{"id":8013,"date":"2024-07-25T13:32:15","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T11:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beaujolais.com\/?p=8013"},"modified":"2024-07-25T14:07:15","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T12:07:15","slug":"futures-beaujolais-premiers-crus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beaujolais.com\/en\/2024\/07\/25\/futures-beaujolais-premiers-crus\/","title":{"rendered":"Futures Beaujolais Premiers Crus ?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pissevieille, C\u00f4te du Py, La Madone, Champ de Cour\u2026 Have you ever noticed these names on bottles of Beaujolais crus<\/strong>? Whether you are familiar or not with the notion of \u2018vins de lieux\u2019, <\/strong>or \u2018site-specific wines\u2019, we are going to explain what it means, at a time where several crus are hoping to see the emergence of Beaujolais Premiers Crus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are some Beaujolais wines on their way to gaining recognition as Premiers Crus? This is in any case the path some of the vineyards\u2019 ten crus<\/strong> have taken. Lieux-dits \u2013 literally “said-names” \u2013 are geographical areas recognised in the land register and have been recorded on maps for more than two centuries. Now, winegrowers are seeking recognition for these special terroirs. Will they go as far as to be classified as Premiers Crus? Let\u2019s take a look at this lengthy undertaking, the progress of which varies from one cru to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beaujolais : a vineyard made of crus and lieux-dits<\/p><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Does “lieu-dit” and “premier cru” mean anything to you ?<\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n

Firstly, what are lieux-dits<\/strong>\u00a0and what does\u00a0Premier Cru<\/strong>\u00a0mean? When it comes to wine, lieux-dits are specific registered terroirs within the appellation. There are almost 600 in the Beaujolais cru area alone and each one produces its own distinctive cuv\u00e9es<\/strong>. An increasing number of winegrowers mention them on their labels. A Premier Cru is a step above crus in the hierarchy of wines and is recognised as an exceptional terroir <\/strong>with regulated practices<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

A mosaic of soils in the beaujolais region<\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n

While the variety of soils found across the Beaujolais vineyard has not escaped the notice of winegrowers past and present, a veritable mosaic of soils<\/strong><\/a> was brought to light in 2018. An unprecedented study \u2013 which took 9 years to complete \u2013 revealed more than 300 types of soil from the 15 main types of rock. So it\u2019s hardly surprising that Beaujolais wines are so different, not just from one AOC to another, but also from one lieu-dit to another.<\/p>\n\n\n

Age-old lieux-dits<\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n

The lieux-dits<\/strong> found in the 12 appellations<\/strong><\/a> are part of the Beaujolais region\u2019s winegrowing history. \u2018Carriers of history\u2019 still tell stories about these places named after a historical event<\/strong>, a family<\/strong> or even a natural feature of the landscape<\/strong>. Some lieux-dits are even mentioned on old maps, labels or harvest declarations\u2026 The 1869 Budker map for example identified no fewer than 200 lieux-dits! In other words, the plot-by-plot approach used in the Beaujolais region is nothing new.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Carte
Lieux-dits of the \u201cBeaujolais hillside\u201d identified on the 1869 Budker map, Biblioth\u00e8que Nationale de France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why does the Beaujolais vineyard want its own premiers crus ?<\/p><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The plot-by-plot approach, an integral part of the Beaujolais region’s identity<\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n

Whether they are introducing their \u2018lieux-dits cuv\u00e9es\u2019 or naming their bottles after them, an increasing number of Beaujolais winegrowers, like their ancestors, are using a plot-by-plot approach. Aware of the variability of the soils<\/strong> they work on and determined to offer unique ranges of wines<\/strong>, they create cuv\u00e9es and even micro-cuv\u00e9es to reveal the potential of each lieu-dit. Some people call these wines \u2018vins de lieux\u2019<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

Premier cru : a move upmarket driven by winegrowers<\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n

It is the winegrowers of each appellation themselves who are behind this project to recognise some wines as Premiers Crus. Their motivation? The desire to see the remarkable lieux-dits of the Beaujolais region fully appreciated<\/strong> and their specific characteristics fully acknowledged. As the presence of Premiers Crus is a guarantee of quality for the entire vineyard<\/strong>, it is the Beaujolais region as a whole that will gain recognition for its move upmarket.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"A
A bird\u2019s-eye view of Beaujolais plots \u00a9 Beaujolais Wines \/ Etienne Ramousse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Is Beaujolais on a path towards premier cru recognition ?<\/p><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How do you choose the lieux-dits that could be put forward for premier-cru recognition ?<\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n

Winegrowers selected the lieux-dits that are likely to become Premiers Crus using a method approved by the <\/strong>National Institute of Origin and Quality<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(INAO). To justify these potential upgrades, the institute requires the following criteria<\/strong> to be taken into account:<\/p>\n