05/09/2023
🇨🇵 Beaujolais (starts from the south of Mâcon in Burgundy), like many French regions, ranks its vineyard sites. Ordinary vineyards can produce simple 'Beaujolais' from the grape called Gamay, while vineyards in higher-ranked villages can label their wines 'Beaujolais-Villages'.
🔆 The top vineyard sites are the Crus, there are 10 of them called (from north to south):
1️⃣ St-Amour (named after a Roman soldier) the fragrant, super elegant, spicy Beaujolais, ideal for a Valentine's Day dinner.
2️⃣ Juliénas with its signature fruit profile of deep red cherries and extra ageing ability.
3️⃣ Chénas is the rarest Cru, so it can be a good challenge to find a bottle to taste.
4️⃣ Chiroubles, which is unique, as it is at the highest altitudes of Beaujolais and the grapes take about a week longer to ripen than elsewhere.
5️⃣ Fleurie from the word 'fleur', which means 'flower' in French, and indeed the wines of Fleurie are characterized by a distinct floral note – think violets and roses.
6️⃣ Moulin-à-Vent, which is considered the sturdiest, most tannic, longest-lived Beaujolais, can be aged for decades.
7️⃣ Morgon is the closest to Moulin-à-Vent in terms of weight and structure, and it can age nearly as well. The “Gang of Four" means the protégés of natural wine pioneer Jules Chauvet: Jean-Paul Thevenet, Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard (on the pic), and Guy Breton.
8️⃣ Régnié, which is distinguished by its pink granite soils. In the mouth, it seems to have a slightly spicier profile than the other Crus.
9️⃣ Brouilly, the biggest Cru produces a lighter style Beaujolais for early drinking.
🔟 Côte de Brouilly lies on the side of a hill. The ripening season here is better, so it gives layered and structured wines.
This Jean Foillard Morgon 2019 is beautiful, if you can find the most famous lieu-dit called Cote du Py, you are even more lucky. Top wines from a top producer❣️
