4 - Beaujolais

Question 1

Describe the situation, climate and soils of Beaujolais

Answer 1

Situation: immediately south of Maconnais

Climate: continental, bit warmer than Burg

• Adequate rain (740mm)
• Saone moderates temps
• Mistral –> flowering + damage due to Gamay’s thin skins
• Hillier in the north (200-500m) –> S/SE slopes + Mistral = ??

Soils: north has granite, schist and sand, south has richer soils

Question 2

Describe Gamay including budding/ripening, vulnerabilities, and yields

Answer 2

Early budding, early ripening

Thin skin –> rot

Vulnerable to: spring frost, millerandage, rot, wind

Question 3

How can growers mitigate the impact of the Mistral? (3)

Answer 3

Mistral can cause millerandage and damage ripe Gamay due to thin skins

1. Plant on sloped sites with a southerly orientation
2. Orientate row N-S
3. Train low to the ground

Question 4

How does Gamay express differences in vineyard sites?

Answer 4

Ripeness variation esp skins/seeds

Slopes –> sunlight + drainage + Mistral

Orientation –> sunlight + Mistral

Soils –> granite is warmer

Fruit ranges from green leafy to intense fruit

Question 5

How can you control the yield of Gamay to improve ripeness?

Answer 5

Reduce number of buds by pruning shorter

Question 6

Why might a grower switch from bush vines to trellising?

Answer 6

Bush vines provide protection from wind and have lower yields –> better suited to HQ wine production

Trellised vines allow for mechanisation e.g. canopy trimming –> reduce labour costs

Bush vines common for top quality wines and on slopes (as mechanisation not possible)

Question 7

How are most grapes harvested?

Answer 7

By hand, even for inexpensive wine, as whole bunch used frequently

Question 8

Where is Chardonnay grown?

Answer 8

North of Beaujolais on the border is Maconnais - does best on marl/limestone soil - why?

Question 9

What proportion of production is from Gamay?

Answer 9

98%

Question 10

How much wine does Beaujolais produce?

Answer 10

Similar level to the whole of Burgundy

Question 11

Which organisation was founded in Beaujolais?

Answer 11

Terra Vitis - lots of interest in sustainable, organic viticulture

Question 12

Describe the winemaking for most Beaujolais (5)

Answer 12

• Chaptalisation common
• Semi-carbonic - short maceration of 4-5 days
• Press and free-run blended –> impact on colour and tannin
• Short ageing in SST
• Released young

Question 13

How does the winemaking of Beaujolais-Village and cru differ from most?

Answer 13

Longer maceration - 6-9 days for BV and 10-20 days for cru

Destemmed + crushed fruit may be used instead of wholebunch

Ageing in small/large oak, with some % of new oak

Result: deeper colour, more body, more tannin

Question 14

What flavours does semi-carb add?

Answer 14

Kirsch, banana and blueberry

Question 15

Describe the winemaking and style of Beaujolais Nouveau

Answer 15

Carbonic or semi-carbonic

Malo is optional given they are bottled 3-5 days after alcoholic ferment

Fining + sterile filtration + high SO2 for stability

Very light-bodied and fruity

Question 16

Compare the wines of Beaujolais and Beaujolais Village in terms of vineyards, yields, style and quality/price.

Answer 16

Vineyards: most of Beaujolais in the south (richer soil, flatter), B-V mostly in northern area (slopes, poorer soils)

Yield: max yield 60 hL/ha in B vs slightly lower 58 hL/ha in B-V

Style: Beaujolais are fresh and fruity and some have low flavour intensity, B-V are deeper in colour with more intensity, more body and slightly more complexity. Best B-V may be oak-aged and made from old vines.

Quality-Price: Beaujolais is good/inexpensive, B-V is good-VG/inexpensive-mid-priced

Question 17

Compare the style of regular Beaujolais-Village and top quality B-V

Answer 17

B-V: purple, med intensity, red fruit + semi-carbonic flavour, med(+)-high acid, light-med(-) body, med alcohol, light-med tannin. Good-VG/inexpensive-mid-priced.

Top-quality - old vines and oak combined with organic viticulture and low intervention –> med(+) - pronounce, med tannin. VG-out/premium-SP

Question 18

Compare and contrast the following crus and their wines:

Moulin-a-Vent

Fleurie

Chiroubles

Morgon

Brouilly

Answer 18

Moulin-a-Vent - powerful, similar to Cote d’Or

Fleurie

• north has clay –> less acid, more body
• south has sand –> lighter, fragrant

Chiroubles - highest altitude, more acid, less body, fragrant

Morgon - pronounced black cherry, more tannin –> ageability

• Home to S-facing Côte de Py vineyard

Brouilly - most southerly –> warmth but makes wine in a lighter style

Question 19

Where has investment in Beaujolais come from and what have been the effects?

Answer 19

Cote d’Or winemakers looking to diversify –> cheap land –> bringing less carbonic and more oak esp in crus

Question 20

Describe the structure of Beaujolais

Answer 20

Large landholdings - 10ha

Most growers sell to co-op (25% of sales) or negociants

Question 21

Where is most Beaujolais sold?

Answer 21

60 domestic / 40 export

Domestic: most via direct and specialist wine shops

Export: Japan (loves Nouveau), USA, UK (Villages and cru)

Question 22

Outline trends in Beaujolais sales since the 1950s (3)

Answer 22

Beaujolais Nouveau - promoted by George Duboeuf since 1964 –> new markets and better awareness of region

Crus - attention from high involvement wine consumers and prices have risen

More demand as cost of Burgundy red has risen

Question 23

How much Beaujolais by volume is Nouveau?

Answer 23

~1/4