A mixed case of Beaujolais Crus is a great gift to yourself as well as for someone special in your life
What a cool idea it is to buy oneself a case of Beaujolais wines. Is there more than one kind? Oh yes, French wines have never been simple. We all know Beaujolais-Nouveau and Beaujolais-Villages, but the whole gamut of what everyone recognizes simply as Beaujolais wine bears some scrutiny. To those who may take the time to explore the wine in a bit more depth, interesting rewards await.
Among the hundreds of kinds of Beaujolais found throughout 10,500 hectares of the defined Beaujolais wine-making area in central France, there are only ten that are considered top-notch. These are the ten varieties of Beaujolais cru — wines produced in the foothills of the Beaujolais mountains north of Lyon. Only a few of those carry the word “Beaujolais” on the label – most of them (in order to stand apart from Nouveaus and Villages) are named after villages in which they are produced. In fact, the cru villages are not allowed to produce anything else but the cru wine. Beaujolais crus deserve to be explored because of their high quality and longstanding history. The hottest gastronomical “course” of this season is possible right in your home in Boston. All you need is a palate striving for taste – we’ll provide the materials (for a fair market price, of course).
Chapter 1. On the light body of wine and matrimonial ways.
Key terms:
Cru - a) a vineyard, or a group of vineyards (as is the case with Beaujolais), especially one of recognized quality; b) a certain variety of wine produced by the cru vineyard, or a group of vineyards.
Vintage - the year or place in which wine, esp. wine of high quality, was produced.
Generally Beaujolais is a fruity red wine with a light body and medium to high acidity. It is made from Gamay variety of grape in the historic wine region of France named Beaujolais. Needless to say, wine has been made in the area for centuries. At least for 1500 years.
Roughly speaking, Beaujolais cru differs from Beaujolais Nouveau and Beaujolais-Villages in three ways: quality, place of production and capability to mature. The former is of higher quality, it is produced in only 10 small designated communes and can be aged up to 12 years, while the latter are produced everywhere else in the region and need to be consumed rather young.
Brouilly, Règniè and Chiroubles produce the most light-bodied Beaujolais crus. They are to be consumed three years after vintage.
Brouilly is one of the most productive crus located in the south of the region. This wine is notable for a load of cherry and dark berries. Brouilly is also famous for a vineyard named Pisse Vielle (literally “Piss old woman!”) which got the name from a local legend of a devout Catholic lady who misheard the local priest’s absolution to “Allez! Et ne pèchez plus.” (Go! And sin no more.) as “Allez! Et ne pissez plus.” (Go! And piss no more). When her husband learned about this, he couldn’t help but straighten her out: Pisse vielle! Piss old woman!
Règniè is the latest addition to Beaujolais crus (since 1988). The Beuajolais of Règniè is fruity and has red currant and raspberry flavors.
Chiroubles has vineyards high up in the hills which offer the lightest and probably the most balanced and fragrant of the Beaujolais crus. It is the first to be ready and should be consumed within two years.
Chapter 2. Location, location, location.
Medium-bodied Beaujolais include Ĉote de Brouilly, Fleurie and Saint-Amour. They are to be consumed within four years after vintage.
Wines from Ĉote de Brouilly are considered superior to those of Brouilly due to higher and better location of the vineyards. They have a richer body and higher sugar levels. Ĉote de Brouilly is best drunk between one and three years after the vintage.
A good Fleurie will surprise you with a lot of fruit, abundant floral bouquet and velvety texture. It is easy to drink when young, but even better if left for a couple of years. Here in the US this cru is one the most widely imported and loved ones.
Saint-Amour is one of the most northerly of the Beaujolais crus. It is also one of the smallest. Saint-Amour is usually light and delicate. It’s best enjoyed both when young and aged.
Chapter 3. Age matters.
Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent make up a large group of robust full-bodied Beaujolais crus. They need more time to age and they are to be consumed within four to ten years after vintage.
Moulin-à-Vent is described as “the King” of Beaujolais, it is one the most expensive crus and, certainly, the most age-worthy. It is ruby-red in color and is a powerful and well-structured wine that can still impress after ten years.
Close to the Moulin-à-Vent is the area of Chénas. Beaujolais from this cru is rich and concentrated, with aroma of wild roses. The cru is named after the oak forests that have gradually been replaced by the vine since medieval times.
Morgon produces some memorable Beaujolais. The wines there are deep in color with plenty of body and earthiness, developing exotic fruit flavors (apricots, peaches) as they age.
Finally, Juliénas includes some of the oldest wine-producing sites of Beaujolais. The name is said to originate from Julius Caesar. Juliénas develops plenty of body two to four year after the vintage. Rich, spicy aromas reminiscent of peonies ripen beautifully with age.
Chapter 4. Never drink alone – bring in some cheese.
Although the textbook combination of wine and cheese would prescribe that both come from the same region, for your Beaujolais 101 you can freely pick cheeses originating outside Burgundy. Epoisses de Bourgogne, a famous cheese washed with marc de Bourgogne, will perfectly match the full-bodied Beaujolais. Some hard pressed cheeses like Emmental, Abondance, Comte, Gruyere are a very good choice too. Cheeses like Langres (Champagne), Tomme de Savoie, aged Chevre will pair nicely with medium-bodied wines. Try a young Brie, Camembert, fresh goat cheese with the light-bodied Beaujolais. Serve your cheese of choice at room temperature with French bread or baked Crostini crackers. In Beaujolais, it is common to serve cru wines cooled down to 60-62°F.
Chapter 5. Practical exercises.
Call DeLuca’s Market on Charles St. at 617.523.4343 to order your mixed case of Beaujolais crus. Prices vary from 11.99 to 29.99 per bottle. We give 10-15% discounts and free delivery for one case of wine or more. We’ll supply you with some cheese too, if you want. Enjoy your Beaujolais 101, and don’t hesitate to meet us in our “office hours” to chat about wine. DeLuca’s is open Mon-Sat 7am-10pm, Sun 7am-9pm.
This article was created with the help of Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine, Wikipedia and New Oxford American Dictionary.
