NL 48: Beautiful Beaujolais
and a wine quiz!
Beaujolais Basics
Beaujolais is situated just below Burgundy, in France. Whilst it is administratively part of the Burgundy region, for wine purposes, it is best considered separately.
Most of the wine produced (>95%) is red, using the Gamay grape. Much of the white grapes, Chardonnay, have been used in Crémant de Bourgogne or sold under Bourgogne labels, but are now increasingly sold, by individual growers, as Beaujolais Blanc.
Beaujolais Nouveau Day is the 3rd Thursday in November, when a surprising amount of that year’s wine is released for sale. These often derided Noveau wines have recently been re-positioned, giving the chance to sample early but well made wines of the vintage.
I have been an enthusiast for Beaujolais for a very long time, and although the region has experienced its ups and downs, there have always been individual producers making super wines.
Currently it is very much on the up (although in the context of the overall depressed wine market), riding the major trend for lighter, less tannic, lower strength red wines - ably supported by the new breed of wine producers.
Exploring Beaujolais, right up to the very best bottles, is affordable. Really excellent examples can be found under £20, and exceptional bottles, with some age, for under £30.
Beaujolais Wines
The map below shows the wine categories.
Beaujolais AOC is the base level, and produces lighter, lower strength wines. There is also a Beaujolais Supérieur sub division - from the same areas, but with stricter yield and alcoholic strength requirements.
Beaujolais Villages AOC covers 38 designated communes. Some of these (not very common in the UK) may be single commune wines, and allowed to indicate that on the label.
Beaujolais Crus These are the 10 areas that have their Cru name on the label, with no requirement to add Beaujolais! So a buyer of a bottle of, say, Brouilly might not be aware that the wine comes Beaujolais.
Now here’s some fancy labelling! Three of Grégoire Hoppenot’s (top right) 2024 Fleurie wines from different parcels, as indicated on the vineyard map on the labels.
Choosing Wines
The style of the wines can vary. If one wants a simple light fruity wine, then a basic Beaujolais AOC or even a Noveau can do the job, and can be found, inexpensively, in most supermarkets. These are particularly versatile - those who are not naturally red wine drinkers often enjoy these, and they can be successfully paired with salmon and tuna as well as lighter meat or vegetarian dishes.
The most widely available Cru wines are Fleurie, Morgon & Moulin-á-Vent - sometimes found for around £13. At these prices the Fleurie is likely to be pleasingly light and fruity. Possibly also the other two, although those Crus are often/usually more serious wines, at higher prices, and can be age worthy. Wines produced by respected companies such as Maison Louis Jadot or Mommessin are worth seeking out - they are more expensive, even for their Beaujolais Village offerings, but are consistently reliable.
Waitrose stock some quite serious examples - a Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent Roches, a super wine at £20, which would be a compelling buy when on offer. Around this price level one can find excellent wines, from all the Crus, produced by smaller growers, at most independent wine merchants.
One can generalise about the styles of the individual Crus. For example, I seek out Chiroubles wines as they “should be” (but sometimes are not) quite light, really charming, often with a touch of violets on the nose. And I usually buy a Chénas when found, as they are quite rare and often provide great value. But frankly, I think the producer is more important than the Cru. Many, even small producers, have parcels of wines in multiple Crus - so that can be an interesting and effective way to explore the differing Cru styles.
Discovering good small producers and discovering their styles, and the characteristics of the different vintages, can provide great pleasure at affordable prices.
Some Tastings
A Supermarket Trio
2025 Fleurie, Maison Riveraine, 12.5% abv, M&S £13
2023 Fleurie, Laurent Delaunay, 13% abv, Morrisons £11
2024 Beaujolais-Village, Coteaux Granitiques, Mommessin, 12.5%, Waitrose No 1, £14.75, on offer at £11.75
The M&S wine was a text book example of a lighter style Fleurie. They also do a straight Beaujolais AOC, a Villages and a Morgon. So worth exploring, and buy all 4 and you get a 10% discount!
