Domaine des Brureaux ★ 4.2
One of Chénas's small number of independent producers working the smallest of the ten crus, producing powerful, spicy Gamay from granite and sand soils bordering Moulin-a-Vent.
Where to taste Gamay in Beaujolais: the estates that grow it, how the region expresses the grape, and how to book a visit.
Gamay estates in Beaujolais
Domaine des Crais ★ 4.1
Saint-Amour estate producing fragrant, cherry-forward Gamay from the northernmost cru, a favourite on Valentines Day menus for its evocative name and approachable style.
Domaine des Pins ★ 4.0
Brouilly estate in Saint-Etienne-la-Varenne, one of the six communes of the Brouilly AOC (granted 1938, around 1300 hectares). Produces round, fruit-expressive Gamay from the gently sloping granite terrain of Brouilly.
Domaine des Sables d'Or ★ 4.0
Brouilly estate in the commune of Saint-Lager, one of the six communes making up the largest of the Beaujolais crus. Produces ripe, generous Gamay from sandy granite.
Domaine Marcel Lapierre ★ 4.9
Morgon estate and spiritual home of the natural Beaujolais movement, producing whole-cluster Gamay with minimal sulfur following Jules Chauvet's method. Marcel died in 2010; the domaine continues.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment; the domaine is a pillar of the natural Beaujolais movement founded on Jules Chauvet's principles.
Signature wines: lapierre-morgon, lapierre-raisins-gaulois
Tip: Book tastings well ahead; allocation wines sell quickly through specialist importers.
Domaine Jean Foillard ★ 4.9
Morgon estate anchored on the Cote du Py lieu-dit, a Gang of Four natural pioneer. Jean Foillard studied under Jules Chauvet and has farmed organically for decades.
Tasting: Visits by appointment only. The estate is best known for its Cote du Py parcel.
Signature wines: foillard-morgon-cote-du-py, foillard-morgon-eponym
Tip: The Cote du Py cuvee rewards 3 to 5 years in bottle.
Domaine Guy Breton ★ 4.8
Gang of Four member producing Morgon Vieilles Vignes from old Gamay vines with zero-sulfur philosophy and whole-cluster fermentation. A key reference for natural Beaujolais.
Domaine Jean-Paul Thevenet ★ 4.8
Fourth member of the Gang of Four, farming Morgon with the same minimal-intervention approach shaped by Jules Chauvet. Produces deeply concentrated Gamay from old vines.
Domaine Yvon Metras ★ 4.8
Yvon Métras produces Fleurie with uncompromising natural methods from a 5-hectare estate based in Vauxrenard near Fleurie, with old Gamay vines including pre-phylloxera plantings dating to 1898 in the Grille-Midi and La Madone lieux-dits. Tiny production, allocated through specialist importers.
Domaine Damien Coquelet ★ 4.7
Domaine run by Damien Coquelet (stepson of Jean Foillard) based at Les Bourrons in Vauxrenard. Produces Gamay from Morgon Cote du Py and Chiroubles with the same natural approach as his mentor, started in 2007 at age 19.
Domaine Jean-Marc Burgaud ★ 4.5
Morgon estate producing cuvees from the Cote du Py lieu-dit. Burgaud is known for well-structured Gamay with ageing potential drawn from the schist and iron-rich soils.
Domaine Christian Ducroux ★ 4.6
Regnié estate at Thulon in Lantignié, farmed under Demeter biodynamic certification since the 1980s, one of the earliest fully certified biodynamic producers in Beaujolais.
Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu ★ 4.6
Brouilly estate run on natural-wine principles, biodynamic in practice. Jean-Claude Lapalu is a key figure in the Gang of Four orbit, producing vivid, fruit-driven Gamay from granite slopes.
Domaine Julien Sunier ★ 4.7
Natural-wine producer working across Régnié and Fleurie, known for transparent, mineral Gamay with whole-cluster character. Julien Sunier trained in Burgundy and brings terroir precision to Beaujolais.
Chateau Thivin ★ 4.7
Cote de Brouilly estate operated by the Geoffray family since 1877, sited on the volcanic Mont Brouilly. Produces Cote de Brouilly and Brouilly as well as Beaujolais Blanc.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings available; the estate sits on the volcanic Mont Brouilly slope.
