Saint-Amour AOC

Saint-Amour lies in the north of the Beaujolais vineyard, on the eastern flanks of the northern Monts du Beaujolais, 12 kilometres south-west of Mâcon and 30 kilometres north of Villefranche-sur-Saône. It covers only the commune of Saint-Amour-Bellevue in Saône-et-Loire, on the border of the Rhône department. The vineyard mainly occupies the eastern slopes of the Mont de Bessay (478 metres) and the Colline de l'Eglise (310 metres), which descend gently towards the Saône plain, and the parcels delimited for harvest lie between 250 and 380 metres, mainly facing east. The climate is a degraded oceanic one with continental and southern influences: the Monts du Beaujolais shelter the vineyard from westerly winds, tempering the oceanic influence, and their foehn effect dries the humid air.

• Sole commune: Saint-Amour-Bellevue, Saône-et-Loire
• Delimited parcels at 250 to 380 metres, mainly east-facing
• The Monts du Beaujolais shelter the vineyard from westerly winds
• 12 km south-west of Mâcon and 30 km north of Villefranche-sur-Saône

The soils are predominantly granitic. Most of the zone rests on granite that weathers into coarse siliceous sands known locally as grès or gore, with micaceous schists outcropping in places, weathering into finer, clayey material, and a covering of Triassic sandstone on the flank of the Mont de Bessay that weathers into very poor sandy soils; the eastern and southern sectors lie on colluvium and alluvial fans. Soil shapes style: parcels on the Triassic sands of the Mont de Bessay give rather tannic wines, while clay-siliceous soils at the foot of the slopes give lighter wines. Overall the soils are heterogeneous, mixing granite, schist and clay. À la Folie, Les Ravinets, Côte de Besset and Clos du Chapitre are among the most-claimed lieux-dits, and the name of a registered lieu-dit may appear on the label.

• Predominantly granitic soils
• Triassic sands on the Mont de Bessay give rather tannic wines; clay-siliceous lower slopes give lighter ones
• Heterogeneous soils of granite, schist and clay
• Labels may name a registered lieu-dit, such as À la Folie or Les Ravinets

Saint-Amour is a dry, still red wine, and Gamay is its only principal variety. Depending on vinification, the wines can be light and fruity or complex and powerful. A short maceration tends to give light, lively wines showing iris, violet or raspberry; a longer one develops the tannins and brings notes of kirsch and spice. Wines made for early drinking are elegant and typically ruby, with fine, delicate red-fruit, floral (peony) and sometimes orchard-fruit (peach) aromas, while wines for longer keeping run from purple to deep garnet, with kirsch and spice. The rules set a minimum natural alcohol of 10.5%, a maximum of 13% after enrichment, a maximum yield of 61 hectolitres per hectare and ageing until at least 15 January of the year after harvest, and they ban wood chips and irrigation.

• Short maceration: light wines with iris, violet or raspberry
• Longer maceration: more developed tannins, kirsch and spice
• Dry, still red wines from Gamay
• Maximum yield 61 hl/ha; ageing until at least 15 January after harvest

The appellation takes in the single commune of Saint-Amour-Bellevue. The village owes its name to a Roman legionary named Amor, who in 286, at Saint-Maurice-en-Valais, escaped a massacre, took refuge in Gaul, became a missionary and gave his name to Saint-Amour. The vineyard expanded from the late 15th century thanks to the Lyon bourgeoisie, and in 1816 Jullien's Topographie de tous les vignobles connus placed Saint-Amour in the fourth class. In 1838, 268 of the commune's 509 hectares were planted with vines. In the 1930s the Union des producteurs, driven by Louis Dailly, pursued AOC recognition, which came with the decree of 8 February 1946. In 2010 the vineyard covered about 300 hectares, with average annual production of 12,000 hectolitres from 160 producers. INAO suggests the wine's name suits Valentine's Day, and a statue of the legionary Saint-Amor stands near the church.

• Named for the Roman legionary Amor
• AOC by the decree of 8 February 1946
• Jullien placed Saint-Amour in the fourth class in 1816
• 2010: about 300 ha, 12,000 hl average production, 160 producers

Primary sources (INAO, EU single document, Inter Beaujolais): https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/saint-amour-ou-saint-amour-cru-du-beaujolais-18183, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52021XC1222(01), https://www.beaujolais.com/appellation/saint-amour/, https://www.beaujolais.com/en/appellation/saint-amour-2/. Secondary source: https://www.decanter.com/premium/beaujolais-top-scoring-st-amour-regnie-julienas-and-chenas-2018-wines-455349/. Last verified 2026-10-05