Saint-Amour

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The geographical zone extends across the eastern slopes of the northern Beaujolais Mountains, 12 kilometres south-west of Mâcon and 30 kilometres north of Villefranche-sur-Saône.
• The vineyard occupies mainly the eastern hillsides of the Mont de Bessay, which reaches 478 metres in altitude, and the Colline de l'Eglise, at 310 metres, sloping gently down towards the Saône plain.
• Weathering of the granitic bedrock produces grus and coarse siliceous sands known locally as grès or gore, with localised outcrops of micaceous schists whose weathering products are finer and more clayey.
• On the flank of the Mont de Bessay, a veneer of Triassic sandstone weathers to very poor sandy soils, overlying a schistose series that breaks down into more clayey soils.
• The plots selected for harvest are ranged between 250 and 380 metres in altitude, with aspects oriented mainly towards the east.
• The Beaujolais Mountains shelter the zone from westerly winds and moderate the oceanic influence; the foehn effect they generate dries the moist air, increases luminosity, and reduces rainfall.
• The broad Saône valley plays an important role in optimising light interception and in moderating temperature fluctuations.

• The appellation has its origins in the decree of 8 February 1946, obtained thanks to the campaign led by Louis Dailly within the Union des producteurs.
• Producers manage the vigour of Gamay through high planting density and short pruning, trained mainly as free-standing bush vines (gobelet).
• To preserve freshness of fruit while extracting aromatic and polyphenolic compounds, producers use submerged cap during fermentation and sometimes shorten maceration to obtain lighter-styled wines.

• Early-drinking wines have a brilliant ruby colour, are fleshy, supple, and fruit-forward, and often develop delicate aromas of red fruits, flowers, and sometimes orchard fruits.
• Wines intended for longer ageing display a colour ranging from purple to deep garnet, aromas often of kirsch and spice, and a voluptuous, rich, and well-structured palate with a balance of power, complexity, and elegance.

• The mid-slope position, sheltered from westerly winds by the Beaujolais Mountains, generally allows spring frosts and the morning mists of the Saône plain to be avoided.
• The site's openness onto the broad Saône plain ensures light levels favourable to the vine's chlorophyll activity, and the moderately elevated, south-facing positions are a guarantee of optimal and consistent grape ripeness, yielding wines of fine aromatic complexity.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 20 février 2024, JORF 28 février 2024
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — Inter Beaujolais