BEAUJOLAIS AOC and BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES AOC

BEAUJOLAIS AOC

This is the regional appellation covering the whole area but, in practice, the vineyards are in the south of the region as those in the north of the region are in the Beaujolais Villages area. The maximum yield for red wine is 60 hl/ha, resulting in some wines of low flavour intensity. Wines can be sold from mid-January of the year after harvest, as they are made in a fresh and fruity style. The wines are good quality and inexpensive in price.

BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES AOC

These are typically better quality wines than Beaujolais AOC due to higher levels of ripeness achieved in the northern half of Beaujolais. The maximum yield for red wine is only marginally lower at 58 hl/ha. An individual village name may be put on the label if grapes are sourced from that village but usually the wine is labelled as Beaujolais Villages.

This appellation sits alongside the ten single cru AOCs. The wines are typically purple in colour with medium intensity fresh red cherry, raspberry, red plum fruit (often with the kirsch and banana aromas typical of semi-carbonic maceration), medium (+) to high acidity, light to medium (–) body, medium alcohol and light to medium tannins. They are good to very good in quality and inexpensive to mid-priced.

Some top producers, often working organically with old vines, make low intervention wines that also may be aged in oak. These wines are medium (+) to pronounced intensity in aromas and flavours with medium tannins. The wines are typically very good to outstanding in quality and are premium and (for Beaujolais Crus) super-premium priced.