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Saint-Amour is another evocatively-named Beaujolais, and one that tends to be omnipresent in the lead up to St Valentine’s day. The truth, as is so often the case, is less exotic. The name actually derives from a Roman soldier who, having narrowly escaped meeting his maker in Switzerland, converted to Christianity and founded a monastery in the region. He was later canonised as St Amour. Despite this, the style of wine is quite suitable for Cupid and his beneficiaries: light, charming and irresistibly seductive with soft, juicy fruit. Best drunk in its first 2-3 years, the best examples do benefit from some ageing.
With only 320ha of Gamay vines, St Amour is the most northerly of the Crus. It was upgraded to Cru status in 1946, eight and ten years respectively after its counterparts (apart from Régnié, which was upgraded in 1988).