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| Vineyards surrounding Mont Brouilly in the summertime. |
"Uproot, destroy and set to waste the bad and disloyal plant of Gamay, a plant that yields great quantities of wine..., wine of such nature that it brings much harm to human creatures, for it is full of tremendous and horrible bitterness." - Philip the Bold
It's safe to say that Philip the Bold (1342-1404) was not a fan of Gamay. Although it sounds like a pissed off blog post from the 14th century, Philip the Bold happened to be the Duke of Burgundy and his distaste for Gamay led to a law in 1395 forever eradicating the grape from the vineyards north of the Mâcon. Winemakers continued to grow it south of the Mâcon, where it fared much better under different soil and climate conditions; finding its permanent home in Beaujolais.
The Beaujolais region covers about 30 miles north to south and is roughly 7-8 miles wide. Aside from its slightly warmer climate, the main difference between it and the rest of Burgundy is the composition of the soil. While Burgundy is rich with limestone, Beaujolais is best known for its granite and volcanic influenced soils, which gives Gamay its distinct mineral characteristic. Although some of these soil types can be found in the 41,000 acres that comprise the Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Village AOC's, the majority of this distinct soil type resides in the hills where the 15,500 acres of Beaujolais Cru reside. From south to north the 10 Beaujolais Cru AOC's are: Brouilly, Côte De Brouilly, Régnié, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, Chénas, Juliénas and Saint-Amour. Each of these Cru's produce wines of different colors, aromas and taste profiles thanks to their unique
terroir. To fully appreciate the concept of terroir is to understand that nature has shaken, stirred, and created the rocks for us to enjoy our wine. The soil tells the story, in the case of Beaujolais, it's a story that begins over 350 million years ago.
The Carboniferous period was a time of dense forests, early reptilian lifeforms and mountain chains that stretched across the globe. These massive mountain chains, known as the
Hercynian Massif, eventually collapsed under their own weight. As they began to collapse and spread outward, mountain roots experienced a decline in pressure due to the lack of weight and began to rise and melt on their way up. According to Charles Frankel, scientist and author of
Land and Wine: The French Terroir, "pods of granite stalled close to the surface and volcanic eruptions broke out into the open; the swan's song of the Hercynian Massif. The last remnants of its bygone splendor are the subdued rolling hills that today carry the 10 celebrated Crus of Beaujolais." These volcanic eruptions that have since been buried by uplifts and seismic shifts is how volcanic soil is present in a region with no visible active or dormant volcanoes on the current landscape.
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An image of what Earth looked like during the Carboniferous period (358.9-298.9 million years ago)
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BROUILLY AOC & CÔTE DE BROUILLY AOC
One of these rolling hills, Mont Brouilly, is where the Cru's Brouilly AOC and Côte de Brouilly AOC are located. The Brouilly AOC refer to the lower slopes of the hill and are planted with 3,250 acres of Gamay. Within the Brouilly AOC wines there are 3 types of soil, depending on which side of the hill the vines are planted. The western side consists of granite and pink pebbles rich in silica, the eastern side is limestone and the southern side consists of remnants from the blue volcanic rocks that have fallen from the above slopes of the Côte de Brouilly AOC. Because of the amount of variation in the terroir around Mont Brouilly, Brouilly AOC wines can have a distinct flavor profile within its location. Finding out what part of Brouilly the winemaker grows his grapes therefore becomes an important factor. Between the two, I've found that Brouilly AOC wines are generally lighter in color, body and intensity of aromatics than the wines of the Côte de Brouilly AOC. Compared to the rest of the Beaujolais Cru's both of these AOC's are a lot darker in color and display more subdued types of fruit aromas.
The steeper slopes of Mont Brouilly is where we find the Côte de Brouilly AOC and its 775 acres of Gamay. Its soils are rich with diorite, which is the geological name of the blue volcanic rocks that made their way down the southern part of the hill. Frankel explains that the diorite "is not ash or lava per se, but magma congealed below the surface in the plumbing system of a volcano that has long since eroded away. The rock is also unusual in that it underwent a second phase of cooking by contact with a hot plume of granite that rose into the area...The extra round of baking altered its minerals towards a deeper blue...Volcanologists thus interpret the Mont Brouilly diorite as a legacy of oceanic volcanism, along a tectonic trench full of sediments." He also explains how the dark color of the rocks also act as radiators by absorbing sunlight and in turn heating up the soil and vines. The end result are wines with a deeper color, darker/slightly jammy fruit notes and a pronounced tannin structure. Given the unique qualities of the Côte de Brouilly terroir, they are also well equipped for extended periods of cellaring, which is an ability that only a few of the other Beaujolais Cru's share. A well aged Côte de Brouilly is a highly aromatic, complex and elegant wine. Although it remains light bodied, the acidity rounds out and evolves into a silky texture.
