MORGON: It's the Big One!

Beaujolais Series: 6 / 14 

By Stuart Pigott – last revision: 10.04.26 

Vineyard Area: 1,054 hectares (2024)

Proportion of Total Production: 10.5% (2024)

Appellation established: 1936

PART ONE: Under the Volcano

Make no mistake, Morgon is THE BIG ONE, the Beaujolais Cru that gives the most serious wines. The best have a tapestry of aromas, flavours and textures that enables them to become what psychologists call projection fields: things external to us where we project aspects of ourselves and find them reflected back to us in surprising and moving ways. That’s what a great movie or novel does to us. And when a wine reaches this point it achieves its own secret goal: not only to delight and amuse us, to make us feel more comfortable with ourselves and the world, but also to fascinate and inspire us. A great Morgon – and the 80 tasting notes below prove that there are plenty of them! – can do this if you let it.

No wonder Morgon captured the Hive Mind of the somms and geeks of Planet Wine! However, for them it’s often more than just their favorite, sometimes it's the One and Only, the Power and the Glory, unmatched by any of the 9 other Crus, aka the also-rans. And for the Hive Mind the real McCoy of Morgon - the wines with the most original character and structure - are those from the volcanic Côte du Py. Let's call it the PYnnical of Morgon!  Yes, there’s a hint of British satire in this, but the hive mind is onto something here. For me too there's no doubt that the Morgon lieu-dit, or single-vineyard site, Côte du Py is one of the best vineyard sites in Morgon, Beaujolais, France. And it has a volcanic diorite soil known locally as pierre bleue. But…

Listen to the Somm-Speak about Morgon and you could think that the whole thousand hectares plus of this appellation is volcanic, and that’s what gives the wines their tannic power! It’s one of those pieces of wine world simplification that sound so good in a cool restaurant in NYC, London or Paris when you’ve already consumed several glasses of good but expensive wine. Then,the next morning after you take a sober look and realize it’s an over-simplification. So, what are facts?

The geological map of Morgon is very impressive and I recommend you study it. I’m talking about that in the series of geological maps for all the Beaujolais Cru that were published by Inter-Beaujolais in 2017. They’re the best maps of this kind, because they’re so detailed yet so easy to read. In the middle of the Morgon map is a big blue-green blob that’s the volcanic formation with Côte du Py at its centre. A bunch of lieux-dits around the PYnnical - notably La Chaponne, Aux Pierres, Javernières, plus large parts of La Briatte, L’Eveque - also have volcanic soil. Here the vines’ roots literally go UNDER THE VOLCANO!

However, other excellent Morgon lieux-dits, such as Bellevue, Charmes, Corcelette, Douby and Château Gaillard have pink granite soils, and this is actually the most common soil type in the appellation. As Mee Godard, the brilliant French-Korean winemaker based in the village of Morgon pointed out to me, “Morgon is a real mosaic of soil types and in order to understand this you must make some generalisations. There are three main soil types: volcanic, granite and alluvial.”

On the basis of my tastings since 2019 I'm compelled to add to this, and each soil type can give powerful and exciting Morgon!” “Also alluvial?” I hear the Hive Mind cry out incredulously. Well, scroll down through the tasting notes and you’ll find some great wines from the lieu-dit Ruyére - most remarkably from Les Héritiers Saint-Genys - which has an ancient alluvial soil. 

If that’s true then the wine type widely associated with Morgon is NOT ONLY the product of terroir, rather it’s also a human Construction built over many generations. It shouldn’t surprise us that in our world that worships Nature – now a scarce resource – and Authenticity the C-word doesn’t go down well, but that doesn’t make what I just said any less true. What do the people who reject facts like this really want? For wine to have a „Virgin Birth“ untainted by the human hand? And if so, then what makes the human hand per se so dirty?

OUPS! Suddenly we’re in deep water, so let’s turn to one of the most wonderful things I have to tell you in this entire series of stories: how the greatest Côte du Py I ever encountered smelt and tasted.