Signature wines: thivin-cote-de-brouilly, thivin-brouilly
Tip: The estate's Cote de Brouilly cuvees reflect the volcanic basalt soils of Mont Brouilly distinctively.
Domaine Chignard ★ 4.5
Family domaine in Fleurie producing elegant, perfumed Gamay from granite soils with a traditional winemaking approach balancing fruit and structure.
Tasting: By appointment; small family domaine on the granite hills of Fleurie.
Domaine Berrod ★ 4.4
Independent Fleurie producer created in 1954 by Rene Berrod, now farmed by Guillaume Ruet. Produces Fleurie and Moulin-a-Vent with traditional methods as member of Vignerons Independants.
Tasting: Visits by appointment at the estate in Fleurie village.
Chateau du Moulin-a-Vent ★ 4.6
Historic Moulin-a-Vent estate centred on the appellation's landmark windmill lieu-dit, producing age-worthy Gamay from granite and manganese soils.
Tasting: Cellar door and tasting room at the estate near the iconic windmill lieu-dit.
Signature wines: chateau-du-moulin-a-vent-grand-cru
Domaine de la Madone ★ 4.4
Six-generation Despres family estate in Fleurie producing terroir-expressive Gamay from the hillside above the village. Historic estate name drawn from the local Madonna chapel.
Tasting: Family estate open for visits; six-generation Despres family property.
Domaine du Vissoux (Famille Chermette) ★ 4.5
Family estate of the Chermette family at Saint-Vérand, in production since the 17th century. Renamed Domaines Chermette in 2023 when Jean-Etienne Chermette took over from his parents Martine and Pierre-Marie Chermette.
Maison Georges Duboeuf ★ 4.3
Beaujolais negociant house founded by Georges Duboeuf in 1964 and known for popularising Beaujolais Nouveau globally from the 1970s onward. The Hameau Duboeuf park at Romanèche-Thorins, opened in 1993, is a major wine-tourism draw.
Tasting: The Hameau Duboeuf wine theme park and museum at Romanèche-Thorins is open to visitors; includes cellar tour, flower exhibition and tasting.
Maison Louis Jadot (Beaujolais) ★ 4.5
Burgundy house Louis Jadot acquired Chateau des Jacques in Moulin-a-Vent, bringing Burgundy winemaking rigour to Beaujolais. Produces single-lieu-dit Gamay cuvees of notable depth.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings at Chateau des Jacques in Moulin-a-Vent. Book through Louis Jadot Beaune.
Domaine Anne-Sophie Dubois ★ 4.6
Anne-Sophie Dubois farms eight hectares in the Les Labourons lieu-dit of Fleurie, organically certified with old vines (the oldest over 60 years).
Domaine Karim Vionnet ★ 4.5
Natural-wine producer based at Le Clachet in Villié-Morgon, working roughly 8 hectares across plots in Quincié and Lantignié. Karim Vionnet trained with Guy Breton and started his own operation in 2006, vinifying Gamay with indigenous yeasts, no added sugar and minimal sulphur through full carbonic maceration.
Domaine Christophe Pacalet ★ 4.6
Micro-negociant based in Cercié, just outside Villié-Morgon. Christophe Pacalet (nephew of Marcel Lapierre) set up his own winery in 1999 and vinifies purchased grapes from multiple Beaujolais appellations including Beaujolais-Villages, Fleurie, Saint-Amour and Moulin-a-Vent, using the Chauvet method (whole bunches, carbonic maceration, no additives).
Domaine Pierre Cotton ★ 4.4
Small Brouilly and Cote de Brouilly estate at Odenas, on land farmed by the Cotton family since 1856. Pierre Cotton (joined by partner Marine Bonnet in 2020, with the estate now operating as Bonnet-Cotton) reclaimed 1 hectare of Cote de Brouilly in 2014 for his first cuvee; the domaine farms organically and ferments without added sulphur in concrete tanks before ageing in old foudres.
Domaine de la Voute des Crozes ★ 4.3
Family estate in Cercié on the slopes of Mont Brouilly, operated by Nicole Chanrion since 1988 and dating to 1861. The domaine farms around 7.5 hectares of Gamay on east- and northeast-facing volcanic schist and diorite mid-slopes, with vineyards planted at 10,000-12,000 vines per hectare and whole-cluster carbonic maceration aged in large oak foudres.
