Beaujolais Villages is the appellation for red, white and rosé wines from an area of 38 villages in the northern Beaujolais. The hilly terrain and granitic soil are considered superior to the flatter land of southern Beaujolais. As a result, Beaujolais Villages wines are considered to be of higher quality than those of the simple Beaujolais appellation. These juicy, light wines are based largely on the Gamay Grape.
They have a variety of red fruit and spice characters. Most of the wines at this level are made by semi-carbonic Maceration, called traditional maceration here. A small proportion of Chardonnay, Aligoté, Melon de Bourgogne, Pinot Gris or Pinot Noir is allowed in the blend. These grape varieties must not represent more than 15% of the total Vineyard area.
