Section 3 · Still Wines of the World

Beaujolais

Beaujolais is one of the most misunderstood wine regions in France. Often dismissed as simple and fruity, it actually ranges from easy-drinking everyday wine to serious, age-worthy reds from named villages. The key to understanding Beaujolais is one grape (Gamay), one soil type (granite), and one winemaking technique (carbonic and semi-carbonic maceration).

Aroma kit focus: banana, raspberry, cherry, red currant, violet, pepper, peony

Why Beaujolais Matters

Beaujolais sits at the southern end of the Burgundy region, just south of the Mâconnais. It is technically part of Greater Burgundy, but its wines are completely different in character. While Burgundy is famous for Pinot Noir, Beaujolais is all about Gamay: a grape that produces lighter, fruitier, more immediately drinkable red wines.

For the exam, Beaujolais is important because it illustrates how winemaking technique (carbonic maceration) fundamentally shapes wine style, how a single grape on different soils produces wines at very different quality levels, and how the appellation hierarchy maps directly onto quality and price.

Key fact: Beaujolais is almost exclusively red wine from the Gamay grape. A small amount of white Beaujolais exists (from Chardonnay), but it is rare and not a significant exam topic.

Beaujolais Wine Map

Tap or hover over any area to see its key details. The 10 Crus are concentrated in the granite hills of the north.

SAÔNE RIVER BEAUJOLAIS (clay & limestone soils) BEAUJOLAIS- VILLAGES Saint-Amour Juliénas Chénas Moulin-à-Vent Fleurie Chiroubles Morgon Régnié Côte de Brouilly Brouilly THE 10 CRUS Villefranche LYON ↑ Mâconnais / Burgundy KEY Cru Beaujolais Beaujolais-Villages Beaujolais (basic) Saône River Not to scale · Study reference

The Gamay Grape

Everything in Beaujolais revolves around Gamay (full name: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc). It is a thin-skinned, early-ripening red grape that produces wines with vivid colour, low to medium tannin, high acidity, and exuberant fruit flavours, red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, sometimes banana and bubblegum (from the winemaking technique).

Gamay was once widely planted across Burgundy, but in 1395 the Duke of Burgundy famously banned it as "wicked and disloyal" because it produced too much wine of mediocre quality. It retreated south to Beaujolais, where it found its true home on the granite hills of the north.

Gamay vs Pinot Noir: Both are grown in the broader Burgundy region, but they are very different. Pinot Noir is thicker-skinned, later-ripening, more tannic, and ages longer. Gamay is lighter, fruitier, and meant to be drunk younger (with some cru exceptions). If the exam gives you a light red with high acidity, low tannin, and red fruit, think Gamay. If it's more structured with earth and mushroom, think Pinot Noir.

Climate and Soils

The climate in Beaujolais is similar to the southern Mâconnais, moderate continental, slightly warmer than the Côte d'Or to the north. Gamay is well-suited to this climate because it buds and ripens early, which reduces the risk of autumn rain damaging the harvest.

The Soil Divide

The soils in Beaujolais change dramatically from north to south, and this is one of the most important things to understand about the region:

Northern Beaujolais: Granite

The northern hills are made of granite and schist: ancient, weathered rock that breaks down into sandy, well-drained soils. These soils are low in nutrients, which naturally limits vine vigour and yields. The result is more concentrated, complex wines with better structure and ageing potential. All 10 Crus are located here.

Southern Beaujolais: Clay and Limestone

The flatter, southern part of Beaujolais has clay and limestone soils. These are more fertile, producing higher yields and simpler, lighter wines. This is where most basic Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau comes from.

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Exam Angle

The granite soils of the Cru zone are a classic cause-and-effect question. Granite → poor soil → low yields → concentrated flavours → higher quality wine. This mirrors the logic used in Bordeaux (gravel) and Burgundy (limestone slopes), the best vineyard sites have poor soils that stress the vine into producing fewer, better grapes.

Winemaking: Carbonic and Semi-Carbonic Maceration

The distinctive winemaking technique of Beaujolais is what gives many of its wines their characteristic light, fruity, aromatic style. Understanding this technique is essential for the exam.

Traditional (Semi-Carbonic) Maceration

This is the most common method in Beaujolais. Whole bunches of grapes (uncrushed) are placed into a sealed vat. The weight of the grapes on top crushes those at the bottom, which begin a normal yeast fermentation and release CO2. This carbon dioxide fills the vat, and the intact grapes at the top undergo intracellular fermentation: fermentation that happens inside the grape berry itself, without yeast.

This process extracts colour and fruit flavours but very little tannin from the skins. The result is a wine that is deeply coloured, intensely fruity, low in tannin, and high in fresh aromas, sometimes with distinctive banana, bubblegum, and candy-like notes.

