Beaujolais

Question 1

Beaujolais lies in which department?

Answer 1

Rhone

Question 2

Soils of Beaujolais?

Answer 2

The northern part of the region (where both Beaujolais Cru AOCs and Beaujolais-Villages
AOC are found) is hilly (200–500 m) and has fast-draining granite, schist and sandy soils.
limestone towards Maconnais which favors Chardonnay

Question 3

Beaujolais AOP produces?

Answer 3

red, white and rose

Question 4

Which are the AOP’s of Beaujolais?

Answer 4

Beaujolais AOC (reds 9%, whites 9,5)
Beaujolais Village AOC
Beaujolais Superieur AOC (reds min 10%, whites 10,5%)
Beaujolais Crus

Question 5

Name the 10 crus of Beaujolais from north to south

Answer 5

St Amour
Julienas
Chenas
Moulin-a-Vent
Fleurie
Chiroubles
Morgon
Brouilly
Cote de Brouilly
Regnie

Question 6

Beaujolais nouveau wines can be sold?

Answer 6

on the 3rd Thursday of November, just a few weeks after the harvest

Question 7

The release of Beaujolais nouveau wines, first authorized in 1951, gained worldwide popularity by the 1970s and made a household name out of ?

Answer 7

Georges Duboeuf, the region’s largest producer

Question 8

Beaujolais Nouveau may be sold as?

Answer 8

Beaujolais AOC

Question 9

White Beaujolais wines are made from?

Answer 9

Chardonnay with a little Aligote

Question 10

Officially speaking, seven additional grape varieties may be found in Beaujolais rouge – or Beaujolais rosé – in minor proportions (no more than 15 percent with two exceptions).

Answer 10

The five main subsidiary varieties are Aligoté, Chardonnay, Melon de Bourgogne, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.

Question 11

Name the 2 mutations of Gamay

Answer 11

Gamay de Bouze and Gamay de Chaudenay

Question 12

Describe St-Amour

Answer 12

Its mixed soil includes granite, schist and clay, producing wines with two different characters. One is light and easy-to-drink, with aromas of iris or violet and even raspberry. The other is powerful and complex, offering aromas of kirsch and spice from old vines.
bearing a bit of a resemblance to its much more expensive cousin to the north in Burgundy’s Chambolle Musisgny, Les Amoureuses.
Domaine des Billards and Famille Dutraive are top producers on this site

Question 13

Describe Julienas

Answer 13

the Juliénas cru benefits from excellent sunshine exposure. The average altitude varies, starting at 230 metres and reaching 430 metres in the far northwest. The AOC definitely has one of the most diverse soils in the Beaujolais: schist, diorite and sandstone as well as clay.
Spicy and fuller-bodied, the wines tend to be structured and powerful with good ageing potential.
Clos du Fief (Michel Tête), that makes a Cuvée Prestige that is one of the best wines for aging from the region.

Question 14

Describe Chenas

Answer 14

The smallest of the crus and used to be part of Moulin-à-Vent until its particular character became evident. Generally fuller-bodied, mineral wines with good purity.
Domaine Piron-Lameloise makes a “Quartz” bottling that can be dazzling after about five years in the cellar. As the name suggests, the wine comes from distinct, quartzite soils. It has a mineral intensity that veers towards a Chablis-like iodine. Domaine Thillardon is a new producer that is trying to put Chénas on the map with excellent single vineyard bottlings.

Question 15

Describe Moulin-a-Vent

Answer 15

Moulin-à-Vent is responsible for dense, earthy, powerfully structured Beaujolais. Dark and complex, Moulin-à-Vent can often age for 20+ years in bottle.
Top producers include Diochon, Chateau des Jacques (Jadot), Domaine Louis Boillot and the Chateau du Moulin-à-Vent

Question 16

Describe Fleurie

Answer 16

Fleurie wines are, without a doubt, the most feminine of the Beaujolais crus, whose pink granite soils give the wines their floral, aromatic character and silky texture.
Jean-Louis Dutraive, Jean Foillard, Yvon Metras, Domaine Coudert, Domaine Jules Desjourneys and Domaine de Moriers (La Madone) are some top producers

Question 17

Describe Chiroubles

Answer 17

These are the highest vines in Beaujolais (often on slopes with inclines over 30%), a guarantee of cool temperatures in the face of the current climate change. The Chiroubles growers are often considered “heroic”, given how physically demanding and meticulous the work is on the rugged hillsides.
The cru with the highest altitude and lowest average temperatures, leading to lively, bright, more delicate wines which are approachable early. Particularly successful in warmer vintages.
Damien Coquelet, Domaine de la Grosse Pierre and Guy Breton are some top producers

Question 18

Describe Morgon

Answer 18

The Morgon cru, overlooked by Mont du Py, is the largest of the Beaujolais crus. The famous Côte du Py is made up of decomposed shale. The appellation’s wines offer aromas of stone fruit like sour cherries, with notes of violet and kirsch. Their delicate tannins promise optimal ageing.
It has a firm minerality, thanks chiefly to its granitic soils, and a fruit profile that shades towards orange.
includes all four of the “Gang of Four,” protégés of natural wine pioneer Jules Chauvet: Jean-Paul Thevenet, Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard, and Guy Breton.
Chamonard is also top producer among many

Question 19

Describe Brouilly

Answer 19

Brouilly, the southernmost and most extensive of the Beaujolais crus.
The fruit-driven (plum, small red fruit) wines, sometimes with mineral notes, express the gamay bouquet perfectly. Brouilly wines can be enjoyed in their youth.
Pierre Cotton and Alex Foillard are two new natural wine producers that make wines in both Brouilly and the Côte de Brouilly. Georges Descombes and Pierre Chermette both make straight Brouilly that is far richer and more complex than what is typical for the Cru.

Question 20

Describe Cote de Brouilly

Answer 20

As the word “Côte” implies, the Côte de Brouilly lies on the side of a hill. Its neighbor, Brouilly (without the “Côte”), is at the bottom.
Its vines enjoy ideal doses of sunshine, and tend to produce powerful, mineral-driven wines.
Chateau Thivin is the top producer

Question 21

Describe Regnie

Answer 21

The vines are planted on slopes at an average of 350 metres in altitude, facing southeast. This appellation’s wines are light, easy-to-drink and rich in mineral elements, very aromatic, maturing quickly.
The youngest and least known of the crus which produces bright, appealing wines which generally are best enjoyed young.
It has pink granitic soils and produce a bit spicier wines

Descombes and Guy Breton, a member of Morgon’s Gang of Four, make the best examples. Antoine Sunier is a promising new producer that is specializing in the Cru.

Question 22

Coteaux du Lyonnais AOP produces?

Answer 22

Red and rosé wines are produced from Gamay; white wines contain Chardonnay, Aligoté, and Pinot Blanc.