Domaine Daniel Bouland ★ 4.2
Family domaine in Villié-Morgon farming roughly 7 hectares of old Gamay vines across Morgon lieux-dits Douby, Cote de Py and Delys plus small parcels in Chiroubles and Cote de Brouilly.
Domaine de Bel-Air ★ 4.3
Lafont family estate at Lantignié producing Beaujolais since 1840 with parcels across five crus. Jean-Marc Lafont has run the estate since 1985 from 23 hectares of vineyard, working with eco-friendly vine techniques (HVE certified) and producing a recognised Moulin-a-Vent Les Burdelines among the cuvees.
Château de Grand Pré (Romain Zordan) ★ 4.2
Family domaine on 8 hectares (6 in Fleurie, 1.5 in Morgon, 1.5 in Beaujolais-Villages), certified organic since 2012. Romain Zordan vinified his first vintage in 2012 under the mentorship of Jean-François Ganevat, producing pure, refreshing Gamay with very little added sulphur via long, cool whole-bunch semi-carbonic maceration.
Domaine des Nugues ★ 4.1
Family estate of the Gelin family at Lancié, the only Beaujolais-Villages commune enclosed between the Morgon, Fleurie and Moulin-a-Vent crus.
Domaine du Manoir du Carra ★ 4.3
Sambardier family estate at Denicé in the southern Beaujolais. Dating from 1850 and now covering 34 hectares across multiple appellations (Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, Brouilly, Juliénas, Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie and Beaujolais Blanc) farmed across 50 plots ranging from 50 to 100 years old.
Domaine des Chers ★ 4.2
Julienas estate producing spicy, full-bodied Gamay from the granite and schist soils of this Saone-et-Loire cru. Traditional producer maintaining the cru's reputation for structured reds.
Domaine du Clos du Fief ★ 4.3
Historic Julienas producer with old-vine Gamay planted on granite-rich slopes. The Clos du Fief cuvee is among the more structured and age-worthy in the appellation.
Domaine du Granit ★ 4.1
Fourth-generation family domaine at Chénas managed by Franck Bessone, named for the granitic soils that define this part of the Beaujolais. The 12-hectare estate produces Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie, Chénas and Saint-Amour with manual harvests and ageing in oak barrels, casks and cement tanks.
Domaine Emile Cheysson ★ 4.3
Historic Chiroubles estate established in 1868 by Émile Cheysson, with 26 hectares of vineyards on steep granite slopes and a 17th-century cellar originally built by the monks of Cluny Abbey.
Domaine Jean-Marc Despres ★ 4.1
Family domaine in Régnié, the youngest of the ten crus granted AOC status in 1988. Produces fresh, fruit-forward Gamay from granitic-sandy soils on the west-facing slopes of the appellation.
Domaine Breton Beaujolais ★ 4.0
Regnié estate producing straightforward, approachable Gamay from one of the most recently promoted crus. An honest, everyday wine producer anchored in the village tradition.
Château de La Chaize ★ 4.4
Historic 17th-century chateau in Odenas with 23 cadastral plots across Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie and Morgon. The estate has produced Beaujolais since 1676; acquired by Christophe Gruy in 2017. The chateau, its formal gardens by Mansart and Le Nôtre, and the walled 108-metre 18th-century cellar are protected monuments.
Tasting: Guided tours of the exterior and gardens (designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and André Le Nôtre) ending in the historic 108-metre 18th-century cellar; visits and tastings available.
Domaine du Crêt des Garanches ★ 4.0
Family estate at Odenas south of Mont Brouilly, with a winegrowing tradition that traces back to 1752. Sylvie Dufaitre-Genin works 11.65 hectares of Gamay across Brouilly and Cote de Brouilly on granite-dominated soils.
Domaine Mee Godard ★ 4.6
Mee Godard established her domaine in Morgon in February 2013 around three benchmark sites: Corcelette, Grand Cras and Cote du Py. The estate centres on old Gamay vines (some 70 years old) and an oenologist's approach to whole-cluster or partial-destemming fermentation with extended ageing in wood, producing structured Morgon described by Jancis Robinson as 'vivid, intense, defiant, arresting'.