A graceful masterpiece of enormous aromatic complexity! More juniper, liquorice, tarragon and violets than fruit, but I love the black cherry stone character too! Then, there’s the thread of chimney smoke running through this wine that was only matured in tank, so that’s not oak! Great elegance and finesse with totally underplayed power on the only medium-bodied palate. Beautifully rounded thanks to the super-fine tannins. And as it aerates the mighty structure slowly emerges like a whale surfacing from the ocean depths!

Again and again readers have suggested to me that writing a damning description of a faulty wine must give me the most pleasure, but I promise you that the greatest delight is trying to communicate a totally inspiring experience like tasting Jean-Marc Burgaud’s Morgon Côte du Py 2023. 

Jean-Marc is a great Beaujolais vigneron-craftsman with decades of experience, and his son-in-law Quentin Uzureau is a vigneron-poet. On top of that Quentin is a Frenchmen who's absorbed more than enough of England to follow every subtle nuance of this story. Complementary spirits and cultural syncretism have combined to give an overwhelmingly elegant expressions of the Gamay grape, but also one of the most spectacularly original expression of Côte du Py.

PART TWO: Trouble in PYradise      

Maybe you already heard something, but there’s a problem in Morgon: there’s Côte du Py and there's Côte du Py. By this I mean that there is the 59 hectare lieu-dit Côte du Py and there was also a so-called climat called Côte du Py with an area almost five times that. During the 1950s the winemakers of Morgon divided all appellation’s vineyards into 6 climats, naming each of thereafter one of themes famous lieux-dits. This clearly exploited the names of those lieux-dits, but Morgon blossomed economically under the system. 

Under what is now the Old System there were wines labeled Côte du Py that actually came from the lieu-dit (e.g. Jean-Marc Burgaud who owns 6 hectares of vineyards there) and many other wines labeled with the same name actually came from somewhere else than Côte du Py, but within the boundary of the climat. This also applied to Les Charmes, Corcelette, Douby, Grand Cras and Les Micouds. These names, along with Côte du Py, functioned much like German Grosslagen - designations derided for decades by wine professionals and knowledgable consumers alike (and now of almost no significance). 

Then, government inspectors arrived in Morgon in 2024, insisted that the climats system was fraudulent and had to stop. Suddenly, the wine producers of Morgon realized they had never sought official approval for the climats system! It had merely been tolerated. This was stupid of them, because if they'd bothered to do seek approval 30 or more years ago they would almost certainly have got it. As a result, 2023 was the last vintage for which the climats were allowed.

Not only has France changed in the 21st century, but also shortly before the arrival of the inspectors the vignerons of Fleurie, then Brouilly and Moulin-à-Vent submitted applications to the INAO for a number of lieux-dits in each of these appellation to gain 1er Cru status.  How could the INAO grant these while allowing 250 hectares of vineyards in Morgon to be marketed under the name of a 59 hectare single-vineyard site? That would be favoritism towards Morgon! 

It’s not my job to go around pointing my finger at vignerons whose wines are of good to excellent quality, but incorrectly labeled. That’s the relevant authorities’ business. However, I am obliged to tell you how producers in Morgon are dealing with this situation in very different ways. On the one hand, some like Jean-Marc Burgaud renamed single vineyard wines with the correct lieu-dit names to be in full compliance with the New System. Others are continuing as before and risk being prosecuted for not conforming.

Outside France a lot of people think that the French wine law is very laissez-faire. It’s true that the degree  to the wine laws implemented less thoroughly in France, than, say, in Germany. However, if you are caught breaking the wine law in France, then the consequences are far worse than in Germany.

Several Morgon producers told me that when Morgon gets a 1er Cru appellation - an application has hurridly been submitted - then the INAO will draw the boundaries of these sites very generously so as to recreate something like the Old System. Maybe their dreams will come true and a PYrince will kiss the Sleeping Climats back to life as beautiful 1er Crus. Personally I doubt it, because if the INAO were to treat Morgon more generously than other appellations, then the vignerons in those places could challenge this in the courts. In western democracies the law famously applies equally to all, en francais egalite. 

