Beaujolais: a vineyard in full revival less than 45 minutes from Lyon
- thomaslejeunewines
- Sep 10
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 19
Located between Mâcon and Lyon, the Beaujolais vineyard stretches for around forty kilometers from north to south.
12 Beaujolais crus where the Gamay grape variety reigns supreme for the reds and where the Chardonnay grape variety finds its place for the whites (in village appellation only, on around 200 hectares).
The ten vintages are : Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin à Vent, Régnié and Saint-Amour; accompanied by the Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages appellations (38 eligible communes).
Known (rightly or wrongly) for Beaujolais Nouveau , which is sold every third Thursday in November, Beaujolais wines today offer heterogeneous profiles (depending on the type of soil) but with a high level of consistent quality. Too often described as a light and fruity wine , Gamay can also flex its muscles and show itself in a powerful, structured and complex profile with very good aging potential for the best vintages.
Planted mainly on granite soils, Beaujolais wines are produced on a veritable mosaic of soils with more than 300 different varieties, for example the famous "blue stones" of the Côte de Brouilly or the Côte du Py which give the Gamay a spicy and powerful profile.
Gamay Noir is the quintessential Beaujolais grape variety, although it is also grown in the vineyards of Auvergne and the Côte Roannaise. It now accounts for more than 80% of the vineyard, but its share is tending to decline, in favor of Chardonnay for white wines.
Chardonnay is present in the north of Beaujolais but it thrives mainly in the south of the region, on clay-limestone soils, in the heart of the golden stone villages where it produces aromatic wines with notes of white flowers.
The Beaujolais vineyard, due to its proximity to Lyon and its history, is one of the most renowned in France and abroad. It is popular thanks to its still affordable prices, its variety of aromatic profiles, and its incredible landscapes of valleys and plains. To name just two viewpoints, Mont Brouilly and Chiroubles offer breathtaking panoramas.
Beaujolais is one of my favorite regions in France, and it never ceases to amaze me on each of my private tours to taste exceptional wines and have lunch in the restaurant I love to show off.
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