Last: Beautiful Beaujolais is an approachable wine that maintains high quality

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Beaujolais, and the gamay grape that is responsible for the region’s red wines, remain a bit of an enigma for many wine drinkers. The region is located just south of its more famous neighbour, Burgundy, and like the pinot noirs from that heralded region, they are wines that are about finesse and charm rather than power and extraction. The marketing juggernaut that was Beaujolais Nouveau (it still exists, but barely) only detracted from the seriously good wines the region has been producing for centuries. Historically much of Burgundy had been replanted with gamay as it’s easier to grow than pinot noir, and less prone to adverse growing conditions. That changed in 1395 when the Duke of Burgundy declared that it was not a noble grape and relegated it to the southern part of the region, where it thrives today. In Lyon, France’s culinary capital, it became the unofficial tipple of the working class as it was cheap, gulp-able, and, back then, high in alcohol at about 15 per cent. 

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One of the defining characteristics of Beaujolais production is the employment of carbonic maceration. In 1934, French scientist Michel Flanzy was likely the first to use carbon dioxide as a grape preservation technique. In 1872, the French scientist and all-around smarty pants Louis Pasteur discovered that grapes fermented in an oxygen-free environment delivered a fresher flavour profile than conventional fermentation, making it ideal for grapes like gamay, in effect preserving their subtle charms. During this process, whole clusters of grapes undergo fermentation under a blanket of carbon dioxide before conventional fermentation. In effect, the grapes start to ferment from within, while the fruit at the bottom of the tanks begin conventional fermentation. The available CO2 causes the sugars and malic acid to break down, producing alcohol and a range of compounds that affect the wine’s final taste. This method helps retain the fresh fruit component of the wine, which is Beaujolais’ calling card. Carbonic maceration is used in other regions and for other grapes as well, if you’re making a wine from grapes with delicate characteristics it can be a useful tool. 

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These days you can’t talk about the heights that Beaujolais wine can climb to without mentioning, and ideally drinking, the wines from Marcel Lapierre. He took over the family winery from his father in 1973, and after meeting legendary Beaujolais winemaker (and chemist, researcher, and poet) Jules Chauvet, he took the winery in a new direction. Chauvet was outspoken and rallied against the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the vineyard, arguing that winemakers should return to the traditional methods of Beaujolais winemaking.

Lapierre, along with fellow winemakers Jean Foillard, Guy Breton, and Jean-Paul Thevenet (dubbed the Gang of Four by famed American wine importer Kermit Lynch), demonstrated that you could make high-quality wines with minimal intervention, and as such they became cornerstones in the natural wine movement. Sadly, Lapierre died from cancer in 2010 at age 60 but his legacy is intact, with his children Camille and Mathieu now at the helm. They employ biodynamic viticulture and continue to demonstrate that with wine, sometimes less is more.

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When gamay reaches these heights, it has more in common with great Burgundy, delivering a complex array of floral aromas followed by a delicate yet nuanced array of fruit flavours. Naturally high acidity preserves these traits, allowing the wines to improve with age, although I’ve not had much luck aging them because they are so delicious right out of the gate. 

Beaujolais is divided into a tier system, starting with basic Beaujolais that can be made from grapes from any part of the region. Then there are the 38 communes labelled Beaujolais Villages, generally regarded as the mid-tier domain. Then come the crus, 10 villages that include St-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly. Each one has its own personality and charms. Generally, Morgon and Moulin-A-Vent are the two crus that dominate the market, but they are all worth exploring.

Change is also afoot in the region as there is a push towards a premier cru system, much like Burgundy. This move would concentrate on specific vineyard sites and terroir, again, much as it does in Burgundy. It’s also worth noting that there is white wine produced in the region as well, almost all of it from chardonnay. At its best, it’s fresh and minerally and reasonably priced. In the northern part of the appellation, you can find limestone-rich soils (chardonnay performs well in limestone), not surprising as the region overlaps the Maconnais region of Burgundy. As for vintages, the region has dealt with hail and drought in 2022 and 2023, and frost in 2021, and as such vintages were short although quality was high in many examples. 

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There is a good supply of high-quality Beaujolais producers to be found in Calgary and boutique shops, especially MetroVino, carry some excellent producers such as Guy Breton, a pioneer and part of the Gang of Four. Marcel Lapierre’s wines are also available here, their Morgon and single vineyard Cuvee Camille are exceptional and capable of aging, while their 2023 Raisins Gaulois is a gem, a summer gulper best served chilled. At their best, Beaujolais wines should be prized for their delicious, spicy fruit profile and food-friendly attributes. Also not to be missed are the wines of Mee Goddard, a relative newcomer producing wines in the Lapierre style. Cheers!

Geoff Last is a long-time Calgary wine merchant writer, instructor, and broadcaster. He can be heard every Friday on CJSW’s Road Pops program between 4 -6 p.m. He was awarded a fellowship at Napa Valley’s Symposium of Professional Wine Writers for articles that have appeared in this column. Media inquiries can be directed to lastcallforwine@gmail.com

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