This is sad, because of the wealth of wonderful wines which is documented in the tasting notes below. If you want the ultimate in Morgon structure, then go for Mee Godard who has been perfecting this style since 2013. For vitality and finesse nothing tops Michel Guignier. And if you are looking for a cool discovery there’s the rather Burgundian style wines of Domaine de  Lathevalle and Les Héritiers Saint-Genys (de facto one producer). The wines of Domaine Gaget are even more Burgundian in style. Château Bellevue is pushing forward and Georges Duboeuf’s lieut-dit wines impressed in this packed field.  Amongst the non-resident producers Domaine Anita and Domaine de Vernus really shine.

80 Tasting notes, including one with 99 and six with 97.

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PART THREE: Seriously Delicious, Fascinating and Inspiring Stuff!

2024 REDS

Frédéric Berne  Morgon  Saint-Jo  2024 – 12.5% / What a joyfully fragrant, silky and elegant wine this is for the appellation! Interwoven with the violet, the sour cherry and blood orange flavours are fascinating threads of savoury and wet-stone minerality. Very long, crisp finish. From vines at 445 meters above sea level growing on deep pink granite soil in the Saint-Joseph site. 93  

Jean-Marc Burgaud  Morgon Ruyére  2024 – 13% / Dangerously fresh and focused, this is super-stony and energetic. Very concentrated and extremely exciting, but not demonstrative. I love the red beets character that develops with aeration. Super-mineral finish. The wines from these vines planted in 1932 were previously marketed under the name Morgon Charmes. 95 

Jean-Marc Burgaud  Morgon Chollet  2024 – 13% / The aromas of liquorice, wet earth and forest berries pull you into this impressively structured Morgon. Great concentration and fantastic balance. Stunning combination of power and mineral freshness. The wines from these vines previously marketed under the name Morgon Grand Cras. 96 

Jean-Marc Burgaud  Morgon  Heritage  2024 – 13% / Deep, compact and delicately smoky, but the framework is quite light. Huge depth for this vintage, but with fantastic energy driving the extremely long finish. The first vintage of this cuvée that’s based on vines close to the winery on volcanic diorite soil. 97

Jean-Marc Burgaud  Morgon La Roche  2024 – 13% / This beautiful Morgon has a wonderful combination of black raspberry fruit and a touch of liquorice. Frim, dark, tannic core, but also excellent finesse. Made for the long term! The wines from these almost 100 year old vines were previously marketed under the name Morgon Corcellette. 95

Jean-Marc Burgaud  Morgon Côte du Py  2024 – 13% / This deeply-structured, very focused wine with its subtly smoky character and touch of savoury will need some time to fully reveal its great beauty. Super-straight and mineral. Try to be patient, because this has enormous potential and is still a bit shy. 97 

Anthony Charvet  Morgon Lieu-dit “Fontriante”  2024 – 13% / A well-structured wine for the 2024 vintage with excellent of savoury depth with a touch of blood orange freshness adding tension to this wine that has stacks of character. Long, quite firm finish. 93  

Château de Durette  Morgon  Hommage  2024 – 13.5% /  This starts quite delicate and restrained, but the power and depth build as it glides over the palate. Quite a crisp, stony acidity for this appellation, but it’s very well integrated. Liquorice and laurel at the long, self-confidently dry finish. Heavy bottle. 93

Château de Pizay  Morgon  2024 – ??% / Bright and crisp with lively sour cherry and wild blackberry fruit. Slightly rustic tannins and a tart finish. 87

Domaine Anita  Morgon Chateau-Gaillard  2024 – 13.5% / A very structured and ample wine with a very dark personality (think allspice and liquorice), but also stacks of fruits rouge wrapped around the fine, but self-confidently dry tannins. Very long, fresh and powdery finish. 94

Domaine Anita  Morgon La Clachet  Prestige  2024 – 13.5% / A breathtaking Morgon! The wealth of Christmas spices expands in the damson plum and black cherry bouquet. For all its richness, this imposing beauty is emphatically dry. Great concentration for 2024! Then, you scale an Everest of fine tannins at the finish, rising above the clouds! 97