Full Carbonic Maceration

A more extreme version where CO2 is pumped into the sealed vat from the start. This maximises the candy-fruit character and minimises tannin. Used mainly for Beaujolais Nouveau, which needs to be soft and immediately drinkable.

Conventional Winemaking in the Crus

Increasingly, the top Cru producers are moving toward more conventional winemaking: destemming, longer maceration, even oak ageing, to make more structured, age-worthy wines. A top Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent aged in oak can have more in common with a Burgundy Pinot Noir than with a basic Beaujolais. This evolution is an important trend the exam may reference.

Why this matters: The winemaking technique is the single biggest factor that separates the light, fruity style of basic Beaujolais from the structured, complex style of the best Crus. Same grape, same region, different winemaking decisions create fundamentally different wines.

The Appellation Hierarchy

Beaujolais has a clear three-tier system that maps directly onto quality and price. From broadest to most specific:

Beaujolais Appellation Hierarchy
Beaujolais AOP
The broadest appellation. Grapes can come from anywhere in the region, but mostly from the flatter, clay-limestone south. Light, fruity, simple wines for early drinking. Often made by full or semi-carbonic maceration. Also the source of most Beaujolais Nouveau. Accounts for about a third of total production.
Beaujolais-Villages AOP
A step up. Grapes come from 38 named villages, mostly in the granite hills of the north. More concentrated, slightly more structured, and better value than basic Beaujolais. Still predominantly fruity and meant for relatively early drinking, but with more character and depth.
Cru Beaujolais
The top tier. 10 individual village appellations in the granite north. The Cru name appears on the label without the word "Beaujolais", a label that says "Morgon" or "Fleurie" is a Cru Beaujolais. Each Cru has its own character. The best can age for 5–10 years (or more for Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon).
Label trick: A Cru Beaujolais label will not say "Beaujolais" anywhere on it. It will just say the Cru name (e.g., "Fleurie" or "Moulin-à-Vent"). This is a classic exam detail, know that these are Beaujolais wines even though the word doesn't appear on the label.

The 10 Crus of Beaujolais

From north to south, each Cru has its own personality. You don't need to memorise every detail of all 10, but knowing the most important ones and their general styles is essential. The exam tends to focus on the bold names below.

Saint-Amour

The northernmost Cru. Light, elegant, perfumed. Often compared to a delicate Fleurie. Relatively small production.

Juliénas

Rich and full-bodied for Beaujolais. Some spice and structure. Can handle a year or two of ageing.

Chénas

The smallest Cru. Full-bodied, sometimes oaked. Shares some similarity with Moulin-à-Vent in style. Relatively unknown and often good value.

Moulin-à-Vent

Most age-worthy Most structured

Often called the "King of Beaujolais." The most powerful and age-worthy of all the Crus. The manganese-rich granite soils are thought to contribute to its distinctive depth and structure. With age, Moulin-à-Vent can develop earthy, truffle-like notes that make it resemble a Burgundy Pinot Noir. Many producers here use oak ageing and longer maceration. Can age 10+ years in great vintages.

Fleurie

Most elegant Most perfumed

Known as the "Queen of Beaujolais." Elegant, silky, and intensely floral, violets, roses, and peony aromas alongside red fruits. A benchmark for what Gamay can achieve in terms of finesse and charm. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture.

Chiroubles

The highest-altitude Cru. Light-bodied, delicate, and aromatic. Best drunk young. Often considered the most "typical" Beaujolais character among the Crus.

Morgon

Most robust Age-worthy

Full-bodied and robust, with dark cherry and stone fruit flavours. The best vineyards are on the Côte du Py, a volcanic hill with decomposed schist soils. Morgon wines age well and develop earthy, complex character over time. Along with Moulin-à-Vent, this is the Cru most likely to be aged in oak and cellared.

Régnié

The most recent Cru (added in 1988). Light and fruity, similar in style to basic Beaujolais-Villages but with slightly more depth. Not heavily tested on the exam.

Côte de Brouilly

The inner, steeper slopes of the Brouilly hill. More concentrated and structured than regular Brouilly, with blue volcanic stone (pierre bleue) contributing mineral character. Higher altitude means cooler temperatures and later ripening.

Brouilly

The largest and southernmost Cru. Round, soft, and fruity. Less complex than the northern Crus but generous and approachable. Good introduction to Cru Beaujolais.

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Exam Focus

The three most important Crus to know in detail are Moulin-à-Vent (most structured and age-worthy), Fleurie (most elegant and perfumed), and Morgon (most robust). If you can describe these three and explain what makes them different from basic Beaujolais, you're well prepared.