Domaine des Terres Dorées ★ 4.5
Jean-Paul Brun's 60+ hectare family estate in the southern Beaujolais, started in 1979 with 4 hectares in Charnay. Eschews carbonic maceration in favour of traditional Burgundian vinification with indigenous yeasts and minimal sulphur; produces both classic Gamay cuvees (notably L'Ancien Vieilles Vignes) and unusual old-vine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Domaine du Granit Fleurie ★ 4.2
Fleurie estate on pink granite soils producing perfumed, floral Gamay characteristic of the queen cru. Traditional fermentation in cement and ageing in large old oak.
Domaine des Chaffangeons ★ 4.1
Family domaine in Fleurie founded by Robert Depardon in 1955 and now in its third generation, working 16 hectares. Produces several Fleurie cuvees plus Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent and Beaujolais Blanc (Chardonnay), with red wines from 100% Gamay.
Domaine du Fief des Sept Cles ★ 4.1
Small Julienas estate producing spiced, full-flavoured Gamay on the granite and schist slopes of this Saone-et-Loire cru shared between the Rhone and Saone-et-Loire departments.
Domaine du Moulin d'Éole ★ 4.2
Moulin-à-Vent estate established in 1907 and expanded over the appellation's terroir. In 2005 Philippe Guérin and his wife added Chiroubles to the holdings, and Élise Guérin now produces a Moulin-à-Vent and a Beaujolais-Villages including the Les Thorins cuvée.
Domaine Diochon ★ 4.5
Family domaine making Beaujolais the old-fashioned way since 1935, located just across the road from the iconic Moulin-à-Vent windmill. Bernard Diochon succeeded his father in 1967 and appointed Thomas Patenôtre as his successor in 2007. The estate produces a single old-vine Moulin-à-Vent each vintage from vines planted in 1920, 1950 and the 1960s.
Domaine Lafarge-Vial ★ 4.7
Joint project founded in 2014 by Frédéric Lafarge of Domaine Michel Lafarge in Volnay and his wife Chantal (née Vial). Farms 6.29 hectares across Fleurie and a small adjoining parcel in Chiroubles' Bel-Air lieu-dit, biodynamic since the start with vineyard work done manually and horse-ploughing on the steep slopes. Vinifies in the Burgundian style with natural yeasts in open concrete vats, around 25% whole cluster.
Château des Bachelards ★ 4.5
Historic estate in Fleurie founded around 1100 by the Benedictine monks of Cluny, covering 12 hectares (5 around the chateau in Fleurie, plus plots in Beaujolais-Villages, Saint-Amour and Moulin-à-Vent).
Clos de la Roilette ★ 4.4
A single-vineyard Fleurie clos producing consistently floral, silky Gamay from a sheltered granite bowl above the village, a historically documented single-parcel Fleurie clos.
Domaine Richard Rottiers ★ 4.5
Domaine founded in 2007 by Richard Rottiers at Romanèche-Thorins on 3 hectares of 40-80 year-old vines, now extended to 12 hectares across Moulin-à-Vent, Brouilly and Beaujolais-Villages.
Domaine du Prieure Saint-Romain ★ 4.2
Saint-Amour estate producing aromatic, fresh Gamay from the northernmost cru, historically connected to the Benedictine priory that gave the appellation its name.
Domaine des Rosiers (Gérard Charvet) ★ 4.2
Family estate based in the neighbouring Chénas commune, working 20 hectares of vineyards at high altitude across Moulin-à-Vent, Chénas, Saint-Amour, Morgon and Saint-Véran.
Château de Pizay ★ 4.3
Historic medieval chateau dating to the 13th century at Belleville-en-Beaujolais (Saint-Jean-d'Ardières), with a 4-star hotel and spa on site and 80 hectares of vineyards producing six appellations: white, rosé and red Beaujolais, Régnié, Morgon and Brouilly under the Château de Saint-Lager label.
Tasting: The chateau and hotel-restaurant operates full cellar tours, tastings and vineyard walks; estate stay available.
Tip: One of the few wine-tourism estates in Beaujolais with a hotel and restaurant on site.
Domaine des Terres de la Cour ★ 4.0
Julienas estate on mixed granite and schist soils, producing robust, well-structured Gamay with characteristic spice and full fruit of the appellation.
Caveau de Morgon ★ 4.5
A Beaujolais cru caveau installed in 1953 in an 18th-century chateau surrounded by a wildlife park. Pours older Morgon vintages alongside regional products; a grand press occupies the reception hall.
Tip: Ask for an older vintage Morgon; the cellar stocks library bottles rarely found elsewhere.
