Comparison
Beaujolais vs Cru Beaujolais
Is a named cru worth several times the price of basic Beaujolais?
The short answer
Beaujolais and Cru Beaujolais are both made from Gamay, so the difference is about place and winemaking rather than the grape. The main differences: Cru Beaujolais has more earthy character; Cru Beaujolais has more tannin; Cru Beaujolais has more body.
The difference here is not botanical. It comes from where the vines grow, how the wine is made and what the name has come to signal commercially — which is exactly why the two taste different in practice.
Choose
Beaujolais
Choose Beaujolais if you prefer its flavour profile — red cherry, raspberry, banana.
Choose
Cru Beaujolais
Choose Cru Beaujolais if you want something earthier, more tannic and structured, fuller and richer.
Where they genuinely differ
Only differences large enough to notice in the glass are listed here. A gap of half a point on a five-point scale is noise, and WineHQ does not dress it up as a finding.
Earthy character
Clear differenceForest floor, mushroom, wet stone, clay and undergrowth notes. Frequently, though not exclusively, associated with cooler and more traditional styles.
Cru Beaujolais is earthier: medium against low.
Tannin
Clear differencePhenolic compounds from grape skins, seeds, stems and oak. The principal structural axis of red wine.
Cru Beaujolais is more tannic and structured: medium against low-medium.
Body
Clear differenceThe overall weight and viscosity of the wine in the mouth — a composite of alcohol, sugar, extract and glycerol.
Cru Beaujolais is fuller and richer: medium against low-medium.
Savoury character
Clear differenceNon-fruit, umami-adjacent character: meat, leather, olive, soy, broth, cured notes. Often increases with age.
Cru Beaujolais is more savoury: medium against low-medium.
Floral character
Clear differenceBlossom, rose, violet, elderflower, acacia and related aromatic notes.
Cru Beaujolais is more floral: medium-plus against medium.
Texture
Clear differenceMouthfeel independent of weight — from lean and cutting through to creamy, waxy or velvety. Driven by lees contact, malolactic conversion, skin contact and ageing.
Cru Beaujolais is rounder and creamier in texture: medium against low-medium.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Sweetness: Similar — both low.
- Acidity: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium.
- Fruit intensity: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Aromatic intensity: Similar — both medium.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Beaujolais | Cru Beaujolais |
|---|---|---|
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Tannin | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Body | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Savoury character | low-medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Floral character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Texture | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Sweetness | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | medium (3/5) | medium (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) |
| Herbal / green character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Spice | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Serve at | 12–14°C | 14–16°C |
| Typical flavours | red cherry, raspberry, banana, bubblegum, violet | dark cherry, violet, granite, raspberry, iris |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.