This Beaujolais village voted best Gamay in the world

We are delighted to announce some excellent news for wine lovers: a Beaujolais-Villages from Marchampt has just been crowned the world's best Gamay at a prestigious international competition. This unique recognition highlights the know-how of the winegrowers of this small Beaujolais village and confirms the remarkable quality of the wines from this unique terroir.

A Beaujolais-Villages that wins over the experts

On 11 January 2025, the Cité Internationale in Lyon hosted the 15th edition of the International du Gamay, a major event in the wine world. Of the 730 samples entered, it was the Cuvée du Relais 2023 from Domaine du Relais du Colombier that won over the panel of experts. This Beaujolais-Villages, made by Véronique and Laurent Ducrot, stood out for its gourmand character and remarkable balance.

As passionate sommeliers, we were lucky enough to taste this exceptional wine. Here are the main characteristics that won over our palate:

• Intense, gourmand fruit
• Lovely minerality
• Present but well-balanced tannins
• Generous body typical of Gamay

Christine Garcia, a member of the final grand jury and founder of Vinitem in Lyon, was particularly impressed by the complexity of this wine, which goes beyond what is usually expected of a Gamay. This cuvée confirms the exceptional potential of the Marchampt terroir and the know-how of its winegrowers.

Marchampt: an exceptional terroir for Gamay

Nestled in the Beaujolais hills, the village of Marchampt enjoys a unique terroir that contributes greatly to the quality of its wines. Arnaud Chambost, Meilleur Ouvrier de France sommelier in 2000, stresses the importance of Marchampt's location: “It's an interesting place, with a bit of altitude, small valleys, and so on.”

These geographical features give Marchampt wines a distinct personality:

The particularly hot 2023 vintage produced grapes of exceptional quality. Laurent Ducrot, a winegrower in Marchampt for 39 years, explains: “2023 was a sunny year, rich in every respect. I thought it was good.” This award crowns years of hard work and confirms the remarkable potential of Marchampt's steep slopes for producing high-quality Gamay.

The promising future of Marchampt's Beaujolais-Villages

This international recognition opens up new prospects for the winegrowers of Marchampt and for the Beaujolais-Villages appellation as a whole. We are convinced that this title of world's best Gamay will draw the attention of wine lovers around the globe to this often overlooked region.

As wine lovers always on the lookout for new discoveries, we can only rejoice at this spotlight on an exceptional terroir. This success continues the rich history of Beaujolais, a region that has managed to reinvent itself while preserving its traditions. The fascinating story of Beaujolais Nouveau bears witness to this ability to combine tradition and innovation.

It is worth pointing out that this award-winning Beaujolais-Villages has an estimated ageing potential of four to five years. This shows the quality and structure of the wine, which could still surprise us in the years to come. We look forward to following its development and discovering the future gems the Marchampt terroir has in store for us.

An influence beyond Beaujolais

This prestigious distinction is not limited to the Beaujolais region alone. It highlights the excellence of French winemaking as a whole and strengthens France's position on the world wine stage. As vineyard adventurers, we can only rejoice at seeing France continue to shine in international competitions.

This award also reminds us of the importance of staying curious and open to discovering new terroirs. While Beaujolais has given us this lovely surprise, other French wine regions deserve our attention just as much. For example, Anjou Rouge appellation wines offer an equally exciting tasting experience, with their own unique characteristics.

The crowning of this Marchampt Beaujolais-Villages as the world's best Gamay in 2025 marks a turning point in the history of the appellation. It rewards the hard work of local winegrowers and highlights the exceptional potential of this terroir. As wine lovers, we can only rejoice at this recognition and encourage oenophiles around the world to discover the treasures of this magnificent wine region.