Maison du Cru Fleurie ★ 4.4
Village-centre boutique pouring wines from 32 Fleurie estates, staffed each day by a different vigneron. Four Fleurie wines offered for tasting, next to the tourist office.
Tip: The vigneron on duty changes daily so each visit brings a different producer perspective.
Domaine de la Madone Tasting Room ★ 4.6
Six-generation family estate on the hillside below Fleurie's chapel. A modern tasting room opened in 2023 pours the full Fleurie range from pink granite terroir; panoramic vineyard terrace available.
Tip: The Grille-Midi cuvee captures the sunnier south-facing slope; ask to compare it with the Madone old-vines.
Cave de Fleurie ★ 4.2
Founded in 1927, this cooperative assembles four generations of vigneron families in Fleurie. Cuvees include Les Garants, La Chapelle des Bois, and Montgenas from distinct vineyard parcels.
Cave du Chateau de Chenas ★ 4.1
Producer cooperative in Chenas pouring the full arc of northern Beaujolais crus: Moulin-a-Vent, Chenas, Morgon, Fleurie, Julienas, Saint-Amour, Brouilly, Chiroubles, Regnié; a Beaujolais Blanc.
Cave Cooperative de Julienas Chaintre ★ 4.3
Cooperative of 85 growers managing 290 hectares across Chenas, Julienas, Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie, and Brouilly. The Julienas tasting room is set in the Chateau du Bois de la Salle, a classified 15th-century building.
Tip: The Chateau du Bois de la Salle itself is a listed monument; worth combining the tasting with a look at the architecture.
Vignerons des Pierres Dorees Caveau de Saint-Laurent-d'Oingt ★ 4.2
Cooperative caveau in the golden-stone village of Val d'Oingt, classified among the most photogenic villages. Pours the full Vignerons des Pierres Dorees range including Terra Iconia, Prestige, and the Fines Bulles sparkling from the southern Beaujolais.
Tip: The ochre village streets are among the most photogenic in the region; combine the tasting with a walk through the village ramparts.
La Maison des Beaujolais Caveau ★ 4.6
The largest selection of Beaujolais wines in one place: 600+ references covering all 12 appellations at winemaker prices. Master Sommelier Guillaume Mithieux guides visitors through the full regional spectrum from Nouveau to aged Crus.
Tip: Ask Guillaume to arrange a vertical of Morgon or Moulin-a-Vent across several vintages; the cellar stocks old vintages most visitors never access.
Chateau de Pizay Oenotheque ★ 4.5
The oenotheque of Beaujolais's largest estate hotel hosts a unique sensory wine course across 8 workshops covering colour, aroma, and flavour. Estate wines from Morgon, Brouilly, and Beaujolais Blanc available at the on-site boutique.
Chateau de la Chaize Cellar Tasting ★ 4.8
The 108-metre cellar of this classified 17th-century monument is the longest in the Beaujolais. Guided tours take in the gardens designed by Le Notre, the 1676 chateau, and the historic chai before a tasting of three estate wines.
Tip: Weekend visits are by appointment only; book at least a week ahead during summer.
Chateau Thivin Tasting and Cellar ★ 4.7
A Mont Brouilly estate in the Geoffray family since 1877 (six generations). The cellar features a blue-stone vault; visitors taste Cote de Brouilly and Brouilly cuvees in a setting that dates to the 15th century.
Tip: Ask to see the chapel on the hilltop above the vines; the view from the summit extends across the entire Beaujolais region.
Domaine Augris Tasting Cellar ★ 4.2
Oenologist Annie Augris runs workshops on tasting methodology, vine cultivation, and Morgon cru discovery at this family domain in the upper Morgon hamlet. A relaxed, producer-direct experience with older vintages available.
Domaine des Pampres d'Or Tasting and Cellar ★ 4.3
Organic family estate in the golden-stone Beaujolais Pierres Dorees zone. Offers producer-led cellar visits, barrel tastings, blending workshops, and aperitif evenings with local charcuterie and cheese.
Chateau de Corcelles Tasting Room ★ 4.4
A 15th-century fortified chateau and classified monument open year-round with an audio-guide covering the ancient cellars and remarkable 15th-century timber carpentry.
