MORGON
CÔTE DU PY 2022

Grape varietal

Black Gamay with white juice.

Tasting notes

The wine shows a deep red-ruby dress with violet hues.
The nose is dominated by aromas of black cherry, peony, chocolate and spices.
A great pure minerality in the mouth with dense and velvety tannins, a very elegant wine with a long aromatic persistency.

Serving suggestions

Best served at a temparatur of about 15°C to 18°C. (59-64°F.)

Food and wine pairing

Morgon « Côte du Py » pairs well with duck and feathered game dishes. It would also match with rippened cheeses full of character.
Let be amazed by decanting this astonishing wine!

Ageing potential

Morgon « Côte de Py » has a tremendous ageing potential: This well-balanced wine can age up to 10 years, with correct temperature and humidity conditions.

Origins

From the 10th Century onwards, we find traces of vineyards in Morgon. An act dated 956 A.D.shows the sale of a vineyard by the Sire de Beaujeu to a local vassal. Morgon is one of the 10 crus of the Beaujolais. The vineyard is situated on hills west of the Saône river, in the heart of the crus in the northern part of the region. (50 Km north of Lyon, 25 km north of Villefranche and 25 km south of Mâcon) and stretches over 1,100 hectares.

Terroir

A special terroir made up of decomposed rocks and brittle schists, Morgon is split between 6 distinct climats - Les Micouds, Corcelette, Douby, Les Grands Cras, Les Charmes and the most famous “Côte du Py”.

Formed by the weathering of brittle crystalline rocks, essentially pyritic schists, rich in iron-oxide and a little manganese, the soil is made up by irregular-shaped rocks, thus containing more or less clay. What is known as “roche pourrie” or “morgon” is a very-advanced form of schists and very old volcanic rocks. The Py hillside, which culminates at 352 metres gives the best terroirs with fine layers of volcanic, schistous rocks rich in manganese and iron.

Vine and soil

Soil: very deep and drains easily, ideal conditions for the Gamay grape whatever the weather
Vineyard age: between 35 and 45 years old.
Yield: 56 hectoliters per hectar
3 hectars divided in 4 plots have been selected with the partner-grower.
Oriented south and south-west with a slope often greater than 30%.
The vines are pruned « en gobelet » and « en cordon-de-Royat ». They are managed with substainable farming methods

Vinification and maturing

Harvest took place on the "Côte du Py" parcels, the last week of August 2022. The grapes were collected by our partner-growers.

Burgundy-style vinification:
- 80% of the grapes have been destemmed, before being placed in a concrete vat by gravity.
- The maceration lasted 18 days with cap-punching, over-pumping and racking before the pressing.
- A plot selection has been realized, and each cuvee is vinified separately.
- 20% of the wine is aged in 228-litre oak Burgundy barrels of French origin, mainly from the Troncais forest undergo a medium « firing », to give a light toasted style, with sweetness and roudness. The wine is aged on fine lees.
- Bottling after a light filtration : 20 400 bottles produced.

Vintage : 2022

The 2022 harvest was characterised by great disparity between the plots. Some grapes did not withstand these extreme conditions and lost a lot of juice, while others resisted them exceptionally well. Several factors explain these divisions such as the heavily drained soil, the exposure, and the age and yield on the vine. There was little difference between the early and late sectors.

The harvest took place from 23 August to 10 September. Volumes were lower throughout the appellation, but the quality was good.

The wines are beautifully concentrated with a lovely volume in the mouth. Tannins are prominent. Tasting is a real pleasure. The nose and palate reveal raspberry and cherry liqueur aromas, smooth blueberry cream accompanied by violets, dark chocolate and pear.

Awards

- January 2024 : Silver medal - CONCOURS DES GRANDS VINS DU BEAUJOLAIS

- January 2024 : 2 Etoiles + Coup de Coeur - GUIDE HACHETTE