Domaine de Bel Air (Jean-Marc Lafont)  Morgon Les Charmes  2024 – 13% / This joyful, positively ripe Morgon has effusive red and black cherry aromas plus a touch of nectarine! At once juicy and refreshing with restrained, moderately dry tannins it’s easy to enjoy right now. Long, crisp and elegant finish! 92

Domaine Duthel Pere et Fils  Morgon Côte du Py  2024 – ??% / Bright and cool with red fruits, most noticeably raspberry. Modest structure, but juicy with a nice mineral freshness at the long finish. 90 

Domaine Gaget  Morgon Côte du Py  Les Compères  2024 – 14% / Sulphite-free bottling has given this Morgon an intensely savoury personality with stacks of old balsamic vinegar character. At once crisp and earthy with ample velvety tannins, it makes quite a statement. Bold finish. 93

Domaine Gaget  Morgon Grands Cras  2024 – 14% / A powerful wine for the cool 2024 vintage, but it doesn’t make a show of flexing its muscles. Very deep with so much earthy and savoury complexity on the mouthfilling, velvety palate. Incredible balance at the really lingering finish. 95

Domaine Gaget  Morgon Côte du Py  (black and silver label)  2024 – 14% / Full black cherry, blackberry and damson fruit is wrapped around a very healthy core of supple tannins with a thread of smoky character woven into it. Thanks to the very harmonious finish this drinks well right now. 93

Domaine Gaget  Morgon Côte du Py  Cuvée Joseph Sarrazin  2024 – 14% / One of the stars of the vintage in Morgon, this is a very complex and mellow wine. Giant depth of savoury, soy sauce, clove and smoky character, but every bit as much subtlety too. The huge finish is multi-dimensional! 96  

Domaine Mee Godard  Morgon Corcelette  2024 – 12.5% / This has the kind of perfumed charm that the world expects from great Pinot Noir, but not from Morgon in Beaujolais. Terrific vibrancy and focus, plus underplayed power on the sleek and cool palate. You really feel the concentration at the finish! 95

Domaine Mee Godard  Morgon Grand Cras  2024 – 12.5% / A wealth of spicy and wild herb aromas make a bold statement. Yes there is good red berry fruit, but also notes of tarragon, candied orange peel and the list doesn’t end there! There’s also a tannin structure dramatic that some may find quite austere! Long-term stuff. 94

Domaine Mee Godard  Morgon L’Évêque  2024 – 12.5% / This powerful and concentrated Morgon has aromas of liquorice and wet earth plus a smokiness on the well-rounded, quite compact palate. Very long, harmoniously dry finish with wonderful mineral and lemon freshness. The first vintage of this wine from a site almost right next to the wineryon volcanic diorite soil. 95

Domaine Mee Godard  Morgon Côte du Py  2024 – 12.5% / Serious structure is married to a remarkable elegance and great mineral vitality. The wines from this site are often smoky, but this has a graphite character that’s even more obvious. And that’s married to pomegranate and blood orange fruit in a compelling manner. Very long, cool finish. 95

Domaine Mee Godard  Morgon  Passerelle 577  2024 – 12.5% / The very intense fruits rouge fruit makes this stand out from the other excellent wines of the 2024 vintage from this producer, and the great majority of the appellation too! Mulberry and even a touch of elderberry. Glides over your palate in spite of the ample structure. Very sophisticated, intense finish. 96

Domaine Lathuilière Gravallon  Morgon Corcelette  2024 – 12.5% / This cool and youthful wine has impressive tannin structure and savoury depth. The bright redcurrant and sour cherry fruit keeps it on the light side. The dry, moderately firm finish suggests this has some years of aging potential. 91

Domaine du Granit Bleu  Morgon  Terrain Rouge  2024 – 13% / The fresh redcurrant and cranberry fruit gives this some up-front appeal, but it is light and quite linear. Crisp, but reasonably harmonious finish. 88

