Beaujolais Cru villages: the ten appellations explained

Quick answer: what is Cru Beaujolais?

Cru Beaujolais is the collective name for ten named red-wine appellations within the Beaujolais wine region. Each appellation identifies a defined geographic area and has its own production rules.

The ten crus are:

Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Côte de Brouilly and Brouilly.

They are often described as the more specific, place-focused part of Beaujolais. That does not mean “the ten best Beaujolais wines”. A cru name is a protected geographic identity, not a universal quality ranking or a fixed flavour recipe.

All ten crus are reserved for still red wines. Gamay is the central grape of Beaujolais red wine, but the cru name on the label tells you where the wine comes from rather than which grape it contains.

Where are the Beaujolais crus?

Beaujolais is a distinct wine region in eastern France, north of Lyon and south of Mâcon. It is commonly discussed in the broader Burgundy context, but Cru Beaujolais should not be confused with Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune or Mâconnais appellations.

For a simple north-to-south orientation, the crus run approximately in this order:

1. Saint-Amour
2. Juliénas
3. Chénas
4. Moulin-à-Vent
5. Fleurie
6. Chiroubles
7. Morgon
8. Régnié
9. Côte de Brouilly
10. Brouilly

Familiar locality names include Saint-Amour-Bellevue, Juliénas, Chénas, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié-Durette, Odenas and Romanèche-Thorins. These help you picture the area, but a town name and an appellation name are not always interchangeable. A cru may include qualifying vineyard parcels across one or more communes.

How the appellation hierarchy works

The wider Beaujolais system is easiest to understand as three broad levels:

• Beaujolais: the broad regional appellation.
• Beaujolais-Villages: a more geographically restricted designation surrounding the crus.
• Cru Beaujolais: one of the ten specific named red-wine appellations.

This is a difference in geographic precision, not a simple ladder where every cru must taste better than every Beaujolais-Villages or Beaujolais wine.

On an imported bottle, the cru name may be the most prominent wording on the front label. You might see Fleurie, Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent without the word “Beaujolais” being the largest name. Read that name as the wine’s appellation: its protected place identity.

The terms AOC and AOP relate to French and European protected-origin classification. For a beginner, the useful point is that the appellation name is governed by geographic and production rules. You can explore the terminology in our guide to French AOC and AOP.

The ten crus at a glance

These descriptions are broad starting points, not rules. The same cru can produce different wines depending on its vineyard site, vintage, producer and winemaking.

Brouilly

Brouilly is commonly associated with supple, fruit-led wines that can be approachable when young. Expect the appellation to offer a broad range rather than one mandatory style.

Côte de Brouilly

Côte de Brouilly refers to vineyards on and around Mont Brouilly’s volcanic hill. Wines are often described as fresh, mineral and more structured than the most immediately soft examples of Brouilly.

Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly are separate appellations. They are not two spellings for the same cru.

Régnié

Régnié is often approached as a fresh, aromatic and accessible style. As with all the crus, individual sites and vintages can shift the balance between fruit, freshness and structure.

Morgon

Morgon is commonly associated with fuller, more structured wines and the capacity to develop in bottle. That does not mean every Morgon is powerful, or that every bottle needs years of ageing.

Chiroubles

Chiroubles is often described as lifted, fragrant and agile. Its wines may appeal if you enjoy red wines that feel light on their feet without being simple.

Fleurie

Fleurie is widely associated with floral aromas, perfume, red fruit and a supple texture. The appellation can still produce different expressions, with some sites contributing more body and structure.

Moulin-à-Vent

Moulin-à-Vent is often one of the more structured and age-developing styles in the Beaujolais conversation. It can show floral and spicy notes when young, with savoury or earthy complexity developing over time.

The name is a useful classification trap: Moulin-à-Vent is an appellation, not an administrative commune. Its vineyards are located in Romanèche-Thorins and Chénas.

Chénas

Chénas is often described as fuller and spicy, with structure alongside Gamay’s fragrance. Those are tendencies rather than guarantees, and no ranking is implied.

Juliénas

Juliénas is commonly associated with fruit and spice. Its varied geology, including granite and sedimentary material, helps explain why wines from different sites need not taste identical.

Saint-Amour

Saint-Amour is often aromatic and red-fruited, with expressions ranging from approachable and supple to more structured. Despite its name, it is a dry-style geographic appellation rather than a promise of sweetness.

Why can two crus taste different?

A cru name gives you a useful geographic starting point, but it does not explain everything in the glass.

Beaujolais contains considerable geological diversity, with many different soil and rock combinations. Slope, aspect, elevation and drainage can affect how vines grow and grapes ripen. A vineyard on a hillside may behave differently from another site within the same appellation.

Vintage matters too. Weather during the growing season can influence ripeness, acidity, alcohol, tannin and the overall shape of a wine. Producer choices—including harvest decisions, fermentation and maturation—also affect the final result.

This is why it is safer to say that Fleurie is often floral or Moulin-à-Vent is often structured than to claim that every bottle must show those characteristics. Place creates tendencies, not tasting guarantees.

For more background, see our guides to Beaujolais, Gamay and why wines taste different.

How to read a Cru Beaujolais label in Australia

On a bottle-shop shelf or restaurant wine list, look for these details separately:

1. Cru or appellation: Fleurie, Morgon or another named cru.
2. Producer or négociant: the business responsible for making or marketing the wine.
3. Vintage: the harvest year.
4. Place detail: possibly a lieu-dit, which is a named local site or plot within an appellation.
5. Australian back label: importer and required local information.

The cru name does not, by itself, tell you the exact sweetness, alcohol, tannin level, ageing period or winemaking method. Imported examples and available vintages can vary in Australia, so treat the appellation as a place-based clue rather than a complete tasting note.

A lieu-dit is not automatically another appellation. It is a named place within a broader protected area.

Common terminology traps

• Cru does not mean Premier Cru. Beaujolais has ongoing discussion about possible Premier Cru recognition for selected lieux-dits, but that is not an established replacement for the current ten-cru system.
• A cru is not a grape. Gamay is the defining red grape; the cru name identifies origin.
• Brouilly is not Côte de Brouilly. They are separate appellations.
• Moulin-à-Vent is not a commune. It is the name of an appellation.
• Beaujolais-Villages is not the same as Cru Beaujolais. It is a separate, broader designation.
• Geographic specificity is not an automatic quality ranking. The producer, vintage, site and winemaking remain important.

FAQs

Is Cru Beaujolais always made from Gamay?

Gamay is the defining grape of Beaujolais red wine, including the crus. The official regional body describes it as the sole grape used for Beaujolais red wines. For detailed legal variety rules, always distinguish the regional explanation from the individual appellation specification.

Which is the best Beaujolais cru?

There is no objectively best cru. A useful starting point depends on whether you prefer fragrant and supple wines, bright fruit or more structured, age-developing styles.

Is Cru Beaujolais part of Burgundy?

Beaujolais is commonly placed in the broader Burgundy or Bourgogne wine context, but it is a distinct wine region with its own identity and appellations.

Is Cru Beaujolais sweet?

No. The ten cru appellations are reserved for still red wines. Fruity aromas can make a dry wine seem generous, but fruitiness is not the same as sweetness.

What should I try first?

Use the broad style descriptions as conversation starters rather than rankings. If you enjoy fragrant, supple reds, you might begin with a cru commonly described in those terms. If you prefer more structure, look towards the crus often associated with firmer texture and ageing interest. Then compare the producer and vintage as well as the appellation.