The Morrisons’ wine had a slightly earthy feel, and was good value. I note that the Delaunay Chablis, also available at Morrisons, recently got rave reviews from Tom Gilbey.
The No 1 wine had good depth and colour, a fine example of a Village wine, good value at the offer price. Interestingly Mommessin produced a Coteaux Granitiques for Sainsburys Taste the Difference range for many years. I bought a lot of it. But this has been replaced by a Beaujolais Supérieur at £12.50, Nectar Price £10.50. (See picture, above right) Haven’t tried this new blend, but any Mommessin wine is worth a punt.
Two from Wickhams
2023 Moulin-Á-Vent, Vierre Manin, Benjamin Passot, 13.5%, Wickhams Wines £25 (sold out)
2023 Chiroubles, Cercillons, Benjamin Passot, 13%, Wickhams Wines £19.50
These are good examples of wines from a young producer. In 2017 Benjamin created his Beaujolais domaine in Juliénas, and today the estate owns more than 3.5 hectares of vines, including in Moulin à Vent, Morgon, Chiroubles, and Chénas.
Both of these wines opened up beautifully with some air, and continued to evolve over the following day. So decanting (or more time in bottle) would really help. The Chiroubles was a classic example, light and elegant. The Moulin was fuller and with real depth of flavour.
The Wine Society Walk-around Growers’ Tasting
As soon as this event was announced I bought 2 tickets, and booked an overnight stay at the venue, The Spa Hotel, Tunbridge Wells. As big Beaujolais fans we relished the chance to chat to the producers and perhaps the TWS Buyer, Victoria Mason, MW?
There were 39 wines on show, so I will limit myself to showing the pictures of five of my favourite producers, and list some of the wines that I subsequently purchased. Full descriptions and tasting notes can be found on The Wine Society website.
2024 Beaujolais Quincié, Stéphane Avirone, 13% £10.95
2024 Chenas, Stéphane Avirone, 12.5% £12.95
2024 Beaujolais-Villages Les Vignes de Lantignié, Jean-Marc Burgaud 12.5% £13.95
2024 Chiroubles, Elisa Guérin, 12.5% £23
2024 Chiroubles, Saint Roch Organic, Domaine Joseph Burrier, 12.5% £20
2024 Fleurie Les Moriers, Domaine Grégoire Hoppenot 12.5% £27
All the producers were friendly and engaging, and Victoria Mason, MW, bubbling with enthusiasm, spent the whole time happily mingling with producers and members. Great tasting!
Want to Geek Out?
Between 2009 and 2018, at the request of Inter Beaujolais, a colossal field study was carried out to give a detailed cartography of the area. In 2018, Beaujolais was classified UNESCO Global Geopark. So you can geek out on this and also explore the Beaujolais website - where there are videos and lots of information.
Let’s Talk Vintages
One blot on the Beaujolais landscape is the increasing alcohol levels. “Great vintages” such as 2022 were, for me, producing some over-ripe wine styles. In contrast 2024 got early bad press for being the “worst” vintage for many years?
I asked Dan Farrell-Wright, a Beaujolais enthusiast from Wickhams Wines, for his views.
“While 2022 was widely hailed as one of the great Beaujolais vintages, and growers were understandably delighted with both the quality and quantity of the harvest, I found many of the wines almost too successful. The heat produced generous, concentrated and often opulent wines, but sometimes at the expense of the freshness and vitality that I look for in Beaujolais. There are some excellent wines from the vintage, but personally I prefer a more classical style.
That is one reason why I have a particular fondness for 2023. The wines combine ripe fruit with freshness, perfume and balance. They have plenty of concentration, but also the lift and energy that make Beaujolais such a distinctive and enjoyable region. For me, it is a more classical expression of Beaujolais than 2022.
