Same grape, different wine
Gamay around the world
Across 3 still-wine expressions, Gamay varies most on body — from low-medium in Beaujolais to medium-plus in Morgon. 2 dimensions differ meaningfully between them, which is why "do you like Gamay?" is not really one question.
Where they differ
Only the dimensions on which these wines genuinely diverge. Anything varying by less than a scale point and a half is left out, because it would be noise.
| Dimension | Lowest | Highest | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | Beaujolais | Morgon | 2 points |
| Earthy character | Beaujolais | Cru Beaujolais | 2 points |
The expressions
Ordered from lightest to fullest, so the page reads as a gradient rather than a list.
Beaujolais
Cool climateLight, juicy Gamay, often made by carbonic maceration — the archetypal chillable red.
Against its siblings: cleaner and more fruit-focused, lighter.
- Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
- Carbonic maceration. Whole-bunch fermentation inside intact berries produces bright banana-and-bubblegum aromatics and very soft tannin.
Cru Beaujolais
Cool climateGamay from the ten named granite hills — structured, mineral and ageworthy, and nothing like Beaujolais Nouveau.
- Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
- Carbonic maceration. Whole-bunch fermentation inside intact berries produces bright banana-and-bubblegum aromatics and very soft tannin.
Morgon
Cool climateThe sturdiest Beaujolais cru, on decomposed schist, and the one that ages into something that fools people for Burgundy.
Against its siblings: fuller and richer.
- Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
- Carbonic maceration. Whole-bunch fermentation inside intact berries produces bright banana-and-bubblegum aromatics and very soft tannin.
- Oak ageing. Extended time in barrel adds spice and structure and slowly softens tannin.
Nothing here is written by hand. The comparison is computed from the taste profiles held for each style, and the drivers listed under each wine are read off structured data — the region’s climate, the style’s recorded production methods, its oak and sweetness bands. That means this page cannot drift out of step with the style pages it describes, and it also means it says less than a wine writer would: a cause is only listed when the catalogue actually records it. See the taste model.