🏷️ Beaujolais cru
The 10 best villages of Beaujolais, each with its own appellation.
Beaujolais crus are the ten best villages of the Beaujolais wine region in eastern France. Each has its own appellation, a protected name under the AOC system.
The crus lie in the northern part of the region, where granite soils are common. Almost all the red wines here are made from the Gamay grape. The ten are Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Côte de Brouilly and Brouilly. Wines from different villages differ noticeably in body and character.
Crus rank above ordinary Beaujolais and the "village" level. They should not be confused with young Beaujolais Nouveau, released soon after harvest. Crus are more often made to age longer, and the label often shows only the village name. In France, the national institute INAO oversees the rules. The cru name on a bottle usually stands alone, without the word Beaujolais, and tells you which village the wine comes from.
How it connects to Wine
🏷️ Beaujolais cru → → → 🍇 Gamay → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🏷️ Appellation d'origine contrôlée
- Where it applies
- 🗺️ French wine
- Related to
- 🍇 Gamay
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Beaujolais nouveau, 🏷️ Villages
Frequently asked questions
How many Beaujolais crus are there?
Ten, each with its own appellation.
What grape is used for Beaujolais crus?
The red wines are made from Gamay.
How is a cru different from Beaujolais Nouveau?
A cru is the wine of a single village, often aged longer, while Nouveau is a young wine released right after harvest.
What to read next
- 🍇 Gamay — A red wine grape used to make Beaujolais.
- 🗺️ French wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 🍷 Beaujolais nouveau — A young red wine from Gamay released on the third Thursday of November.
Similar
🏷️ VDQS · 🏷️ Regional appellation · 🏷️ Villages · 🏷️ Village appellation · 🏷️ Vin de pays / IGP · 🏷️ Grand cru
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.