MORGON AOC
In addition to creating rolling hills such as Mont Brouilly, new fault zones and fissures were also formed as the Hercynian range continued its collapse. This allowed magma to flow into these newly formed basins which, exposed to above ground climate conditions, created a green type of volcanic rock found in the soils of the Morgon AOC and particularly on the southern part of Morgon on a hill named the Côte du Py. Adding further complexity to the soil of the Côte du Py, accumulated magma was then further baked by newer magmatic activity and thus created an oxygen poor schist with many fractures. This unique soil type is referred to as
roche pourrie (rotten rock) by the local winemakers since it crumbles easily. These fractures enable Gamay vines to tap into an array of minerals which result in wines with a more structured/savory body and increased aging potential. Morgan AOC wines can differ from one another depending on where the vineyards are located. As in the rest of Beaujolais, granitic soils are prevalent, as are more common alluvial soil types. Morgon AOC wines are typically light in color with fresh red cherry and violet tones when they are young.
Although Morgon AOC's are some of the most satisfying amongst the Beaujolais Cru's, they lack the depth of the wines from the Côte du Py. Young Côte du Py wines are juicy, intensely aromatic with bright red berry tones and a good amount of earthy notes. They are outstanding within a few years of their harvest, but you will be greatly rewarded for your patience should you decide to take advantage of their cellaring potential. Côte du Py wines evolve with time and will begin developing the fleshy and elegant textures of the more celebrated Pinot Noir's from its Burgundy neighbors to the north, while retaining its distinct natural aromatic properties. Although this prized site within the Morgon AOC does not label the wines with a special Cru status, such as Grand Cru or Premier Cru, winemakers will identify Côte du Py on the front of their labels; and rightly so. If ever there were a Gamay wine that I'd nominate to travel back in time and slap Philip the Bold in his 14th century face, it would be an aged Morgon Côte du Py.
RÉGNIÉ AOC, CHIROUBLES AOC, FLEURIE AOC
As we head north, a different type of volcanic episode is responsible for the granitic soil found in the Cru's of Régnié, Chiroubles, and Fleurie. At the end of the Hercynian mountain collapse, the last crusts were stretched along with its underground magma. This magma never reached the surface. As it stalled and cooled below ground, it formed the pink granitic soils that are only now visible thanks to erosion. The wines produced from this pink granite found mainly in Régnié, Chiroubles, and Fleurie are vastly different from those of Morgon and Brouilly. They are generally lighter in color, body and with a less pronounced tannin presence. As with all of the other Cru's, they are also highly aromatic, although they lean more towards red berries and a more noticeable floral presence.
Régnié AOC wines can also vary greatly depending on the height of the vineyard's location. Régnié vineyards are planted on westward hills ranging from 830 to 1660 feet above sea level, thus sun exposure plays a significant role. The steeper sloped plantings will develop a thicker body than the lower situated vineyards, though the tannin presence on both parcels don't have much of a grip. These higher sloped vineyards are your best bet should you choose to age a Régnié wine. Although most Gamay wines are light bodied, Régnié is one of the Cru's that drinks most like a white wine. The floral qualities are as pronounced as the red berry notes, and the noticeable absence of tannins make for a crispier finish. This distinctly lighter body does not make it the best candidate for cellaring and it's recommended to be consumed young while the most interesting aspects of these wines, the interplay between floral and red berry aromas, is at its peak.
Chiroubles AOC vineyards are also planted at an elevation similar to Régnié. The south facing Gamay vines here also benefits from sun exposure at high altitude. Chiroubles continues the pink granite legacy, and in some areas these rocks have naturally broken down into a coarse sand. Although these slight terroir differences are noteworthy, the cooler climate of Chiroubles sets it apart from the other Beaujolais Cru's. As a result of the colder temperatures, Gamay vines require a bit more time to fully ripen and harvesting these grapes usually occurs a week or two later than the other Cru's. Given its geographic similarities to Régnié, vineyards on the higher slopes are more likely to produce cellar worthy candidates, though most Chiroubles wines are also consumed young which is when they're at their aromatic best. Chiroubles AOC wine also drinks like a white wine, but the floral aromas tend to outweigh the red berry notes. There is a barely noticeable tannin presence and because of the cooler climate the acidity tends to be a bit sharper than the other Cru's.
