Beaujolais is not Burgundy. Or is it?

Beaujolais, geographically, is part of Burgundy. But does it taste like Burgundy? Well, Burgundy’s long-ago Duke Philip the Bold hated it. But …


What do you think?

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Philip, as I’ve reported often before (yes, I love this story) thought so poorly of Beaujolais’s Gamay grape that in the year 1395 he outlawed it from Burgundy’s best wine regions. In a memorable wine-related rant, he declared the grape “disloyal” and, indeed, an actual hazard to health. Under Philip’s royal order, every Gamay vine in Bourgogne’s fabled Côte d’Or was ripped out by the roots and replaced with Pinot Noir.

Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria.

Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria.

Burgundy went on to become one of the world’s most fabled wines, and among its most expensive. Leroy Musigny Grand Cru for $27,000, anyone?

Meanwhile, though, the vignerons in nearby Beaujolais were well aware that Gamay grew just right in their region’s hilly, granitic soils. Better yet, the resulting red wine made an amiable, palate-friendly match with the glorious cuisine of nearby Lyon, a competitor to Paris as the true gastronomic capital of France.

Like two siblings in a thorny relationship, the regions went their own ways, embracing different manners and styles, yet never quite losing a deep family resemblance that’s not always easy to discern but is nevertheless hard to ignore.

“But wait,” I can hear you muttering. “Surely you’re not telling us that Beaujolais tastes like Burgundy!”

Well, no, not exactly. Certainly not at the mass-market level, where vast producers like Georges Duboeuf, dubbed the King of Beaujolais in homage to his market dominance, produces bright, fruity, easy-to-like red wines that don’t much resemble Bourgogne.

But the impulse to excel is just as strong in wine as in many other art forms. And over time, the consistent high quality of 10 villages in the hilly northern part of Beaujolais where granite soils prevail earned them the title “Cru.” This gave producers the right to highlight the village name on the label rather than the generic “Beaujolais.”

These wines, particularly from smaller, artisanal producers, show a depth, subtlety and complexity that invites comparison with Burgundy. Depending on cellar conditions, they can evolve into something even more Burgundian.

Interested? Look for these names, listed geographically in order from north to south: St-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Regnié, Brouilly, and Côte de Brouilly.

Today’s featured wine, Jean-Paul Brun 2021 Moulin-a-Vent, is an exceptional example from Brun’s sought-after Domaine des Terres Dorées, displaying the near-Burgundian style of top-rank Cru Beaujolais.

Sustainably produced from a four-acre vineyard with vines ranging from 30 to 45 years old, it is fermented with yeasts naturally occurring on the skins of the grapes, simply clarified through diatomaceous earth, only minimally sulfured, and aged for 10 months only in older oak barrels that impart subtle oak flavors if any at all.

I purchased it about a year ago and have carefully kept it on its side in a cool place. It is beautiful now at three years past the vintage, but could continue evolving gracefully for at least another five years under good temperature-controlled conditions.

Because this wine’s average U.S. retail price is $31 in Wine-Searcher’s database, this wine report resides behind our subscription paywall.

Since I don’t accept wine samples or other gratuities from the industry, I count on the support of paid subscribers to help cover the cost of the wines I review. If you’re not already on board, I’d love to have your support. Please consider subscribing to our paid-tier edition. Our free-to-all edition featuring a quality wine for $20 or less will return in its biweekly cycle next week.

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