Beaujolais

Beaujolais is neatly wedged between Burgundy and the Rhone. It has often been overlooked in the wine world, generally overshadowed by it's illustrious neighbours. Made famous thanks to the notorious Beaujolais Noveau rally in the latter part of the 20th century. The intricacies of its Crus and many superb producers have remained mostly unnoticed. Exiled from Burgundy in the 1300s the main grape is Gamay, which is a bolder more fruity alternative to Pinot Noir. Baron Phillipe the Bold exiled the grape in favour of Pinot Noir due to it's harshness even though it was much easier to grow at that time. In the time since, producers have been able to reduce and almost remove any harshness, thanks to a process called Carbonic Maceration. In this process the Gamay grapes are fermented before they are pressed to minimise extraction of tannins. Thanks to this Beaujolais produces lighter styles of red wine that are great for food pairing and lovely on a hot day. With the majority of Beaujolais wines you will get notes of Kirsch and sweet red berries.