We might not go big on Beaujolais Nouveau Day here in Australia, but these bright French wines are worth toasting.
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Like most French wine regions, Beaujolais has its own system for how its wines are grown, made and labelled. This starts with Beaujolais, which is where the fresh nouveau styles come in. Then there’s Beaujolais Villages, covering 38 official villages, with these wines often showing a little minerality. The top tier is Beaujolais Cru, encompassing 10 premium appellations that produce more serious expressions.
Beaujolais wines haven’t always had the best reputation – there are just as many wine lovers who look down on their affordability and quick production (they spend just a couple of months in the bottle before release) as those who celebrate it. They also play next-door neighbour to Burgundy, sharing key traits with that esteemed region’s much-loved pinot noir. However, more recent focus by Beaujolais producers has seen a dramatic rise in quality, yet, unlike Burgundy and its now-astronomical prices, Beaujolais remains super affordable. “There are definitely some more serious Beaujolais expressions emerging, but you can still find many single-cru wines at under $30,” Nick says.
The gamay variety is somewhat lesser known here in Australia, but a handful of producers are working with it around the country. Like pinot, gamay loves a cool climate, and the Yarra Valley is proving to be one of the great regions for it. Nick predicts we’ll see a growth in gamay here, not just with more vines in the ground, but also with producers calling it out by name. “We’ve seen that with grapes like malbec and tempranillo, where international trends flow onto our domestic wines. Their popularity boosts our producers’ confidence to put those grape names on the label, and I think gamay will be a similar story,” Nick says.
In the meantime, for a taste of three French standouts, Nick points to the Mommesin Grandes Mises Côte de Brouilly, Henry Fessy Morgon Beaujolais and Château de Pierreaux Brouilly (all under $30 at time of writing). If, however, you’re inspired by Beaujolais Day and want to be among the first to taste some new releases, look out in stores for when these hit our shores over the coming months.
