There’s Far More to Beaujolais Than Nouveau

• By WineBottleMag
• December 24, 2025
• Beaujolais Nouveau
• With 0 comments

Every third Thursday of November, the newest vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau hits wine-store shelves, made from grapes that were harvested barely three months prior.

While the release of Beaujolais Nouveau rings in the wine new year, there’s far more to Beaujolais than Nouveau bottlings. The annual celebration should serve as your invitation to lean into the rest of what the region’s 12 AOCs have to offer.

Beaujolais isn’t a monolith; it comes in a range of styles from juicy and fresh to concentrated and nuanced. Its expressive aromas of plum fruit and soft tannins make it ideal for that transition into chillier months, when you begin to crave more complexity in the glass. However, its wide breadth makes it an excellent choice no matter the time of year.

Beaujolais Villages and Beaujolais Cru showcase the best of what the region has to offer. Nearly half of the 30,000 hectares of Gamay vines on the planet are located in Beaujolais, and producers here know more than a thing or two about how to get the best out of the grape. But also don’t forget about Beaujolais Blanc made from Chardonnay that adds to the diversity of the region.

Table of Contents

Weather Report

Beaujolais has a semi-continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. It is warmer than Burgundy, its neighbor to the north, with a longer growing season. Spring frosts and hailstorms that used to be rare in the past are now more regular. Climate change has brought more varied weather patterns that can alternate between cool and wet and hot and dry in the same season. Beaujolais, which used to be considered a cool-weather appellation, is now producing riper fruit with more consistency even as there is discernable vintage variation. Here’s what to expect in the bottle from recent vintages.

2024

2024 was a difficult vintage in France and also in Beaujolais. Early budbreak was followed by cool weather in April and May, which delayed vine flowering. Above-average rainfall during this period created humid conditions and mildew disease pressure which reduced yields. August hailstorms further impacted production volume. This is a winemaker’s vintage that will benefit from skill in the cellar. These wines will be delicate, lean, fruity, and easy to drink.

2023

This was a fine vintage. A mix of cool and rainy weather between June and mid-August characterized the wine-growing year, which was also impacted by storms and a heatwave beginning in mid-August through September. Some vines, especially in Southern Beaujolais, suffered from water stress due to unseasonably high temperatures that hastened ripening and produced well-balanced grapes. Wines from 2023 should be ripe, fulsome, and structured. This is a particularly good year for Beaujolais Crus.

2022

2022 was an outstanding, sunny vintage, reminiscent of 2020, 2015, and 2009. A hot May led into a mixed June with some rain but mostly sunshine. Dry conditions and lower than average rainfall led to one-third lower yields than 2021. Hail late in the season also impacted yields.  Grapes were concentrated and black-fruit-tilted. This vintage has generous fruit, ripeness, and higher alcohol levels of 13.5% abv and above. Wines from 2022 offer a fine balance of fruit and ripe tannins.

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2021

This was a challenging, difficult, cool-weather vintage with low yields. Spring frost led to crop losses of around 20% followed by a cool, wet, and rainy growing season characterized by mildew pressure from June through mid-August, which further lowered yields. Sunny weather from mid-August onwards led to a delayed, mid-to-late-September harvest. Vinification required more precision and delicacy in the cellar due to uneven grape ripeness. Wines from this classic vintage are lower in alcohol (around 11 to 12% abv) and are fresh and elegant with tender tannins, hints of black tea, and attractive herbal notes.

Trend Report

A Generational Shift Underway

Beaujolais production is at an inflection point as the majority of producers are 50 years of age and older, with many looking to pass the torch in the next decade. This void is being filled in part by the next generation of family, but also with young winemakers attracted by the affordability of land. A new generation of leaders are bringing innovation both to the cellar and to the vineyard.

For example, Jean-Baptiste Bachevillier of Domaine du Mont Joly, who purchased his vineyard in 2016 in Blacé, is using amphora to age his wines, while increasing biodiversity in the vineyard with the planting of over 2,000 hedges and trees. Cosima Bassouls of Domaine Château des Vergers, whose parents are winemakers, began the organic conversion of her vineyards in 2019.  She’s also a member of a regional trade association that is helping other producers in Lantignié to do the same. Over the next decade Beaujolais will continue to undergo a generational turnover that will impact what you experience in the glass.

