Beaujolais explained. One grape, ten Crus and far more than Nouveau.

Gamay country

Beaujolais lies in eastern France, immediately south of Burgundy, between Mâcon and Lyon. Thin-skinned Gamay Noir makes up more than 98% of production. DNA shows it is related to Pinot Noir and the white grape Gouais Blanc. It typically gives light, fruity wines with raspberry and cherry, often with floral and earthy notes.

Gamay once grew in Burgundy too. It was easy to grow and gave higher yields than Pinot Noir, but in 1395 the Duke of Burgundy banned it as harsh, and many growers moved south. The region has a continental climate, with the growing season made warmer by the shelter of the Massif Central to the west and the Alps to the east.

North and south of the Nizerand

The Nizerand river splits Beaujolais in two. In the south, Bas Beaujolais has flatter land with clay, sandstone and limestone soils. It is known for the golden Pierres Dorées stone villages and earned the nickname Little Tuscany. Gamay ripens later here, and most entry-level Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau come from this area.

In the north, Haut Beaujolais is hillier, with lighter granite and schist-based soils that restrain the vine's vigor. This is where you find Beaujolais-Villages and all ten Crus.

Nouveau, Villages and the classification

The pyramid starts with Beaujolais AOP, a large share of which is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau. Released on the third Thursday of November, Nouveau began as a workers' wine at harvest's end. Lyon's bistros adopted it, and Georges Duboeuf, known as the King of Beaujolais, turned it into a worldwide marketing phenomenon in the 1980s. Its fame also brought a reputation problem when too many poor wines followed.

Next comes Beaujolais-Villages AOP, covering 38 villages, mostly in the north, which also make some white and rosé. The wines are deeper, more concentrated and more savory. At the top are the Crus, ten communes with their own appellations. The word Beaujolais does not appear on their front labels, so the names are worth learning.

The ten Beaujolais Crus

From north to south: Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly. A few highlights from the episode: Moulin-à-Vent, on pink granite, is often seen as the most noteworthy; manganese in the soil lowers yields and gives deep, concentrated wines that can age ten years or more. Fleurie is typically silky and floral. Chiroubles is the highest Cru, with vineyards up to 450 meters, and the freshest. Morgon, with its Côte du Py climat, makes firmer, earthier wines. Côte de Brouilly sits on the volcanic slopes of Mont Brouilly.

As a broad rule, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie, Saint-Amour and Chénas share a fragrant delicacy, while Juliénas, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent are fuller and longer-lived. The hosts recommend tasting several side by side.

Carbonic maceration, pairings and blind tastings

The experiment tackles carbonic maceration, the technique behind Beaujolais Nouveau. Whole, uncrushed bunches go into a tank filled with carbon dioxide, and fermentation starts inside the berries, driven by the grape's own enzymes. The result is a fresh, very fruity wine with little tannin. Sarah Heller MW and Paz Levinson act it out with balloons and safety goggles. See what happens when the berries reach bursting point.

Side-by-side tastings compare a Beaujolais Nouveau with a Beaujolais-Villages from Justin Dutraive, served with a homemade terrine. Later comes a gratinated mac and cheese with crisp bacon. Each host also faces a blind wine from the Crus and the episode shows how they narrow it down; find out where they land.