📍 Beaujolais crus (north)

Northern Beaujolais is the granite part of the Beaujolais wine region in eastern France, where the ten crus are located. The word "cru" means "growth", that is, a best plot. Here it denotes a separate protected name of a village or hill.

The ten crus are: Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly. Each has its own character. Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon give dense, structured wines that can age. Fleurie and Chiroubles are light and delicate, with a floral aroma. Brouilly is the largest by area.

What they share is the soil. Here it is granite and sand, poor but well drained. The grape is the same everywhere: red Gamay. It makes the still red wine that is drunk chilled.

The northern crus rank above plain Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages. The name of the cru is often written on the label without the word "Beaujolais": the village is known on its own.