2024 was cooler again, but also exceptionally wet. I heard stories of tractors being abandoned in vineyards because they became stuck in the mud. Yields were significantly reduced and quality is quite variable, making producer selection more important than usual. Those growers who managed their vineyards carefully have made some excellent wines, but it is certainly a vintage where you need to know where to look.
The 2025 wines suggest that the warmer style seen in 2022 may not have been a one-off. The growing season was hot, with rain arriving late in August, and the Beaujolais Nouveau wines showed plenty of concentration and ripe fruit while retaining enough acidity to stay balanced. It may be that this richer, more opulent style is something Beaujolais drinkers will increasingly have to get used to as the climate continues to change.”
Thank you, Dan.
My evidence from the TWS event confirms that 2024s from good producers, are showing very well - with restrained alcohol levels. Happy Days!
Editor’s Note:
We now have a new feature - a wine quiz compiled by Keith. I have put the answers in a Note which will be simultaneously published. To access this (and all previous Notes), go to our website and select the ‘Notes’ tab at the top. No cheating, no prizes, good luck!
Part 1: GRAPE VARIETY ANAGRAMS
BE CALM
IRON ON TIP
SIR NIGEL
SEEING SOAVE
MINERAL PLOT
ANGLICAN BUS VAN
PREUNION ITEM
RISKY OATS
GERMAN SONGS
NEVER RETURN GILL
Part 2: LINKS
Central Otago in New Zealand and the Willamette Valley Oregon USA both have a reputation for producing a red wine? Which one?
What is the geographical link between the Bordeaux, Southern Rhône, and Piedmont wine regions in Europe?
What is the link between all the 5 wine regions mentioned above?
Part 3: WINE ECONOMICS
1. France has announced a plan this year to tackle wine overproduction by providing vineyard owners with financial support to dig up vines.
a) How much land are they seeking to clear? 12000, 18000 24000 or 28000 hectares?
b) Approximately how many applications been submitted? 2000, 4000, 6000?
c) Reports on this initiative quote other statistics including 40 litres, 120 litres, and 15%. What might these figures refer to in this news story?
2. Which two French champagne houses have a significant financial investment in sparkling wine production in England?
Bollinger – Krug – Moët & Chandon – Pol Roger – Pommery - Taittinger
3. 5 year data suggests Bulgaria and Greece are ‘wine self-sufficient’ – i.e wine production and wine consumption are just about equal.
a) Which country in the world produces 629% more wine than it consumes?
b) Which country only produces 1% of the wine it consumes?
c) Which of these were the top 3 export markets for Spanish wine in 2025? - Netherlands, France, USA, UK, Germany?
Part 4: GRAPES BY ANOTHER NAME
Niellucio, Prugnolo Gentile, and Morellino are ‘local’ names for which common grape variety?
Tinto Fino, Tinto del País, Tinto de Toro, Tinta Roriz, and Aragonez are synonyms for another common grape? Which one?
Remember answers on a Note on our website!
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Coming up
Newsletter No 49 (13th June)
Paul Davies - Alentejo & Failed Nuns + Dave Cronin’s Book of the Month Review
In our Sister Publication, MidWeek Wines (15th June)
More Monday Top Tips from Brian Elliott
Newsletter No 50 (18th June)
Dave Cronin - Sparkling Rioja + Keith Evans’ Unusual Grape No 9
Note: Our ‘Thursday” Newsletters are usually published on Wednesdays at 19.00. And our new initiative, “Saturday” Newsletters will be published on Fridays at 19.00. Brian’s Monday posts are published early on Monday mornings.
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Great information about Beaujolais, it's a day still celebrated in Wales. It's a wine I like but don't drink very often and an area we drive through on our French holidays but haven't stayed in, something to remedy maybe.
Great summary of Beaujolais.I have always rated Wickhams . I like Clos du Vieux Bourg, Beaujolais Blanc 2020 from Wickhams,which is just Chatdonnay but grown in the Beaujolais region. At £16.65, but a high class Chardonnay.
The quiz is good fun as well