Domaine Marcel Lapierre, MMXXIV, Villie Morgon, Beaujolais, France, 2024

About The Producer
In the northern hills of Beaujolais lies the pastoral Villie-Morgan, one of the ten cru villages permitted to print its name on the bottle, and also considered home of one of the best wines in Beaujolais. An hour from Lyon, the second largest city in France, Villie-Morgan is a century away in atmosphere. It is also home to a group of groundbreaking and sometimes controversial winemakers know in the US as the Gang of Four.

This group, informally spearheaded by Marcel Lapierre, strives to make wines as naturally as possible, in the vineyard and in the winery. Lapierre's vines average 40 years of age, and his grapes are always picked at the latest possible moment in order to obtain the ripest possible fruit. No pesticides or chemicals are used in the vineyards and no sulfur or yeast is added during fermentation. The resulting wines are pure and fruity, not overly alcoholic, and always a pleasure to drink.

Though the family’s Morgon roots date back over 110 years, a chance encounter in 1981 changed the Lapierres’ winemaking trajectory forever. Marcel Lapierre crossed paths with Jules Chauvet, a fellow Beaujolais-based winemaker who was paving the way for the modern day natural wine movement. Chauvet first spoke out against chemicals in vineyards, creating a cult following amongst neighboring winemakers-- with Marcel Lapierre dubbed the leader of the pack. This ‘Gang of Four’ was praised for their ‘rebellious’ advocacy for late harvesting, hatred for herbicides, and minimal to no sulfur usage. 

Lapierre's Morgon is one of Beaujolais' most beloved wines. The cuvée Marcel takes their work to a much different level of depth and seriousness. Relying on hundred-year-old vines with a large portion coming from the Côte du Py, cuvée Marcel Lapierre represents a major step up. It offers up impressive power, complexity, and length. Thankfully, the lift and irresistible silkiness that makes the basic Morgon so delectable are very present in this bottling.

Organic.

Grape / Blend
100% Gamay

Origin
Beaujolais, France

Tasting Notes
From the estate that defined natural wine in Beaujolais. Marcel Lapierre, who passed in 2010, was a pivotal figure in the natural wine movement, championing organic farming and minimal intervention when such ideas were considered radical. His children Mathieu and Camille now continue his legacy with the same commitment to purity. The Cuvée MMXXIV (2024 in Roman numerals) represents the freshest expression of Lapierre Morgon—carbonic maceration, no added sulfur, and vibrant Gamay fruit from the granite slopes of Côte du Py. This is joyful, crunchy wine meant for immediate pleasure. Serve slightly chilled. 

Product size: 750ml