Variety: Gamay

Marcel Lapierre is a name that will live on as a legend in the region of Beaujolais. After taking over his father’s domain, life changed for Marcel when he met Jules Chavet, who has been deemed his spiritual godfather. Jules represented many things to Marcel in the winemaking world, but most notably, it was he who had spoken about natural wine during the 1950s when chemical fertilizers and pesticides began to appear. He wanted to keep the traditional ways of Beaujolais intact. Marcel Lapierre became the torch carrier of this return to natural winemaking, and additionally, the “Gang of Four”—a nickname given by Kermit Lynch to Marcel and local vignerons who carried out this mission. This return to old ways meant harvesting later, starting with old vines that naturally yield lower, and minimal doses of sulphur dioxide or none at all. Marcel Lapierre unfortunately passed in 2010; his son Mathieu carries on the legacy of his father.

The vines for this special bottle are 100 years old, taking the idea of old vines several steps further. It is a more serious, intense, and complex version of the traditional Morgon. This will need time in the bottle or time in the decanter, or perhaps both.