Domaine de la Grosse Pierre  Morgon Douby  2024 – 12.5% / This very youthful wine needs plenty of aeration to open up. Then it is delicate and graceful with an engaging personality. The red berries, savoury and mineral elements enhance one another. Long, clean finish. 93 

Domaine des Marrans  Morgon Corcelette  2024 – 12% / Marrying depth with this much freshness at only 12% alcohol risks the acidity sticking out, but this is not only balanced, but is as silky as it is refreshing. The combination of sour cherry and blood orange aromas is delightful. 92

Domaine Baptiste Monnet  Morgon  2024 – 13% / The bright red fruit and spring flower aromas are attractive, but I find the tannins a bit drying and the  light-weight frame accentuates this. 88

Domaine Gilles Paris  Morgon Douby  2024 – ??% / A bit oxidative and already fully developed, but for this style the tannins are too drying. Very savoury with modest fruit remaining. Drink now if this is your style. 86

Domaine du Petit Pérou  Morgon Les Dryades  2024 – 12.5% / A charming and juicy wine for this appellation that’s so famous for structure. Some soft tannins neatly balance this. Good length, but not so subtle or complex. 90

Domaine des Roches du Py  Morgon Côte du Py  2024 - 13.5% / A compact and serious expression of this volcanic site, but with great drive. Serious tannins and mineral acidity at the bold and vibrant finish. Very good aging potential. 94 

Domaine Ruet  Morgon Grands Cras  2024 – 13% / I love the deep bass notes of this imposing organic Morgon. As much flesh as powdery tannins on the concentrated and ample palate. Enough freshness to drive the long finish and keep it bright. Excellent aging potential. 93  

Domaine de Vernus  Morgon  2024 – 14% / A very crisp Morgon, but with the depth and healthy tannic structure that the world expects from this appellation. Deep redcurrant fruit and a firm finish. Where are the 14% alcohol? It feels just under 13%! 93

Domaine de Vernus  Morgon Grand Cras  2024 – 13.5% / The first impression – of red fruits and a touch of citrus is the calm before the storm. Then, you get a very serious Morgon that’s so mineral and meaty, the berry fruit pushed into the background by this character. Finally, a great wave of minerality crashes over you! 95 

Domaine Philippe Viet  Morgon La Roché Pilée  2024 – 12% / Bright, sleek and well-structured this organic wine has pronounced flavours of dried thyme and rosemary. I really like the combination of mid-palate silkiness and emphatic dryness at the crisp finish. 92 

Georges Dubeouf  Morgon  Bio  2024 – 12.5% / I love the generous cherry and ripe strawberry aromas as much as the delicate thread of earthiness that winds its way through them. This organic Morgon also has a healthy tannin base and good length with plenty of liquorice and pomegranate character at the finish. 92

Georges Dubeouf  Morgon Côte du Py  2024 – 13.5% /  Generous and fleshy with abundant black cherry fruit, this has impressive structure for a 2024 Morgon. The power builds at the crescendo finish, but the tannins remain fine-grained and well-rounded right the way through. Just a touch of smoke at the firm, long finish. 94 

Michel Guignier  Morgon Vieilles Vignes  2024 – 13% / Well-structured, but also with plenty of red berry charm this is an elegant expression of the appellation. The cool and fresh tannins are interwoven with the mineral acidity at the long, polished finish. 93

Michel Guignier  Morgon Côte du Py  2024 – 13% / Concentrated and tightly-wound with deep sour cherry fruit, but even more smoky minerality and savoury character, these building to a very impressive climax at the bold and very fresh finish. Matured for 12 months in used oak casks and bottled unfiltered. 95

Michel Guignier Morgon Canon  2024 – 13% / What a stunning nose of Amarena cherry, clove and savoury! Remarkable concentration, structure and stature for the 2024 vintage! Then, the finish echoes almost endlessly down the valleys of your mind, the tannins and minerality exactly in phase. Matured for 12 months in used oak casks and bottled unfiltered. 97

Sandrine Henriot  Morgon  L’Humeur Vagabonde  2024 – 11% / This low-alcohol, bio-dynamic Morgon has a touch of rhubarb and red apple character here, but also some riper red fruits and some healthy tannins. Positively dry finish. 89

