GrapeChardonnay
As yet relatively little known, Beaujolais white wines are pleasant all year round wines that will surprise your guests. If you're lucky enough to find a bottle, that is...
Rare wines and with good reason!
Beaujolais white wines are produced in the AOC Beaujolais and AOC Beaujolais Villages areas in around 480 vineyards out of the total of 3000 in the region. There are slightly over 1,820,000 bottles produced every year, which is barely 2% of the total production of the 12 Beaujolais AOCs. These whites are difficult to find.
They are also unusual in the way they are produced. First of all because they are made from the Chardonnay grape variety. This variety from Burgundy may be world famous but is little used in the Beaujolais region where the emblematic grape variety is Gamay, used to make the Beaujolais reds and rosés. The vinification method is also different: the grapes are pressed as soon as they arrive in the cellar and fermentation takes around 15 days.
Beaujolais white pearls
The golden robe of Beaujolais whites is very pleasing to the eye before they go on to delight the nose with their hints of white-fleshed and citrus fruits. Beaujolais whites have good breadth in the mouth and a pleasant finish. They are known for their softness and freshness.
Beaujolais Villages whites stand out for their floral and mineral notes as well as their aromatic intensity. Some of these wines can be kept for several years in a cellar to enable them to express their complexity and intensity.
But everyone knows that Beaujolais will always be where Gamay calls home.