Beaujolais Blanc: The Chardonnay you're already drinking without knowing it

Say "Beaujolais" to someone, and they'll think red. Gamay, primeur, the third Thursday in November. Almost no one knows that Beaujolais also makes white wine, and that this white is Chardonnay, the same grape variety as its big neighbor just to the north: Burgundy.

And there's a detail few people know: you've probably already drunk most of that Chardonnay, but under a different label. We'll explain everything, and then we'll tell you about ours.

Does Beaujolais really make white wine?

Yes, and it's even an official appellation in its own right: AOP Beaujolais Blanc. It exists; it's just discreet, overshadowed in the popular imagination by the tidal wave of red.

The numbers clearly show this confidentiality. White wine accounts for barely 4% of the region's production: nearly 2 million bottles per year, compared to over a hundred million for Beaujolais in total. Only 500 estates out of the region's 3,000 produce it.

Only one grape variety is allowed: Chardonnay. No blending, no exceptions. Where Beaujolais red is the kingdom of Gamay, white is the more confidential territory of Chardonnay.

Where does all this Chardonnay go?

This is where it gets interesting. Beaujolais actually plants much more Chardonnay than these 4% suggest. About 16% of the vineyards classified as Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages are planted with Chardonnay, which is nearly 1,600 hectares (figures from Burgundy Report). But only a small part ends up in bottles labeled "Beaujolais."

Of these 1,600 hectares, barely more than 300 are declared as Beaujolais Blanc or Beaujolais-Villages Blanc. The bulk of the volume, about 1,100 hectares, goes into the vats of Crémant de Bourgogne, and the rest is declared as Bourgogne Blanc. In other words, almost eight out of ten rows of Chardonnay leave the region without ever bearing the Beaujolais name.

This Chardonnay is therefore deemed good enough to be sold under the Burgundy label and to be used in Burgundian sparkling wines. It's not a second-choice grape that would be hidden away. It's the same Chardonnay, on the same hillsides, simply changing its name at bottling. When you open a true Beaujolais Blanc, you're drinking this Chardonnay in its most honest version: under its own name, on its own terroir.

Why is Chardonnay found in Beaujolais?

Just look at a map. The Beaujolais vineyard begins exactly where the Burgundy vineyard ends. The south of Mâconnais, a land of Burgundian Chardonnay, and the north of Beaujolais touch each other. Geographically as well as historically, Beaujolais is the southern extension of the Burgundian vineyard.

Chardonnay is therefore not an intruder here; it's a child of the region. The same grape variety, planted in the continuity of the same hillsides, a few kilometers from the great white wines of Mâconnais. Making white wine in Beaujolais is not a recent trend; it's the logical continuation of Burgundy moving south.

The Pierres Dorées, the white wine terroir

If Chardonnay thrives so well in Beaujolais, it's especially in the south, in an area with a postcard-perfect name: the Pierres Dorées (Golden Stones).

The name comes from the rock, a limestone rich in iron oxide that takes on a golden, almost honeyed hue in the sun. Entire villages are built with it, and the area is even nicknamed the "Tuscany of Beaujolais."

What matters for the wine is what's underfoot: clay-limestone soils. And limestone is precisely where Chardonnay performs at its best, as it does in the great terroirs of Burgundy. The Pierres Dorées offer it exactly what it loves: freshness, tension, minerality. In the glass, this results in a vibrant and straightforward white wine, with notes of white flowers and citrus, rather than rich and buttery.

Beaujolais, a true land of great white wine

We often forget it because red wine dominates the spotlight, but Beaujolais has everything it needs to make great white wines. The clay-limestone soils of the Pierres Dorées are a first-rate terroir for Chardonnay: they bring tension, minerality, and that crisp freshness we look for in a beautiful white wine. The grape is at home here, on hillsides that extend those of Burgundy, and in good hands, it produces high-quality wines.

The pleasant surprise, for those who discover them, is the price. Beaujolais white remains confidential, so it is still accessible. You can find ambitious Chardonnay, carefully vinified and aged for a long time, at a fraction of the price of a great Burgundian white. Not because it is of lesser quality, but because the region is still primarily known for its red wine, and its reputation for white wine has yet to be built. It is one of the last good deals in French Chardonnay, and it won't remain so forever.

Our Beaujolais Blanc

We are three brothers, with zero vines, and a desire to show what Beaujolais Chardonnay is capable of. This white is not a quick aperitif wine: it's our most carefully crafted cuvée, designed as a true table wine, capable of standing up to a meal.

• Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay

• Appellation: AOP Beaujolais Blanc

• Terroir: Pierres Dorées, clay-limestone soils

• Vintage: 2023

• Alcohol content: 12.5% vol.

• Vinification: no additives, no oak

• Aging: 14 months on fine lees, 50% stainless steel tank + 50% ovoid concrete egg

• Mention: in conversion to organic farming

It all starts with the grape and the terroir. In the Pierres Dorées, the limestone gives Chardonnay its backbone: tension and minerality. We vinify it without additives, as close to the grape as possible, to let the terroir express itself without masking it.

Then comes what defines the cuvée: a long aging of 14 months on fine lees, split equally between stainless steel tanks and ovoid concrete eggs. Not a drop of oak. Each container plays its role. Stainless steel, neutral and hermetic, keeps the fruit precise and the freshness intact. The ovoid concrete egg creates a slight natural movement that keeps the fine lees in suspension: the wine gains roundness, texture, and depth, still without any woody notes. Fourteen months on lees is a serious wine aging process, building structure and length while maintaining tension.

In the glass, this results in a Chardonnay that is both vibrant and profound: a nose of white flowers, white fruits, and citrus, with a taut, fresh palate supported by a rich texture inherited from the lees. A straightforward white that is already enjoyable to drink, but has the potential to evolve for several years.

And if you're torn between a white and a red, we also have an answer for that: the Blouge, our neither white nor red wine.

To go further

Here are some readings if you want to delve deeper into the subject:

• Beaujolais aims to triple its white wine volumes — Au Cœur du CHR, on the place of white wine in the region and its ambitions.

• Beaujolais blanc: the little-known Chardonnay that's worth the detour — on this little-known white wine and its terroir.

• 2017 Beaujolais Blanc — Burgundy Report, the detailed distribution of Beaujolais Chardonnay (Crémant, Bourgogne Blanc, Beaujolais Blanc).

• Beaujolais blanc on the official appellation website — Inter Beaujolais, official benchmarks for white wine, Chardonnay, and volumes.

FAQ — Beaujolais Blanc

Does Beaujolais make white wine?
Yes. Beaujolais Blanc is an official appellation (AOP Beaujolais Blanc). It accounts for only about 4% of regional production, largely dominated by red Gamay, which explains why it is so little known.

What grape variety is used for Beaujolais Blanc?
Chardonnay, and only Chardonnay. A Beaujolais Blanc is made from 100% Chardonnay, the same grape variety as the great white wines of neighboring Burgundy.

Why is Chardonnay found in Beaujolais?
Because Beaujolais is the southern extension of the Burgundy vineyard. The Mâconnais, a land of Chardonnay, and northern Beaujolais touch. The grape is at home there, especially in the south, on the limestone soils of the Pierres Dorées.

Does Beaujolais Chardonnay really go into Crémant de Bourgogne?
Yes, and extensively. Of about 1,600 hectares of Chardonnay planted in Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages, barely more than 300 are bottled as Beaujolais Blanc. Nearly 1,100 hectares go into Crémant de Bourgogne, the rest into Bourgogne Blanc. This proves that this Chardonnay performs at a Burgundian level.

Is Beaujolais Blanc a good alternative to Burgundy white?
Yes. Beaujolais has great limestone terroirs suited for Chardonnay, especially in the Pierres Dorées, and knows how to produce high-quality white wines from them. Since the region is still mainly known for its red wine, these whites remain accessible: they offer excellent value for money for Chardonnay lovers.

What are the Pierres Dorées?
A region in southern Beaujolais named after its limestone rock, stained with iron oxide, which turns golden in the sun. Its clay-limestone soils are perfectly suited to Chardonnay, giving it freshness, tension, and minerality. The area is nicknamed the "Tuscany of Beaujolais."

At what temperature should Beaujolais Blanc be served?
Chilled but not ice-cold, between 9 and 11°C (48-52°F). Too cold, and you lose the aromas and minerality.

How is Hectolitre Beaujolais Blanc aged?
It is aged for 14 months on fine lees, half in stainless steel tanks and half in ovoid concrete eggs, without any oak contact. Stainless steel preserves the freshness and precision of the fruit, while the concrete egg adds texture and depth. The result is a Chardonnay that is both lively and full-bodied.

Does Beaujolais Blanc age well?
A simple Beaujolais Blanc is meant to be drunk young. Ours, aged for 14 months on fine lees (half stainless steel, half ovoid concrete egg), has more substance: it is good now and has the potential to evolve for several years.

Where can I buy Hectolitre Beaujolais Blanc?
On the Hectolitre store and at our partner wine merchants.