Saint-Amour is the Northernmost of the ten Beaujolais crus, located just South of the Mâcon appellations of Pouilly-Fuisse and Saint-Véran. Saint-Amour wines are among the lightest of the Beaujolais crus, often displaying Spicy berry and stone fruit characters with a marked minerality. Just under 800 acres (320 ha) are planted with the Gamay Grape variety on the south and east facing hillsides on the western banks of the Saône River, and make up the Saint-Amour appellation's wine growing area. While most of the ten Beaujolais crus were created in the 1930s, Saint-Amour was only officially delimited as a cru in February 1946.
Today, it is one of the smallest appellations in Beaujolais, larger than Chenas alone. In the northern Part of Beaujolais, the landscape is more rugged than in the south, and the clay and silt soils composed mainly of schist and granite are complemented by smaller amounts of limestone. These lightly textured soils are often credited with the minerality that characterizes the wines of Saint-Amour. The hills to the west of the Beaujolais protect the vineyards of Saint-Amour from the weather coming from the north.
Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
red wines from the region of Saint-Amour go well with generally quite well with dishes of pasta, veal or pork such as recipes of chicken wok with chinese noodles, sarthe pot or country-style snow peas.
On the nose in the region of Saint-Amour often reveals types of flavors of cherry, strawberries or violet and sometimes also flavors of raspberry, banana or microbio. In the mouth in the region of Saint-Amour is a with a nice freshness.
