sold in local markets and in Lyon, and in the 19th winemakers entered the Parisian market. Then they were noticed by great lovers of French wines - the British. Even then, they noted low prices and the fact that the drinks of the region are best drunk young.
The phylloxera epidemic dealt a severe blow to Beaujolais winemaking, from which it was not possible to recover without consequences. The main variety of the region, game, was almost destroyed. If in the 19th century world plantings reached 150 thousand hectares, today they are about 50 thousand hectares, 18 of them in Beaujolais.
In the 1980s, Beaujolais was at the peak of world popularity thanks to its Beaujolais Nouveau wines. From a local holiday of a young harvest, the event has grown to a global scale. Much of this was facilitated by the efforts of merchants and winemakers, such as Georges Duboeuf. They saw in time the need of people for light, fresh, joyful and cheerful wines that would not require compliance with boring formalities and wine etiquette.
But every coin has a downside: Gamay wines have come to be seen as simple, light drinks, and producers are facing an overproduction crisis. The government had to intervene in the situation, and a huge amount of wine was processed into strong alcohol.
All this prompted winemakers to pay more attention to the terroir, to work hard on the quality and taste of their wines.
In his prime
The classification of Beaujolais wines is quite simple. There are 10 cru and two AOP (protected by appellations) - Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages. AOP Beaujolais is the largest, with 12 villages in the south and east. This is where the base wines are made, most of which are sold young as Beaujolais Nouveau. About 75 million bottles are produced annually. The wines are characterized by bright aromas, pronounced floral and fruity notes. The new harvest comes out on the third Thursday of November - just at the time when people lack colors and festive mood.
In Beaujolais Village, which is located in the heart of the Beaujolais region, the soil is rocky and the landscape is hilly. This allows the production of more complex wines. Only a few of them are sold young. The drinks are characterized by a pronounced structure, high acidity, aromas of red fruits. The wines of the sub-region are generally not intended for long storage, they are best drunk within two years after production.
Ten cru Beaujolais is a real jewel of the wine region. Grapes are grown on granite and slate soils, which give the drink a special character. Beaujolais nouveau is not permitted on a cru.
Unlike Burgundy or Alsace, the word "cru" in Beaujolais does not mean a separate economy, but a certain area - i.e. Several wineries can operate on the same cru.
There are three "characters" of cru: "gentle" - Chirouble, Brouilly, Renier; "strong" - Fleury, Saint-Amour, Côte de Brouilly, Julien; "in the prime of life" - Shena, Morgon, Moulin-a-Van. The cru uses mostly manual labor, since the method of cutting the vines and the difficult terrain make it extremely difficult to use machinery.
Gamay, or rather, game noir, is the main variety of Beaujolais. It occupies 98% of the landing volume. The main characteristics of the variety are floral, fruity aromas, which are ideally revealed with the help of carbon dioxide maceration, high acidity. Gamay is a relative of Pinot Noir, which is why many refined wines made from it are similar to Pinot Noir. The variety is grown in other regions of France, as well as in Canada, the States, Switzerland, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Gamay wines are considered to be incapable of long-term aging. It is true that most Beaujolais are not meant to be stored for a long time, but some of them can be stored for decades. The high acidity makes game even more aging than, for example, syrah.
Beaujolais wines are produced by carbon dioxide maceration. Whole, not crushed clusters are placed in cement or steel containers with a capacity of 4 to 30 thousand liters. The berries below burst under the weight of the grapes. Wild yeast, which always lives on the surface of the berries, starts the fermentation process. Carbon dioxide is released, which fills the entire vat, displacing oxygen. Whole berries are in an anaerobic environment. Inside them, the fermentation process also begins, taking place under special conditions. The result is a wine with high acidity, very pronounced fruity aromas and low tannins. The whole fermentation, in the case of Beaujolais Nouveau, takes only 4 days, more serious wines ferment longer.
After alcoholic fermentation, the wine is usually subjected to malolactic fermentation to soften the overly harsh acidity. Chaptalization, that is, the addition of sugar to the must, is used less and less, as it makes the wine taste flatter.
Affordable Joy
Beaujolais wines are quite democratic in price. In France, a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau will cost a maximum of 5 euros, for a cru they will ask for 20-25. Unfortunately, wines are much more expensive in Russia, but our country is not a champion in terms of high prices. For example, in Japan, where the demand for Beaujolais is now approaching insane, for a simple Beaujolais Nouveau, you can pay the same 20 euros and even more.
Although Gamay Beaujolais is a red wine, some of its characteristics make it similar to white. Bright fruity notes, low tannins, high acidity - all this affects neither the choice of dishes and the serving temperature. As a rule, the more full-bodied the wine, the richer dishes you can choose with it.
Basic Beaujolais are served chilled to 11–13 °C as an aperitif, with salads, meat dishes, poultry, and cheeses. This drink is very versatile. Manufacturers recommend boldly experimenting with combinations - for example, it turned out that they are great for oysters.
Beaujolais village opens up better at a slightly higher temperature - 12–15 °C. Not too rich meat dishes, poultry, salads, cheeses are suitable for these wines.