Beaujolais Nouveau

Beaujolais Nouveau is wine released in the same year it is harvested, specifically on the third Thursday of November, just weeks after the grapes were picked. It is made using carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration to produce a wine that is light, fruity, and ready to drink immediately.

The style is deliberately simple: low tannin, vivid fruit (banana, strawberry, bubblegum), light body, fresh acidity. It is not meant to age, drink it within a few months of release.

The Nouveau phenomenon: In the 1970s and 1980s, Beaujolais Nouveau became a global marketing sensation, with the race to deliver the first bottles becoming a media event. However, this success had a downside, it gave many consumers the impression that all Beaujolais was cheap, simple wine. The reputation of the Cru producers suffered as a result, and the region has spent decades working to rebuild its image as a source of serious, terroir-driven reds.

Beaujolais Nouveau (and the similar Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau) cannot be released before the third Thursday of November. Wines labelled as Beaujolais Nouveau are always from the most recent vintage and are made for immediate consumption.

Beaujolais vs Burgundy: How They Compare

Because Beaujolais sits right next to Burgundy (and is technically part of the same administrative region), comparing them is a natural exam question.

Factor Beaujolais (Cru) Burgundy (Côte d'Or)
Main grape Gamay Pinot Noir
Soil Granite, schist Limestone, clay, marl
Winemaking Often semi-carbonic maceration Conventional (destemmed, longer maceration)
Tannin Low to medium Medium (fine-grained)
Body Light to medium Medium (light to medium in cooler sites)
Fruit character Red fruits, banana, floral Red fruits, earth, mushroom, spice
Ageing potential 1–5 years (top Crus: up to 10+) 5–20+ years (Premier & Grand Cru)
Price Excellent value (€8–25 for Crus) Expensive to very expensive
The overlap zone: The best Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon producers, using conventional winemaking and oak ageing, produce wines that can genuinely be confused with Burgundy Pinot Noir in a blind tasting. This blurring of boundaries is a testament to what Gamay can achieve on the right soils with careful winemaking.

What Beaujolais Tastes Like: SAT Notes

Basic Beaujolais / Beaujolais-Villages

SAT Profile, Basic Beaujolais
Appearance
Medium ruby with purple hints. Medium intensity.
Nose
Red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, banana, bubblegum, pear drop (from carbonic maceration). Fresh and bright.
Palate
Dry. Low tannin. Medium(+) acidity. Light to medium body. Low to medium alcohol. Short to medium finish.
Quality cues
Freshness and vibrant fruit. Meant for early drinking. Best served slightly chilled (12–14°C).

Cru Beaujolais (Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon)

SAT Profile, Cru Beaujolais (top tier)
Appearance
Medium(+) ruby. Can develop garnet with age.
Nose
Dark cherry, black cherry, violet, peony, pepper, sometimes earth and mushroom with age. If oak-aged: spice, vanilla.
Palate
Dry. Medium tannin (soft to firm depending on winemaking). Medium(+) acidity. Medium body. Medium alcohol. Medium to long finish.
Quality cues
Complexity, depth, balance. Can show terroir expression. The best examples improve with 5–10 years of bottle age.

Quality Levels and Price

Beaujolais represents some of the best value in French wine:

Value play: Cru Beaujolais is widely considered one of the best value propositions in French wine. A €15 Morgon can deliver complexity and pleasure that rivals a €50+ Burgundy village-level Pinot Noir. For students and young drinkers, Beaujolais is an ideal entry point into serious French red wine.

Aroma Kit Integration

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Beaujolais Aroma Session (15 min)

Pull these from your kit: banana, raspberry, cherry, violet, pepper. Smell each individually, then try to identify them blind. The banana/bubblegum note is the telltale sign of carbonic maceration, train yourself to spot it immediately.

Wine drill: Compare a basic Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages (chilled to 13°C) with a Cru Beaujolais (Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent, at 15°C). Write full SAT notes for each. Focus on: tannin level, body, fruit complexity, and finish length. Can you taste the difference between the simple semi-carbonic style and the more serious, conventionally made Cru?

Budget-friendly: A Beaujolais-Villages (~$10–15) next to a Morgon or Fleurie (~$15–22) makes an excellent and affordable study pair.

What the Exam Expects You to Know

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Short Answer Strategy

A typical Beaujolais exam question might ask: "Describe the factors that account for the differences in style between basic Beaujolais and Cru Beaujolais." Your answer should cover: soil (clay vs granite) → yields (high vs low) → winemaking (carbonic vs conventional) → resulting style (light & fruity vs structured & complex). Hit all four points and you're in strong shape.

Active Recall Prompts

Close this page and try to answer these from memory: