Beaujolais for a Day
Gamay all day. A brief post on the views, carbonic maceration, and an unintended hunger strike in Beaujolais.
A Mountainous Terrain Affects the Terroir
Geography is a very important aspect of one’s wine studies. This is because there are many geographical and environmental factors that influence winemaking, which are neatly summed up in the French concept of “terroir”. Ultimately, many winemakers and sommeliers argue that it is this concept that one tastes in the bottle (along with the grape juice, of course). In my studies of the geography of Beaujolais, I remember reading that the area was “hilly”, but I do not remember reading that it was mountainous. Additionally, I distinctly remember reading that there were many vineyards in the lower, flatter areas. And furthermore, being that it is historically (and legally) part of greater Burgundy, I had read many comparisons of Beaujolais to the rolling hills of the Côte d’Or.
And the Côte d’Or is certainly just that: many undulating and lightly sloping hills, with a total vertical rise in planted areas measuring a couple hundred meters at most. So as we drove into Beaujolais, it was my expectation that we would find more vines scattered in the lowland or more valley-like terrain, followed by some rolling hills, also dotted with vines, just as we had seen in the Côte d’Or.
It turns out that Beaujolais is not hilly. Beaujolais is mountainous. And my God, it is a sight to behold:
Pictured: Your author standing outside of a hilltop church near Julienas, Beaujolais
Since Beaujolais is a lesser known region, I will assume my reader is not as well informed about the area than he or she may be about Burgundy or Champagne, so I will share a few quick facts about Beaujolais before continuing (including some comments about the terrain).
First and foremost: Gamay all day. If one wants to label their wines under the Beaujolais AOC, Gamay is the only variety permitted. Gamay is a red grape, famous for being light in body, tannins, and overall style, and thereby for producing very fruity, fresh, fun wines that are meant to be drunk early (Beaujolais Nouveau, anyone?). That does not mean Beaujolais cannot age (more on that later)!
Another important thing to know is how the wines are made: there is a process they invented there called carbonic maceration, whereby the intact whole grape clusters (stems and all) are placed into a closed tank with a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. The berries subsequently undergo an intracellular fermentation without yeast intervention, or in other words, they start fermenting from the inside out. This process is what provides many of the fruity and almost cola-like aromas to the wines.
So I will repeat myself: Gamay all day. The amount of respect I have for this variety is never-ending. It’s fun, it’s fresh, it’s complex, it’s beautiful, and it’s easy to drink in large quantities. I want to emphasize this not only so we can move on from that cliché saying about rosé, but because I think rosé is wildly overrated. And most importantly, I say it because I think Gamay is an incredibly versatile grape. Because it’s a light red wine, one can pair it with a wide variety of dishes, and drink it in a wide variety of settings. Try a Morgon Beaujolais at room temp with beef, and then try it chilled with a fatty fish, and thank me afterward.
Now, let’s talk terroir. Beaujolais is at the southern end of Burgundy, just north of Lyon. The climate is cool to moderate semi-continental (meaning there is a slight influence from the Mediterranean), and the main environmental impediments during the growing season are spring frost, rain (disease pressure), and hail. The soil differs, depending on where one is, but generally there is a bedrock of granite and schist, some patches of limestone, clay (in the south), and a sandy topsoil that drains well. Elevation goes from 200 meters ~700 feet) to above 600 meters (2,000 feet) at the highst points. The most highly-regarded wines come from any of the ten “Cru” villages, Chénas, Morgon, Juliénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Saint-Amour, Chiroubles, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, and Régnié. So for our short day in the region, we decided to do two of the most highly regarded Crus, Morgon (my favorite) and Juliénas.
Above: Our guide explaining how carbonic maceration works while standing aside a fermentation barrel at Domaine Marcel Lapierre
Domaine Lapierre - An Enduring Legacy
Our first stop was at the domaine of legendary producer, Marcel Lapierre. Lapierre was a pioneer of so called “natural wines”, or low-intervention wines, and he almost singlehandedly popularized the region amongst the wine cognoscenti. He was part of “The Gang of Four”, four producers who, along with chemist and winemaker Jules Chauvet, introduced low-intervention techniques to the region. His winery also just so happens to be smack dab in the middle of my favorite Cru, Morgon. Morgon is Beaujolais’s largest Cru, and it’s known for producing more masculine, tannic, and therefore age-worthy Beaujolais. Upon arrival at the winery, we were greeted by the gentleman in the above picture, and we must have had our thirsty faces on, because he quickly offered us a tasting directly from the barrel they were racking!
