Fleurie AOC

Vines at Fleurie are attested from 987, in an act drawn up for the abbey of Arpayé, a direct dependency of Cluny. From the end of the 15th century the Lyon bourgeoisie, enriched by silk and banking, developed viticulture, and in the 18th century Burgundian wine merchants carried Fleurie's wines to Paris before they were sold on to the north of France and England. In the 19th century, writers including Jullien, Guyot and Danguy ranked Fleurie among the best wines of France. Despite its floral sound, the name has nothing to do with nature: it would appear to come from a Roman legionary called Florus, though there is no actual proof of the legend. Fleurie's cooperative cellar opened in 1927, and the AOC was recognised in 1936. In 2010 the wine was made by 180 producers, a cooperative cellar and about ten négociants. The average holding is about 9 hectares, and the domaines are mostly family in origin.

• Vines attested in 987 in an act for the abbey of Arpayé, a dependency of Cluny
• Name traced by legend to a Roman legionary called Florus, with no actual proof
• Cooperative cellar of Fleurie opened in 1927; AOC recognised by decree of 11 September 1936
• Around thirty domaines opened a shared tasting cellar, La Maison de Fleurie, in 2007

Fleurie lies on the eastern edge of the Monts du Beaujolais, on the single commune of Fleurie north of Lyon, and its delimited parcels rest on a pink, porphyritic granite poor in mica, known as granite de Fleurie. Above the village, between 300 and 450 metres, steep slopes where the bedrock often outcrops carry very sandy, poor soils; below it, the slope eases toward the Saône down to 230 metres and the soils thicken, gaining clays, fine sands and silts. Across the appellation the soils are pink granite (90%) and piedmont deposits (8%). The appellation slopes down from a range of peaks including the Fût d'Avenas, Col de Durbize, Col des Labourons and Pic Raymont, with slopes of a 50% gradient. The hill called La Madone towers over the appellation: it stands at 425 metres, at the highest point of these valleys, and the vines grow from its south-eastern side up to the Madone chapel. Listed north to south, the ten crus place Fleurie between Moulin-à-Vent and Chiroubles, and from Fleurie the sun sets over the Chiroubles vines in the west. The climate is a degraded oceanic one, with a mean annual temperature close to 11°C and about 750 millimetres of rain a year on average, under continental and southern influences; the Monts du Beaujolais shelter the zone from westerly winds, and the slopes mainly face south-east. In Andy Howard MW's view (Decanter, 2021), where pink granite dominates the wines are more floral, while those on richer clay soils carry more depth and weight.

• Pink, porphyritic granite de Fleurie, poor in mica, underlies the delimited parcels
• La Madone stands at 425 metres at the highest point of these valleys; vines climb the hill's south-eastern side to the Madone chapel
• Sandy, poor soils on the steep slopes above the village; deeper soils with clays, fine sands and silts below it
• Degraded oceanic climate, mean annual temperature close to 11°C, about 750 mm of rain, with continental and southern influences

Fleurie AOC is reserved for red still wines. Gamay is the principal grape; aligoté, chardonnay and melon are allowed only as interplanted vines, at most 15% of each parcel, and are vinified together with the Gamay. The wines typically show a fine violet-red colour that moves toward garnet over time, frequent floral and red fruit notes that turn spicy with age, a frank attack without aggressiveness and low acidity. Fleurie is often presented as the most feminine of the Beaujolais crus for its lightness and finesse. On these poor, free-draining granite soils, Gamay gives a light, fragrant wine with fine tannins. Iris, violet, rose, red fruit and vine peaches are typical on the nose, the palate is elegant and refined, and the tannins are gentle. A wine from La Roilette, on more granitic soil, tends to be more powerful than one from Grille-Midi, whose appeal lies in its fruity character. Andy Howard MW (Decanter, 2021) calls Fleurie the most well-known Beaujolais cru and judges that, although it is not the most ageworthy cru, some serious wines are now being produced.

• Principal grape Gamay, giving a light, fragrant wine with fine tannins
• Nose of iris, violet, rose, red fruit and vine peaches
• Frank attack and low acidity
• Élevage until at least 15 January after the harvest; release to consumers from 1 February

The most-claimed lieux-dits are La Madone, Les Labourons, Grille-Midi, Les Moriers, Les Garants, La Presle, La Chapelle des Bois, Grand Pré, La Roilette and Champagne. The people of Fleurie identify with La Madone, the statue of the Virgin that watches over the vineyard from the chapel of Fleurie; it has become the symbol of the commune and of the vineyard, which refers to it on most labels and promotional logos. By April 2023 more than 85% of Fleurie's winegrowers had voted in favour of a premier cru plan, at a meeting on 28 March, and an application was to go to INAO. Seven lieux-dits out of more than 40 candidates would be proposed: Les Moriers, Poncié, Les Garants, La Madone, La Roilette, Grille Midi and La Chapelle des Bois, covering around 27% of the appellation. Grégoire Hoppenot, secretary of the Fleurie appellation, said he hoped INAO approval could come within eight to 10 years.

• Most-claimed lieux-dits include La Madone, Les Labourons, Grille-Midi, Les Moriers and Les Garants
• Seven lieux-dits, around 27% of the appellation, to be proposed for premier cru status
• The La Madone statue overlooks the vineyard from the chapel of Fleurie and appears on most labels and promotional logos
• Annual market-exhibition in Fleurie on the weekend after All Saints' Day

Primary sources (INAO and Inter Beaujolais): https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/PNO-CDCFleurie-CN221130.pdf, https://www.beaujolais.com/en/appellation/fleurie/, https://www.beaujolais.com/appellation/fleurie/, https://www.beaujolais.com/en/visit/the-beaujolais-wine-route/, https://www.beaujolais.com/en/legal-notice/. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/beaujolais-fleurie-premier-cru-plan-backed-by-winemakers-502633/, https://www.decanter.com/premium/beaujolais-top-scoring-fleurie-2018-wines-455147/. Last verified 2026-10-05