A New Indication of Quality with Pierres Dorées

A new indicator of quality has emerged within Beaujolais AOC with the indication “Pierres Dorées.” You can already find it on labels even as the application for recognition with the Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) is still under review. The term is reserved for wines that have body, balance, and are made to be aged. Compared to other Beaujolais AOC wines you should find more minerality.

A maximum of 25% of a wine in a given geographic area can be labeled as Pierres Dorées, which is also associated with reduced yields. If approved by INAO as a protected name, this will be the first time producers will have had the option to distinguish their bottlings from the basic Beaujolais AOC classification. Producers like Ghislaine Dupeuble of Château des Pertonnières are beyond excited for this recognition. “We can have good Beaujolais without the name Cru,” she says.

Futurecast

This is an exciting time in Beaujolais. Here’s what’s coming down the pike for the future.

More Beaujolais Blanc

White wine accounts for 4% of production in Beaujolais, but this is growing. Philippe Bardet, former president of the regional trade association Inter Beaujolais, would ideally like to see white wine production rise to 10%, an achievable goal given current trends. Beaujolais is well positioned to follow the global increase in white wine production, especially in its limestone-rich soils in the southern part of the region.

Charting the Path Towards Premier Cru Recognition

Unlike Burgundy, its neighbor to the north, Beaujolais does not have any Premier Cru or Grand Cru recognized vineyard sites but that may change in the future. Three of the ten Beaujolais Crus appellations, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, and Brouilly, have submitted applications to the INAO for Premier Cru recognition of selected vineyard sites. Other Beaujolais Cru appellations including Morgon are also exploring Premier Cru recognition. While the INAO approval process can take several years, Beaujolais is well positioned to achieve Premier Cru recognition of selected vineyard sites, further elevating the image of the region.

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What to Drink Right Now

Beaujolais is comprised of 12 AOCs, which includes two regional appellations (Beaujolais AOC and Beaujolais Villages AOC) and ten Crus. Below are some specially-selected bottles to begin your Beaujolais exploration.

Beaujolais

Beaujolais AOC is the regional appellation and the largest of the Beaujolais AOCs. It predominately encompasses wines from the southern part of the appellation. Soils are varied with many vineyards planted on a mix of marl, sandstone, and limestone. Chardonnay loves limestone, and this is the AOC where you’ll find the most substantial plantings of thriving Chardonnay vines. This is also the AOC where the majority of Beaujolais Nouveau is produced alongside a more limited production of Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau wines to the north. Beaujolais AOC reds are bright, fruity, and aromatic, while whites and rosés are lively and crisp. These bottles capture the essence of Beaujolais.

Beaujolais Blanc

Beaujolais Nouveau

Beaujolais

Beaujolais Villages

A step up in complexity from Beaujolais AOC, the Beaujolais Villages AOC appellation is located in the northern part of the region on higher elevations between 200 to 500 meters. The varied soils are a mix of granite, gneiss, shale, blue stone, and sandstone. Wines from this area can be labeled as Beaujolais-Villages or with the name of a specific village, such as Beaujolais Lantignié, Beaujolais Blacé, Beaujolais Lancié, or Beaujolais Quincié. Beaujolais Villages is where you’ll find some of the most exciting wines in Beaujolais from producers who are bringing innovation into the vineyard and cellar. Wines from Beaujolais-Villages AOC are more structured than Beaujolais AOC while offering a range of expressive fruit and delicate flavors.

Beaujolais Crus

At the top of the Beaujolais hierarchy are the 10 Beaujolais Crus: Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Régnié, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, Chénas, Juliénas, and Saint-Amour. Each Cru can also feature the name of any recognized lieux-dit, a smaller area within a Cru with more terroir precision, on the label such as Morgon Côte du Py. The Crus are all located in the northern part of the Beaujolais region.

While soil types can be varied, the crus are generally planted along the region’s most-valuable outcroppings of granite, which are the Crus’s signature. With 90% of vines being grown on pink granite, wines from Fleurie are floral, delicate, and elegant. A combination of granite and blue stone soils characterize Morgon, which produces strong, dense wines with sturdy tannins. And a mix of granite, limestone, marl, and sandstone soils dominates in Moulin-à-Vent, which produces vibrant, fulsome wines with well-integrated fruit that welcomes bottle-aging.

Fleurie

Morgon

Moulin-à-Vent

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