Above: A barrel tasting at Domaine Lapierre
The Lapierre winery is incredibly bucolic and old school in both appearance and processes. Set on the outskirts of Morgon, they hold fast to tradition, doing everything the same way they have done it since Marcel blazed the trail. The barrels are used and old, there is no fancy or new machinery, and the property is incredibly charming and quaint (dare I say demure?). To be fair to the reader, I should mention that I am a huge sucker for the old school, red-lined, oak “demi-muids” or foudres” (larger barrels, typically over 500 liters), so I might be a bit biased here! That said, there is something soulful and more romantic about these larger barrels to me. Anyway, I digress. After gulping down our barrel wines, we were joined by a few others, and then taken for a walk in the vineyard to become better acquainted with the terroir.
Following a brief lecture on the soils, the vines, and the nearby geography, we were taken back into the courtyard and met with a lineup of bottles I truly didn’t expect to see, especially since it was free! The wines ranged from the incredibly light and fresh (meant to be drunk young) “Raising Gaulois”, to their Cuvée Marcel, and then to their 2017 Morgon AOC bottling (which they brought out late, so it is not pictured below). In fact, we tried two examples of the 2017, one bottled with sulfites and the other without, which was fascinating to taste side by side. And despite the popular belief that Beaujolais is not meant to be aged, I can assure my reader, the 2017 that was bottled with sulfites was still incredibly fresh, young, and vibrant. Well-made wines from the region can definitely go the distance.
Pictured: Our “wineup” at Domaine Marcel Lapierre
Chateau Juliénas
Up to that point in our day, I still had not realized how hilly and mountainous Beaujolais was, and I remember telling Moises, “We will probably see a lot more of this…rolling hills and vineyards, kind of like Beaune.” I have never been so ecstatic to have been so incredibly wrong.
As we jetted off from our tasting at Lapierre to Chateau Julienas, we started a 20-minute vertical ascent that felt like it was never going to end. And the views. My God, the views. The panoramic views of the valley below and the foothills of the alps in the distance were simply breathtaking. It should not have surprised me, since the entire wine region sits at the edge of the Massif Central, a highland region of mountains and plateaus that stretches south from Burgundy almost all the way to the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, it did.
Above: Chateau Julienas from a distance
Chateau Juliénas is settled in the heart of one of the more mountainous crus of Beaujolais, called Juliénas. With nearly panoramic views of the vineyards and mountains from the courtyard, and our stomachs aching for food, Moises and I were ready to settle into our picnic [insert Moises and me dating joke here]. Alas, the picnic and therefore our stomachs would have to wait for us to complete yet another winery tour!
My heart nearly sank out of my body. This was a defcon level 1 problem for me. If my readers know me well, they know I can be prone to strange dietary habits, including fasting. And given the massive uptick in alcoholic, and therefore caloric, consumption during my trip, on most days of the trip I had taken to eating only one meal a day. I would start my day with a very long workout in the morning, and then eat only a protein shake or two afterwards, which would normally sustain me until dinner. This day was no exception.
As my blood sugar level dwindled to lows so dangerous I felt I might pass out, I politely warned our host a few times that I was critically malnourished. In defiance of my warnings, we spent nearly an entire hour touring the property. At this point, I was so desperately ravenous that I could barely ask even the simplest of questions. I am not sure I remember much of the tour, but once we sat down for a feast of charcuterie, bread, crackers, cheeses, and fruits that we had brought with us, my mood immediately changed. Despite her rejection of my appeals to eat, our host, Anita, was incredibly hospitable, gracious, and generous. And the wines. My god, the wines! She brought out far more than we had paid for, and she even let us take an entire bottle home. Notwithstanding the issues associated with my unplanned hunger strike, it was an extraordinary experience, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Before our drive back, Moises asked Anita where we should stop for some good views so we could take some pictures. I am so happy he asked, since we were able to get some of the best pictures and videos of the trip from a nearby hilltop church. As the sun set, we shared another glass of wine, and chatted vigorously about how lucky we were to be having this experience.
Lastly, due to the dual reality that Beaujolais a tiny region, and that we barely spent a day there, I do not have a list of things to do or places to eat. Consequently, I leave my reader with this video of the stunning landscape of Beaujolais, and a brief list of recommended wineries below it. Cheers, and let’s drink Gamay all day!
Recommended Wineries (the first four make up “The Gang of Four”:
Domaine Marcel Lapierre
Jean-Paul Thevenét
Jean Foillard
Guy Breton
Chateau Juliénas
Domaine des Marrans
Julien Sunier
Gregoire Hoppenot