Sandrine Henriot  Morgon  Elau  2024 – ??% / Unusual flavours of clove, cardamon and savoury are wrapped around ample, moderately dry tannins in this biodynamic Morgon. 90

Famille Mélinon  Morgon Lathevalle-Ruyère 2024 – ??% / This cool and elegant wine has enticing ripe sour cherry fruit that leaps out of the glass at you. Modest structure, but good harmony and joyful freshness at the finish! 91

Mommesin  Morgon Côte du Py  Grandes Mises  2024 – 13% / Powerful and fresh with a complex interplay of liquorice, elderberry, savoury and smoked bacon character, here’s exactly what the somms expect from this famous vineyard site! Beautifully crafted with a very long finish that’s simultaneously tense and mellow. 94

D. Piron  Morgon  La Chanaise  2024 – 13% / A harmonious introduction to Beaujolais’s coolest appellation. Lovely Amarena cherry fruit and behind this are restrained healthy dry tannins with a thread of delicate earthiness. Bright and mineral finish. More than 120,000 bottles produced! 92

D. Piron  Morgon Les Charmes  2024 – 13% / What a beautiful nose of sour cherry this excellent expression of the Les Charmes site. Still tightly-wound and very stony, but with terrific purity and energy. Very long, focused finish with serious power. 94

D. Piron  Morgon  Côte du Py  2024 – 13% / Cool and stony with a complex smoky and delicately balsamic nose, this is just beginning to open up. Quite sleek and slightly austere in the positive sense. Long, tantalizing finish that’s properly dry, but quite supple. Cork closure. 93

D. Piron  Morgon Grand Cras  2024 – 13% / This excellent Morgon has an impressive structure, plus floral and earthy complexity as well as deep black cherry and blackberry fruit. I love the way the fie tannins build at the impressive finish. Already very harmonious, but good aging potential. From a  site with deep alluvial soil. 25% matured in oak, the rest in tank. 94

Trenel  Morgon Côte du Py  2024 – 13% / At once structured and compact yet energetic with the smoky character I associate with this site! Quite some tannins, but the wine is already well-rounded and with the right food it will show really well. Quite a traditional, non-fruity style, but plenty of character! 93

2023 REDS 

Château Bellevue  Morgon Grand Cras  2023 – 14.5% / I love the summer flower aromas of this stunning Morgon, but also the firm mineral structure. It needs a bit more time to all of this come together, but there’s no doubt about the concentration and the power at the finish. 94

Château Bellevue  Morgon Lathevalle  2023 – 14% / What a beautiful harmony of richness and structure! Very fragrant with a wealth of fully ripe red fruit and floral aromas. The incredible freshness makes the wine so delightful, yet the depth is also extraordinary. 95

Château Bellevue  Morgon Clos du Py 2023 – 14% / A serious wine that has a rather playful approach to your pleasure. Simultaneously dense and bright with a wonderful mineral freshness. Very long, linear finish. 94

Château Bellevue  Morgon Bellevue 2023 – 14% / Quite a big wine with moderately dry tannins and fresh, slightly citric acidity. The textural richenss is certainly very impressive, but hard to say how this will age.  Matured two thirds in used oak barrels and one third in amphora. 93

Château Bellevue  Morgon Javernières  2023 – 14.5% / Very complex and highly-structured, but with a velvety structure and a mineral acidity that combine to create a stunning whole. Still young, but the depth at the finish is stunning! From vines ranging from 90 to 110 years old. This fermented for an entire year, much to the frustration of the winemaker, but she’s turned out a masterpiece that’s only slightly eccentric! 96

Château Grange Cochard  Morgon  (Art Label)  2023 – 13.5% / Although this doesn’t linger forever, it does deliver exactly the combination of forest berry fruit, smoky minerality and ample soft tannins that consumers around Planet Wine associate with this appellation. 92

