Description

Marcel Lapierre took over the family domaine from his father in 1973. When he passed away in 2000 he left 11ha of vineyards in Beaujolais. Mostly Morgon with a Julienas and a Vin de Frances cuvee. The house style favours old vines, late picking, and using no chemicals. The wines are aged of fine lees in large format old oak.

So passionate about making wines as naturally as possible Lapierre formed the Gang of Four with Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Jean Foillard, a group that soon took up the torch for a return to the old practices of viticulture and vinification. Starting with old vines, never using synthetic herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all, and disdaining chaptalization.

Morgon

This is the closest to Moulin-a-Vent in terms of weight and structure, and it can age nearly as well. It has a firm minerality, thanks chiefly to its granitic soils, and a fruit profile that shades towards orange.

Beaujolais

Most famous for aromatic, light of body, high acid reds that are made from the Gamay variety. There is a Burgundian sensibility on Rhone soil types which makes for an interesting style. The quality wines are refreshingly tart with aromatic complexity and enough fruit weight to balance out the tartness. You do have the option of cellaring your quality Beaujolais but often it is not required. The best wines are found in the 10 Crus of the region with the less appellations being akin to an ocean in more ways than one.  Whites from Chardonnay are available but hard to find.

Gamay

Grown in the French regions of Beaujolais and Loire Valley. It is early budding, high cropping, aromatic and high acid. It was outlawed from Burgundy by Duke Philippe the Bold for being disloyal. But has no doubt made up for that with honourable service. The best wines from Gamay can be Burgundian in flavour and well worth seeking out. Often they are exceptionally good value too.