Le Comptoir Beaujolais ★ 4.3
The tasting cellar of 16 Beaujolais-Villages producers, founded in 1956 in the historic capital of Beaujolais. After a full renovation, the caveau pours the complete arc of appellations from Beaujolais-Villages to the 10 Crus alongside Cremant de Bourgogne.
Tip: Beaujeu hosts the Sarmentelles Nouveau festival each November third Thursday; arrive a week early and the Comptoir stocks unlabelled primeur samples.
Christian Ducroux ★ 4.6
Christian Ducroux in Régnié-Durette is a long-committed biodynamic producer, certified Demeter since the 1990s and farming without any inputs beyond sulphur-free fermentation.
Tip: Ducroux's Régnié is a standout expression of the tenth and newest Beaujolais Cru; ask for a cellar visit when passing through Régnié-Durette.
Yvon Métras ★ 4.8
Yvon Métras farms a small estate based in Vauxrenard near Fleurie, with very old Gamay vines including some planted in 1898 in the top lieux-dits of Grille-Midi and La Madone.
Tip: Métras Fleurie is usually sold on allocation and sells out within days of each release; contact his importer in your country months ahead of the vintage release to join the list.
Jean-Claude Lapalu ★ 4.6
Jean-Claude Lapalu farms eleven hectares in the Brouilly Cru with biodynamic practices and makes zero-sulphur Gamay that has attracted attention from natural-wine writers as a reference for the appellation.
Tip: Lapalu's Cuvée des Fous comes from very old Gamay vines and has more density and grip than most Brouilly; it is the bottle to seek out if you want to understand what natural Brouilly can achieve.
Karim Vionnet ★ 4.5
Karim Vionnet is a younger-generation Beaujolais producer based at Le Clachet in Villié-Morgon, working roughly 8 hectares across plots in Quincié, Lantignié and other communes.
Tip: Vionnet's wines are poured by the glass at several Paris natural-wine bars and are worth tracking down before a Morgon visit to understand the appellation's current direction.
Domaine Georges Descombes ★ 4.7
Georges Descombes is a direct pupil of Jules Chauvet and the Gang of Four generation, and his Morgon and Beaujolais-Villages are produced with the same zero-sulphur discipline.
Tip: Descombes has mentored several of the younger natural-wine producers now emerging in Morgon; his domaine is an important visit for anyone serious about understanding the movement's lineage.
Domaine du Vissoux Fleurie Poncie ★ 4.5
Pierre-Marie Chermette's Fleurie Poncie from the east-facing Poncié lieu-dit is the prestige cuvee of the Vissoux range, a single-parcel Fleurie from deep granitic sand that shows the floral, mineral side of the appellation. Produced in quantities too small for wide restaurant listing, it is a hidden-gem Fleurie that competes with much more expensive bottlings.
Tip: Saint-Vérand is on the southern edge of the Beaujolais and is often omitted from Cru itineraries; the Vissoux estate is a pleasant stop on the Pierres Dorees circuit before heading north toward Fleurie.
Clos de la Roilette (Coudert) ★ 4.4
Clos de la Roilette is a walled lieu-dit in Fleurie farmed by Alain Coudert, producing a distinctive style for the appellation. The enclosed granite plot gives a darker, more structured Fleurie than most of the appellation, with more tannin and ageing ability. It is little known outside France but has been a favourite of informed Beaujolais buyers for decades.
Tip: Clos de la Roilette ages unusually well for Fleurie; if you find older vintages at a wine merchant do not hesitate, the wine often opens beautifully at five to eight years from harvest.
Domaine de la Madone (Le Perréon) ★ 4.2
Domaine de la Madone in Le Perréon (Bererd brothers) farms 28 hectares of vineyards across two villages, Le Perréon and Vaux-en-Beaujolais. The estate is divided into 90 small plots with vines averaging 40 years old on steep, decomposed pink-granite slopes that produce some of the most structured Beaujolais-Villages of the appellation, with a 2.5-hectare organic block and the rest in sustainable viticulture.
Tip: Le Perréon is a quiet village in the centre of the Beaujolais that sees few wine tourists; the Madone domaine is a good reason to explore the Beaujolais-Villages zone beyond the ten Crus.
Domaine Lapierre Morgon ★ 4.5
The entry Morgon from Domaine Lapierre, vinified without sulphur dioxide in the tradition established by Marcel Lapierre and continued by sons Mathieu and Camille.