Château Grange Cochard  Morgon  Côte du Py  2023 – 13.5% / Ripe and generous, but also very lively, this excellent Morgon marries deep forest berry fruit with velvety tannins and an animating freshness. Long, youthful finish. Will probably show even better after longer bottle aging. 93

Jean-Marc Burgaud  Morgon Côte du Py  2023 – 13% / A graceful masterpiece of enormous aromatic complexity! More juniper, liquorice, tarragon and violets than fruit, but I love the black cherry stone character too! Then, there’s the thread of chimney smoke running through this wine that was only matured in tank, so that’s not oak! Great elegance and finesse with totally underplayed power on the only medium-bodied palate. Beautifully rounded thanks to the super-fine tannins. And as it aerates the mighty structure slowly emerges like a whale surfacing from the ocean depths! 99   

Jean-Marc Burgaud  Morgon Javernieres  2023 – 13% / This really shows how special the Javernieres site is. Deep black fruit, wet earth and smoky aromas. Powerful, meaty palate with a very solid tannin structure. 94

Jean-Marc Burgaud  Morgon James  2023 – 13% / At once savoury and juicy with a healthy tannic core this is a great example of how the Gamay grape can successfully marry with oak. Just a hint of caramel, but this is emphatically dry at the bold and plush finish. 95

Domaine Anita  Morgon Le Clachet  Prestige  2023 – 14.5% / Hang onto your hat! This is an essence of ripe, yet fresh black fruits! Super-concentrated but every bit as vibrant it pulls you with it heavenwards! And as amazing as it taste now, I’m pretty sure that this is just at the beginning of a very long life. Compact and crisp finish with complex powdery tannins. A great wine from a site with ancient alluvial soil. 97

Domaine de Colette  Morgon Les Charmes  Parcellaire  2023 – 13.5% / The huge wave of red, blue and black fruit at the front is delightful and easy to understand, but then follows a concentrated core that’s wonderfully harmonious in spite of the profound minerality. Finally, the huge, fresh and silky finale takes your breath away. Still so young! 96     

Domaine de Lathevalle  Morgon Les Charmes  2023 – 13% / What incredible perfume this stunning Morgon has! This concentrated and vibrant wine is like an essence of Gamay grown on granite soil. An entire forest of violets! And the tannins build beautifully as this rolls elegantly over your palate. Dances into the distance at the precise and pristine finish! 95

Domaine de Lathevalle  Morgon La Trad’  2023 – 13% /  Incredibly deep and subtle, this makes you feel like you’ve travelled back through time to a realm of dark aromas and flavours that range from fresh berries to old balsamic vinegar. Very concentrated and refined finish. In spite of its mellow mouthfeel, this is only just beginning to open up. 96 

Domaine Lathuilière Gravallon  Morgon  Vieilles Vignes  2023 – 13.5% / The way that the fruits rouge, liquorice and earthy elements of this wine are interwoven makes it fascinating. And the year it spent in oak casks has added a smoky element that further enhances this. Long, compact finish. 93

Domaine Petit Pérou  Morgon  Vieilles Vignes  2023 – 13.5% / This is dark, earthy and serious and you have to be into that to really enjoy this daring expression of Morgon. Long, almost cold finish for the warm vintage, but that gives it its distinctive personality. 93

Domaine Petit Pérou  Morgon Côte du Py  Indigène  2023 – 14% / Considering the generous natural alcohol and the wild ferment this is actually very “classic”, even traditional. The balance of fine tannins, restrained earthy character and maturing and damson plum fruit is very satisfying. Long, concentrated finish with not the slightest hint of warmth from alcohol. Heavy bottle. 94

Domaine des Roches du Py  Morgon “Côte du Py”  2023 – 14.5% / This Côte du Py substitutes richness and flesh for mineraity and tension. It’s not jammy and it’s well made, but slightly less might have been a lot more! Bold and rich finish. 91

Domaine des Roches du Py  Morgon “Dame de la Côte”  2023  - 14% / Rich and fleshy, but also bright and energetic this is a serious expression of the famous Côte du Py vineyard site. Ripe blackberry and damson plum fruit, also delicate spicy notes and powdery tannins. Long and moderately dry finish. 93

Domaine Philippe Viet  Morgon Corcelette  2023 – 13% / This is simultaneously fragrant, earthy and crisp, which sounds like a contradiction in terms, but if it is one, then it’s an exciting one. Very fresh and still very young for this vintage with an intensely stony finish. 94

Famille Mélinon  Morgon La Voie Romaine  2023 – 13% / Quite closed and on the tart side for the ripe vintage, this isn’t charming, but the balance of restrained dry tannins and maturing red cherry fruit is OK. The finish is slightly drying. 87 

Laura Lardy  Morgon “Côte du Py”  2023 – 13% / This stunning wine is exactly how I think of Côte du Py with an intense smoky (volcanic) minerality, fleshy, yet emphatically dry and focused. Terrific concentration with very fine tannins and a very long, precise and stony finish! Matured for 6 months in large old oak. 95

Les Héritiers Saint-Genys  Morgon En Ruyère  2023 – 13.5% / Freshly poured this has a ravishing bouquet of Amarena cherry and violets, and as it aerates notes of lavender, smoke, soy sauce and spices develop, creating a stunning tapestry of aromas. As elegant as it is concentrated with fantastic integration of fruit and subtle oak. The velvet tannins and mineral acidity drive the very long finish. Great aging potential! 97 

D. Piron  Morgon  Côte du Py  2023 – 13.5% / Smoky, meaty and savoury, this has fantastic depth and power, but leaps and bounds over your palate. Very elegant, long finish in which the fine tannins, smoky minerality and freshness are beautifully interwoven. 95

Mathieu Verchère  Morgon  Terrain Rouge  2023 – 13% / So juicy and the balance of supple tannins and generous Amarena cherry fruit is spot-on. Not enormously concentrated, but undeniably delicious. Long silky “sweet” finish. Technically impeccable. 93 

2022 REDS

Anthony Charvet  Morgon  Qvevri  2022 – 13% / This is a brilliant amphora fermented and matured Beaujolais with great structure and a cornucopia of fruits rouge aromas and flavours. Fantastic balance and purity! Everything fits together so beautifully too! Still young. 95

Château Grange Cochard  Morgon  2022 – 13.5% / A good introduction to maturing Morgon. The black fruit aromas are already mellowing and the savoury character is taking control of this medium-weight wine. Some power at the mellow finish. 91

Château Grange Cochard  Morgon Le Plateau  2022 – 13.5% / Deep and meaty with serious tannins this is an imposing Morgon that’s light years removed from the Beaujolais norms. Quite some balsamic and earthy complexity this makes a very firm and bold statement. 93 

Château Pougelon  Morgon Lieu-dit “Corcelette”  2022 – 13% / A very cool expression of this very warm and dry vintage with a striking clove aroma and a character that reminds me of an old jar of redcurrant jelly. Pretty mature already, but there’s a refreshing touch of stony minerality at the finish. 91   

Domaine de Lathevalle  Morgon La Trad’  2022 – 13% / Welcome to the dark side of Morgon where fabulous blackberry fruit ripeness is married to terrific freshness for the hot, dry vintage. Huge bitter chocolate tannins, yet emphatically dry, simultaneously compact and elegant. Old-fashioned velvet finish. 95 

Famille Mélinon  Morgin Versauds  2022 – 13% / Now quite mature, this is a rather elegant and silky wine in spite of its earthy personality. Fine tannins and candied orange peel at the restrained finish. 91 

Michel Guignier Morgon Canon  2022 – 13.5% / Maturing nose with masses of savoury and some hot earth, but also restrained damson plum and Amarena cherry. Although this is a concentrated and seriously structured, it isn’t massive or thick like some wines of this hot and dry vintage are. Still needs some time to give its best! 95

FINAL NOTE: Yes, the wines of Morgon are serious, and their producers are very serious about what they’re doing, but nowhere in Beaujolais did I experience quite the same Joie de vivre. So, here’s a special thank you to Julien Revillon of D.Rion for introducing me to so many the regional aspects of this!