Beaujolais: From Nouveau Celebration to Noble Crus
Every third Thursday of November, the Thursday before Thanksgiving, wine lovers around the world raise their glasses to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau Day, aka the New Beaujolais, a wine produced the same year of its harvest. It is a unique phenomenon in winemaking, while most traditional wines have a minimum of 6 to 9 months aging period before bottling and release to the public. The “Nouveau” is equal parts marketing genius and genuine tradition—a moment when a young, fruity wine barely two months old takes center stage in bistros from Paris to Tokyo. But here’s the thing: while Nouveau has become the public face of Beaujolais, it’s really just the opening act to a much more compelling story.
The Gamay Grape: From Banishment to Beloved
Before we dive into the wines themselves, let’s talk about the grape that makes it all possible: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. This thin-skinned, early-ripening variety has a fascinating and somewhat dramatic history. In 1395, Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, issued an edict banning Gamay from the Côte d’Or, the holly grail of Burgundy Wine Region, calling it a “disloyal plant” that produced inferior wine compared to Pinot Noir. He ordered the vines ripped out, claiming they gave “very great and horrible harshness” to the wine. It was one of history’s most famous acts of viticultural snobbery.
But Philip’s loss became Beaujolais’s gain. Gamay found its true home in the granite and schist soils south of Burgundy, where it thrived in ways it never could on Burgundy’s limestone. The grape’s naturally high acidity, low tannins, and expressive fruit character turned out to be perfectly suited to Beaujolais’s terroir. Today, while Gamay might still play second fiddle to Pinot Noir in prestige, it has earned its own devoted following. The grape produces wines that are aromatic, food-friendly, and refreshingly unpretentious—qualities that are increasingly valued in our modern wine world. Ironically, Philip the Bold’s banishment may have been the best thing that ever happened to Gamay.
The Nouveau Phenomenon: How It All Began
Beaujolais Nouveau wasn’t always a global celebration. The tradition started as a local affair in the Beaujolais region of France, just north of Lyon. After harvest, winemakers would produce a quick-drinking wine using carbonic maceration—a technique where whole grape clusters ferment in carbon dioxide, creating those characteristic bubble gum and banana notes. This “vin de l’année” was meant for immediate enjoyment, a way for locals to celebrate the harvest.
The transformation into a worldwide event happened in the 1960s and 70s, thanks largely to the promotional efforts of Georges Duboeuf and other producers. The French government officially established the release date as the third Thursday of November in 1985, and suddenly, there was a race to get bottles to market. Airlines competed for the honor of delivering the first bottles to distant shores. Restaurants threw midnight release parties. It became wine’s equivalent of a summer blockbuster premiere.
Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be enjoyed young—ideally within a few months of release. It’s light-bodied, low in tannins, bursting with fresh fruit flavors like strawberry, raspberry, and cherry, with those signature candied notes. It’s unpretentious, affordable, and fun. Serve it slightly chilled, pair it with charcuterie or roasted chicken, and you’ve got yourself a party.
The Real Deal: Cru Beaujolais
But here’s what often gets lost in the Nouveau festivities: Beaujolais produces some seriously age-worthy, complex wines that bear little resemblance to their party-starting cousin. These are the crus—ten specific villages where the terroir, grape quality, and winemaking ambition reach another level entirely.
The key difference between Nouveau (or regular Beaujolais) and cru Beaujolais comes down to intent, technique, and terroir. Cru Beaujolais wines are made from lower-yielding old vines, often grown on granite and schist hillsides. They undergo traditional fermentation rather than carbonic maceration, spend time aging in oak (sometimes), and are built to last. Where Nouveau is meant to be gulped down within months, a good Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent can age gracefully for a decade or more, developing earthy, floral, and mineral complexities that rival many Burgundies.
These wines also trade Nouveau’s candy-like fruit for something more sophisticated: red
cherry, violet, rose, earth, and mineral notes. The tannins are more structured, the acidity
brighter, the finish longer. They’re wines that deserve food—think coq au vin, duck breast, or mushroom dishes—and they definitely benefit from decanting.