The highest concentration of underground magma crystallization happened within what is now the Fleurie AOC. The pink granite is in abundance here and consequently, the volume has been turned up to ten on the seductive fruit and floral aromas. The further one goes up the hills of Fleurie, the rockier the terrain becomes. Because there is little to no soil at the top of these hills, the Gamay vines produce wines with a more mineral driven character than Régnié or Chiroubles. These wines are light in color with balanced fresh red fruit and floral aromas. They are medium bodied and begin showing traces of velvety tannins. The lower part of the hills on northern side of Fleurie begin to see elements of clay in the soil. Mixed with the pink granite, these wines are fuller bodied, and begin to display aromas of black fruits with hints of spice. They are also a bit darker in color and can display a pronounced tannin presence in warmer vintages.
MOULIN-À-VENT AOC & CHÉNAS AOC
The soil in both the Moulin-à-Vent and Chénas AOC's is the same pink granite found in Régnié, Chiroubles, and Fleurie, however, the bedrock contains many cracks due to a major fault line that runs through the hills of Moulin-à-Vent and into Chénas. Within this sliced up bedrock, hydrothermal fissures solidified into quartz veins that eventually formed the commercially used metals barium and more notably manganese. Gamay vines in these areas tap into this complex soil and in turn, produce wines remarkably different from other Beaujolais Cru.
The wines produced in these regions are much more mineral driven and have a significant tannin presence not usually associated with Beaujolais Cru's or the Gamay grape. Although they are not as aromatic as the other wines, they do develop interesting pepper and spice notes not usually encountered in other Crus. The main aromatic characteristic that sets it apart is the instantly recognizable scent of violets. They are usually darker and have a weightier mouthfeel with a strong lingering aftertaste. In short, these wines are the fuller bodied of the Cru's. It's because of their heftier bodies that no other Beaujolais Cru's have as much aging potential as these wines. Moulin-à-Vent AOC is the most well known of these two AOC's and its winemaking history dates back to the Roman empire's occupation of French territory. Its rich winemaking history and cellaring potential is the reason it is also referred to as the "King of Beaujolais."
JULIÉNAS AOC & SAINT-AMOUR AOC
Juliénas continues the fragmented pink granite soils found in Moulin-à-Vent and Chénas, but with a further complexity added by severe faulting which produced terrains similar to the schists of Morgon and the limestone soils found in neighboring Mâcon. The wines of Juliénas are a bit more difficult to decipher since the vineyard sites are so diverse. Gamay vines planted on the pink granite soils share similarities with those of Fleurie, the schist rich areas can easily be mistaken for a Côte du Py wine from Morgon, and the fragmented granitic soil wines can have violet aromas that rival those of Moulin-à-Vent or Chénas. Vineyard orientation and hill elevation also play a role in adding to the difficulties in establishing what a wine from Juliénas AOC tastes like. Perhaps, not being able to define a Juliénas wine is precisely what defines a Juliénas wine.
Although Saint-Amour is smaller than Juliénas, it is even more varied in its soil composition as it is caught right in the middle of the granite and schists of Beaujolais and the younger formations of limestone sediments that begin the world renown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay dominated Burgundy region. With so many microclimates within its border, describing a Saint-Amour AOC wine has the potential for being harder to define than Juliénas were it not for the winemaking practices that give it its distinct profile. The most popular style is intended to be consumed young. It involves a skin contact maceration time of less than 10 days and produces a highly aromatic wine. These wines are bright ruby red in color with aromas of fresh red berries and flowers. They are light bodied with a small trace of tannins and can have a silky mouthfeel depending on vineyard location. The other style of Saint-Amour receives longer maceration time, is a bit spicier, and takes a few years of cellaring to reach its full potential. The young style is the one that is the most frequently associated with Saint-Amour AOC wines since it is released a few weeks before Valentine's Day, which is marketing doing its thing.
THE SOUND OF BEAUJOLAIS
I'll never forget the first bottle of Gamay that reeled me into the Beaujolais region. It was a 2009 Marcel Lapierre Morgon. It was the most aromatic wine I had ever experienced at that point and it was speaking a language I was unfamiliar with at the time. It sparked hours of researching the grape, age of the vines, soil, climate, farming practices, the winemaker and his techniques. I wanted to understand the greatness inside that bottle which in hindsight, I didn't realize that I was in fact tasting a place. That bottle is how I came to understand the beauty of terroir. Everything is connected, everything interacts; and soulful wines such as these, continue that interaction with you. Great wines inspire a thirst for a greater understanding of them and the best part is that you can taste the information once you have it. Here's something to jam to as you Cru's Beaujolais:
