Comparison
Beaujolais vs Red Burgundy
How Beaujolais and Red Burgundy differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
Beaujolais and Red Burgundy come from the same country but sit in different territory. The main differences: Red Burgundy has more earthy character; Red Burgundy has more savoury character; Red Burgundy has more spice.
Choose
Beaujolais
Choose Beaujolais if you prefer its flavour profile — red cherry, raspberry, banana.
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.
Red Burgundy is earthier: medium-plus against low.
Savoury character
Clear differenceNon-fruit, umami-adjacent character: meat, leather, olive, soy, broth, cured notes. Often increases with age.
Red Burgundy is more savoury: medium-plus against low-medium.
Spice
Clear differencePepper, clove, cinnamon and related spice notes, whether from the grape (as with rotundone in Syrah) or from oak.
Red Burgundy is spicier: medium against low.
Acidity
Clear differenceTotal perceived acidity. Rises in cooler climates and with earlier picking; falls with heat and ripeness.
Red Burgundy is fresher and more acidic: high against medium-plus.
Tannin
Clear differencePhenolic compounds from grape skins, seeds, stems and oak. The principal structural axis of red wine.
Red Burgundy 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.
Red Burgundy is fuller and richer: 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.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium.
- Aromatic intensity: Similar — both medium.
- Floral character: Similar — both medium.
- Herbal / green character: Similar — both low.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Beaujolais | Red Burgundy |
|---|---|---|
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Savoury character | low-medium (2/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Spice | low (1/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Tannin | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Body | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | 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, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low to medium-plus (3/5) |
| 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) |
| Alcohol | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | medium (3/5) | medium (3/5) |
| Floral character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Herbal / green character | 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 | red cherry, raspberry, forest floor, mushroom, violet |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Style
Beaujolais
Light, juicy Gamay, often made by carbonic maceration — the archetypal chillable red.
Style
Red Burgundy
Pinot Noir at its most perfumed and site-specific: pale, silky, high in acid, and the reference point for the variety worldwide.
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