The Ten Crus: A Diverse Family
What makes Beaujolais truly fascinating is the diversity among its ten crus. All are made from Gamay grapes, all come from a relatively small region, yet each has its own personality shaped by soil, elevation, and winemaking tradition.
Saint-Amour is the northernmost cru, producing wines that are elegant and floral with soft tannins. As the name suggests, it’s romantic and approachable—think of it as the charmer of the group. The wines show lovely red fruit with violet and peony notes, and they’re generally ready to drink within a few years.
Juliénas offers wines with more body and structure than Saint-Amour, with spicy, peppery notes alongside the fruit. The soil here is more diverse, giving the wines complexity and a certain rustic character. These are robust, food-friendly wines with good aging potential.
Chénas is the smallest cru, producing powerful, structured wines with floral aromatics—
particularly peony and rose. The wines can be quite firm in their youth but develop beautifully with age, revealing layers of complexity.
Moulin-à-Vent is often called the “King of Beaujolais,” and for good reason. These are the most structured, most age-worthy wines of the region. The granite-rich soils produce wines with depth, concentration, and firm tannins. Young Moulin-à-Vent can taste almost Burgundian, and with age, they develop gamey, earthy notes that are positively Pinot Noir-like. Plan to cellar these for five to ten years.
Fleurie is the elegant counterpoint to Moulin-à-Vent’s power. Named for its floral character, Fleurie produces silky, perfumed wines with gorgeous aromatics—think violet, iris, and rose. It’s refined and feminine (if we’re using classic wine vocabulary), with a delicate texture that makes it incredibly versatile at the table.
Chiroubles sits at the highest elevation and produces the lightest, most delicate crus. These wines are all about freshness and finesse—bright red fruit, floral notes, and a gossamer texture. They’re best enjoyed young and slightly chilled.
Morgon is where things get earthy. The volcanic soils here produce wines with distinctive “kirsch” character—that intense cherry note—along with deeper, more savory flavors. Morgon ages beautifully, developing what the locals call “morgonner”—taking on characteristics similar to Burgundy as it matures. These wines have real personality and structure.
Régnié is the newest addition to the cru family (designated in 1988) and produces wines that sit somewhere between the lightness of Chiroubles and the structure of Morgon. They’re fruity and approachable with just enough substance to make them interesting.
Côte de Brouilly grows on the slopes of Mont Brouilly, a volcanic peak that gives the wines distinctive blue-fruit character and minerality. These wines have more structure and aging potential than regular Brouilly, with a firm backbone and mineral edge.
Brouilly is the largest cru, producing wines that are generous and fruity, with softer tannins and an approachable style. Think of it as the friendly introduction to cru Beaujolais—plenty of red fruit, some floral notes, and easy drinkability without sacrificing interest.
Why Beaujolais Deserves Your Attention
The key selling points of Beaujolais wines are compelling, especially in today’s wine world. First, there’s the value proposition. Compared to Burgundy just to the north, Beaujolais offers exceptional quality at a fraction of the price. You can find excellent cru Beaujolais for $20-40, wines that drink like bottles costing twice as much from more famous regions.
Then there’s the versatility. Beaujolais works across a temperature range—you can chill it slightly in summer or serve it at cellar temperature in winter. The moderate alcohol levels (typically 12-13%) and bright acidity make these wines incredibly food-friendly without being heavy.
For those interested in natural wine, Beaujolais has become a hotbed of low-intervention
winemaking. Many producers work organically or biodynamically, use native yeasts, and add minimal sulfur. The region has attracted a new generation of winemakers pushing boundaries while respecting tradition.
Finally, there’s the pure drinkability factor. Gamay produces wines that are rarely austere or tannic. Even the structured crus like Moulin-à-Vent maintain a certain joie de vivre that makes them enjoyable rather than homework.
Beyond the Party Wine
So yes, celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau when November rolls around. Pop that bottle, enjoy the simple pleasures of young wine, toast to the harvest. But don’t stop there. Explore a Fleurie with salmon, age a Moulin-à-Vent for your next anniversary, discover how Morgon transforms duck confit into something transcendent.
Le French Wine Shop has one of the most extensive selection of Beaujolais wines, check our selection and get 15% off until Nov. 30th on all Gamay wines, using promo code GAMAY15.