Tip: The non-sulphite cuvee needs cool storage and should be drunk within two or three years of vintage; if you see the sulphite-free version, note the faint label distinction and keep it in the fridge after opening.
Jean Foillard Morgon Cote du Py ★ 4.6
Jean Foillard's Cote du Py Morgon comes from the decomposed volcanic schist of the Py hill, the appellation's named lieu-dit. Whole-cluster carbonic maceration produces a wine with mineral density and dark-fruit depth unusual for the price. A clear Cru terroir expression available under thirty euros.
Tip: Cote du Py Morgon benefits from an hour of air after opening; it can also age gracefully for five or more years in a cool cellar, bridging the gap between Beaujolais and minor red Burgundy.
Domaine des Terres Dorees (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais L'Ancien ★ 4.4
Jean-Paul Brun sources old Gobelet-trained Gamay vines from the Pierres Dorees area of southern Beaujolais for this unchaptalized, unfined, unfiltered cuvee.
Tip: L'Ancien cools well in the fridge for summer drinking; it also improves with a year or two in bottle, a rarity for basic-AOC Beaujolais.
Domaine Chignard Fleurie Les Moriers ★ 4.4
Michel and Cécile Chignard's Les Moriers is grown on the sand-granite soils of Fleurie and captures the appellation's signature floral, silky-textured Gamay at an accessible price.
Tip: Chignard Fleurie is fragrant and approachable within a year or two of vintage; it pairs broadly across charcuterie, poultry, and lighter red-meat dishes.
Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Cote du Py ★ 4.3
Jean-Marc Burgaud's Cote du Py Morgon comes from vines on the volcanic schist hill and is aged in a combination of old wood and concrete. It represents serious Morgon terroir at a price that undercuts many comparably ambitious Cru releases.
Tip: Burgaud also makes a Regnie and a Beaujolais-Villages that offer similar quality discipline at even lower price points; ask for all three for a comparative tasting.
Domaine Diochon Moulin-a-Vent ★ 4.3
Domaine Diochon has farmed Moulin-a-Vent for generations on the manganese-rich granite soils that give the appellation its age-worthiness. The wine shows the structured, tannic Gamay that distinguishes Moulin-a-Vent from lighter Crus, with cherry-and-spice depth and a firm finish that develops over three to six years.
Tip: Moulin-a-Vent is the Cru most often compared to Cote de Nuits Burgundy; Diochon's entry wine delivers that structure at a fraction of the Burgundy price.
Chateau Thivin Cote de Brouilly Cuvee Zaccharie ★ 4.4
Chateau Thivin (Geoffray family since 1877) farms on the Cote de Brouilly appellation (granted 1938), which covers the volcanic Mont Brouilly summit and gives a more concentrated, mineral Gamay than the surrounding Brouilly AOC. The Cuvee Zaccharie comes from older vines on the blue diorite slopes and has a characteristic grip and spice rarely found at this price in the Beaujolais.
Tip: The Mont Brouilly summit is a ten-minute walk from the chateau; climb it for a panorama over all ten Beaujolais Crus before tasting the estate wines.
Domaine du Vissoux Beaujolais ★ 4.2
Pierre-Marie and Chantal Chermette's Domaine du Vissoux in Saint-Vérand produces a Beaujolais AOC from old Gobelet Gamay farmed organically.
Tip: Du Vissoux also makes a Fleurie from the Poncié and Garants plots that offers a clear step-up from this entry Beaujolais to a named Cru.
Domaine Coquelet Morgon ★ 4.4
Damien Coquelet, stepson of Jean Foillard, is a young Morgon producer working natural-wine methods in the tradition of the Gang of Four. His Morgon draws from granite soils across the appellation and is vinified without sulphur in whole-cluster semi-carbonic style, resulting in a fresh, crunchy, vivid Gamay that punches above its price.
Tip: Coquelet also makes a Chiroubles that offers the floral, lighter-bodied side of natural Beaujolais at a similar price; both are worth seeking out in Paris natural-wine bars before a Beaujolais trip.
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent ★ 4.3
Chateau des Jacques in Romanéche-Thorins, owned by Louis Jadot, farms 28 hectares on the Moulin-a-Vent appellation's granite and manganese soils.
Tip: The Chateau des Jacques also produces named-clos bottlings from Grand Cras, La Roche, and Clos du Grand Carquelin across the appellation; the entry wine is the gateway to this hierarchy.