Beaujolais sits just south of Burgundy but works with a single grape, Gamay, on granite and schist soils that give the wines a lighter, more perfumed character than Pinot Noir. Much of it is made using carbonic maceration, which emphasises bright red fruit and keeps tannins soft. The ten Beaujolais crus — Morgon, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent and others — sit on the best hillside sites and produce noticeably more structured, ageworthy wine than everyday Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages.

Key grapes: Gamay