Tasting in Morgon

Tasting in Morgon

On the Kermit Lynch wine trip we visited domaine Marcel Lapierre and tasted with the gang of four. Incredible experience to taste with the masters of gamay in the world. Kermit Lynch gave the name to a group of like minded producers of Cru Beaujolais. Jean Paul Thévenet, Guy Breton, Jean Foillard and the late Marcel Lapierre. The tasting was for 25 people so we did not get much opportunity to talk with the gang, they all sat by their bottles, talking and laugh like old friends. The next generation Mathieu Lapierre and Charly Thévénet have already joined the gang, which is now really 5. This was one of the highlights of the entire trip. I am huge Cru Beaujolais fan and always have some of these wines in my cellar. They are greatly undervalued and deserve more attention in restaurants. There is a big difference between the Beaujolais nouveau which is released in November that tastes like grape juice and the terroir expressive, old vine gamay that is grown on granite soil. The wines are very pronounced with a Rhône nose and a Burgundy palate, best of both places.

​Here are my tasting notes.

Jean Jacques Robert -Denogent

Producer from the Maconnais that has been with KLWM for 20 years. Only white wines produced. Tasted with him and his son Antoine

• Vines are situated on granite slopes with east by southeast sun exposure
• Vines are sustainably farmed
• Harvested by hand at the perfect ripeness; no chapitalization
• After the harvest, grapes are transferred to temperature-controlled cement cuves, where they
undergo a traditional semi-carbonic, whole cluster fermentation for about twelve days
• Pump-overs are performed daily
• Two rackings take place towards the end of the fermentation process
• The wines age in oak foudres for at least 6-7 months before bottling
• Only minute doses of sulfur are used
• Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered

2011 Macon Solutré Les Bertillons Monopole

Saint Véran Les Pommards

Pouilly Fuissé La Croix
80 year old vines on blue schist
Floral and pretty, a hint of vanilla and hazelnut

Pouilly Fuissé Les Reisses
Monopole 82 year old vines
Made in barrel,

Pouilly Fuissé Les Cras Cuvée Claude
Mineral, floral, lemon skin

Marcel Lapierre
With Mathieu Lapierre

 

• Old-vines with naturally low yields 
•  Organic farming used to stimulate the natural immune system of the vine 
•  Manually harvested, as late as possible to achieve maximum ripeness 
•  Rigorous sorting of the grapes
•  Indigenous yeasts only
• Whole cluster fermentation à l’ancienne, maintained at low temperatures ; lasts for ten to twenty days
•  Wines aged on fine lees in old Burgundy barrels (from third to thirteenth passage)
•  Wines are bottled unfiltered

 2012 Raisins Gaulois Vin de France de Gaules

Taken from the appellation of Morgon and some Beaujolais
Marcel would day "this is a wine to drink when you shower"

2012 Morgon
Lost 65% of the harvest
Only available in 750ml because of the limited production for the US.

2011 Morgon Cuvée Marcel
A wine made from old vines . Not made every vintage. Made about 3 times a decade. The soil is the same.

Guy Breton

With "petit" Max Breton

2012 Beaujolais Villages 92.04 reserved 10 cases

2012 Régnié sold out
Showing game, mineral, low sulphur

2012 Morgon
Spicy, light, firm

Jean-Paul Thévénet

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
crops, planting in accordance with the lunar calendar) used to stimulate the natural immune
system of the vine
• Manually harvested, as late as possible to achieve maximum ripeness
• Rigorous sorting of the grapes
• Indigenous yeasts only to start fermentation
• Whole cluster fermentation
• Wines aged on fine lees in old Burgundy barrels
• No fining or filtration
• Old-vines with naturally low yields
• Biodynamic methodology (aeration of the soil, herbal infusions, natural composts, cover crops

2012 Régnié
Fresher, light red with hints of sweet cherries, raspberry, plums. 

2011 Régnié
Dark, smokey, crunchy acidity, "bouvable"

Thévénet

2012 Morgon
More open, red fruits, bramble, lavender

Jean Foillard

I consider him a living legend and wine making genius. ​The reputation of Foillard is noted all over the wine scene in France and garners respect for his craft. 

This estate comprises nearly fourteen hectares. Foillard’s Morgons are deep, structured, and complex, with a velvety lushness that makes them irresistible when young despite their aging potential. Jean raises his wines in older barrels sourced from top estates in Burgundy, a logical decision for someone crafting Gamay in a Burgundian style.

2012 Morgon Cote du Py
Not bottled yet. Bright, peppery, gamey, a fresh gamay

2010 Fleurie
Balanced, pretty, floral

2010 3.14 Morgon Cote de Py
Fresher, herbs, mint, raspberry
The same vines of Cote de Py, in good vintages it goes in the 3.14 otherwise it goes in the Cote de Py. The 3.14 refers to the mathematical constant of Pi.

Charly Thévénet

The son of Jean Paul Thévénet, makes wine from an 80+ year old parcel in Regnie. Like his father, he is practicing harvesting late, with an aggressive sorting of the grapes, adds minimal doses of sulfur dioxide. He ages his wine in four-year-old Burgundian 
barriques and bottles his wines unfiltered

​

2011 Regnie Grain and Granite

Translates to "Grape and Granite". The color is deep purple with some staining in the legs, full bodied for a gamay with intense fruits, minerals and energy. There is a silkiness on the finish and lingering acid. One of my favorite wines,​