GUIDE TO THE WINES OF BEAUJOLAIS
Beaujolais sits between the Rhône to the south and Burgundy's Côte d'Or to the north, and it has spent decades being underestimated by both. That is changing. The region makes some of the most genuinely pleasurable red wine in France, and increasingly some of the most serious.
Everything here is Gamay. One grape, one region, enormous range. At its simplest, Beaujolais is light, low in alcohol, and built for immediate drinking: violets on the nose, red cherry and blackberry on the palate, something faintly savoury underneath. At its best, in the ten named Crus that run along the granite hills of the north, it is structured, age-worthy, and occasionally mistaken for Burgundy by people who should know better.
THE SHORT VERSION
Beaujolais is made from Gamay in the hills south of Burgundy. The ten Crus, each named for its village or hillside, produce wines that range from fragrant and silky to structured and age-worthy. Young Beaujolais smells of violets and red fruit; serious Cru Beaujolais develops earthier, more complex characters with a few years in bottle. Serve slightly chilled. Pair with almost anything. One of the best-value wine regions in France.
WHY YOU LIKE BEAUJOLAIS
It pairs well with everything, including breathing. The tannins are low, the acidity is bright, and the fruit is generous without being jammy. Slightly chilled at 14 to 16°C it is one of the most immediately satisfying reds available. It works with charcuterie, roast chicken, mushroom dishes, lighter pasta, grilled fish, and most things that appear on a Tuesday evening without much planning.
Understanding why Gamay tastes the way it does is a useful exercise in separating grape character from winemaking style. If you want to go deeper on that, our piece on what taste actually is is a good starting point.
THE TEN CRUS
The Crus are where Beaujolais gets serious. Each has its own character, shaped by soil and elevation.
Morgon is the most structured: dark fruit, earthy, worth ageing three to five years. Moulin-à-Vent is the most powerful, closest to Pinot Noir in weight and complexity. Fleurie lives up to its name: floral, silky, approachable. Brouilly is the largest Cru and the most consistent entry point. Juliénas is spiced and firm. Chénas is rare and underrated. Chiroubles is high-altitude and delicate. Régnié is light and fragrant. Côte de Brouilly produces more concentrated wine than Brouilly from the volcanic slopes of Mont Brouilly. Saint-Amour is the most romantically named and the most drinkable young.
If you are new to Beaujolais, start with Fleurie or Brouilly. If you want to understand what the fuss is about, open a Morgon from Marcel Lapierre or Jean Foillard and give it an hour.
GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT BEAUJOLAIS
The critical conversation around Beaujolais has shifted considerably in the past decade. Producers like Lapierre, Foillard, and Thévenet have raised the ceiling of what Gamay can do, and critics who understand the region on its own terms rather than against Burgundy have started to say so more clearly.
Anthony Rose writes about pattern recognition in wine judgement in a way that is directly applicable here: the drinker who can identify Gamay's structural signature across different Crus and different vintages is not just enjoying wine more. They are building the kind of sensory library that makes every subsequent bottle more legible. His piece on pattern recognition and judgement in wine is worth reading alongside any serious engagement with Beaujolais.
HOW TO BUY BEAUJOLAIS INTELLIGENTLY
Entry-level Beaujolais villages from a reliable producer starts at around £12 to £18. At this price you are getting appellation character and honest winemaking from Gamay grown on granite soils.
Cru Beaujolais from serious producers runs from £18 to £35. Wines from recognised names such as Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard, Yvon Métras, and Château Thivin represent some of the best value in French wine at this price point. These are wines that reward two to five years of patience but drink well young with an hour of air.
A few things worth knowing before you buy:
Vintage matters. Beaujolais is susceptible to spring frost and harvest rain. In warmer, drier years the wines have more concentration and structure. In lighter years, lean into the freshness rather than fighting it.
Beaujolais Nouveau is not the same thing. The third Thursday of November each year, the new vintage is released in a deliberately light and fruity style, weeks after harvest. It became a global event in the 1970s and then became a punchline. It is fine for what it is. Do not let it put you off the Crus.
Natural wine and Beaujolais have a long shared history. The region's granite soils and Gamay's thin skin suit low-intervention winemaking well, and many of the most interesting producers work without or with minimal added sulphur. The wines can be more volatile than conventional versions. That is usually a feature rather than a flaw.
BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU
The third Thursday of November each year, Beaujolais Nouveau arrives: the new vintage, released just weeks after harvest, light and fresh and deliberately uncomplicated. It became a global event in the 1970s and then became a punchline. The wine was often thin and commercial. Nouveau is fine for what it is, but it is not representative of what serious Beaujolais can do. Do not let it put you off the Crus.
IF YOU LIKE BEAUJOLAIS, TRY THESE NEXT
Gamay appears outside Beaujolais in the Loire (Touraine, Anjou), in Savoie, and occasionally in Switzerland. For something in the same register: light, fresh, low tannin, high drinkability, look at Barbera d'Alba, Dolcetto, Trousseau from the Jura, or a lighter Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Alsace.
For a broader introduction to French wine and the regions that neighbour Beaujolais, see our France country guide. And if you want to understand the grape varieties that make up the wider French canon, our definitive guide to wine grape varieties covers Gamay alongside the other major grapes in depth.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What grape is Beaujolais made from?
Beaujolais is made exclusively from Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc, a grape native to the region. It produces light to medium-bodied reds with low tannin, high acidity, and distinctive red fruit and floral character.
What are the Beaujolais Crus?
The ten Beaujolais Crus are Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Brouilly, Juliénas, Chénas, Chiroubles, Régnié, Côte de Brouilly, and Saint-Amour. Each is a named village or area producing wines with distinct character shaped by soil type and elevation.
Should Beaujolais be chilled?
Yes. Serve Beaujolais at 12 to 16°C, slightly cooler than most reds. This brings out the freshness of the Gamay grape without stripping the wine of its character.
What is Beaujolais Nouveau?
Beaujolais Nouveau is the new vintage wine released every third Thursday of November. It is light, fruity, and designed for immediate drinking. It does not represent the quality or range of the Cru wines.
Is Beaujolais the same as Burgundy?
No, though the regions border each other. Burgundy's red wines are made from Pinot Noir. Beaujolais uses Gamay and is technically a separate appellation, though it is administratively grouped with Burgundy.
How long does Beaujolais last?
Basic Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages are best within two to three years of vintage. Cru Beaujolais from serious producers can age well for five to ten years, with Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent often rewarding longer cellaring.
Beaujolais does not ask much of you in return for what it gives. That is part of the point. But the drinker who goes beyond the entry level and starts to map the Crus against each other will find the region opens up considerably. Most wines at this price do not have that kind of depth to offer.
If you want to develop your palate on wines chosen to teach you something, our subscriptions include Beaujolais and its neighbours across the year, with tasting notes written to explain rather than impress.