Winemaker Notes
The dark ruby robe, gorgeously perfumed fruit, and silky long finish of this intoxicating cru are a force that can’t be reckoned with. Discover it for yourself.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
An intensely mineral expression of Beaujolais that makes a good argument for this region, matching the (well known) terroir expression of Burgundy. As pure and focused as it is concentrated with a very long finish that’s all wet stones. Great aging potential! Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The most reserved wine in the range is the 2019 Morgon Côte du Py, a terrific effort that unwinds in the glass with notes of sweet berry fruit, peonies, loamy soil and sweet spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with ultra-fine tannins and lively acids, it's sapid and mouthwatering. Stylistically, this sits somewhere between the richer, riper register of 2018 and 2017 and the fragrant classicism of 2016. As ever, it's one of the most dependably delicious purchases to be made in the region. Rating : 94+
Delightfully playful, but also capable of impressive gravitas, Gamay is responsible for juicy, berry-packed wines. From Beaujolais, Gamay generally has three classes: Beaujolais Nouveau, a decidedly young, fruit-driven wine, Beaujolais Villages and Cru Beaujolais. The Villages and Crus are highly ranked grape growing communes whose wines are capable of improving with age whereas Nouveau, released two months after harvest, is intended for immediate consumption. Somm Secret—The ten different Crus have their own distinct personalities—Fleurie is delicate and floral, Côte de Brouilly is concentrated and elegant and Morgon is structured and age-worthy.
The bucolic region often identified as the southern part of Burgundy, Beaujolais actually doesn’t have a whole lot in common with the rest of the region in terms of climate, soil types and grape varieties. Beaujolais achieves its own identity with variations on style of one grape, Gamay.
Gamay was actually grown throughout all of Burgundy until 1395 when the Duke of Burgundy banished it south, making room for Pinot Noir to inhabit all of the “superior” hillsides of Burgundy proper. This was good news for Gamay as it produces a much better wine in the granitic soils of Beaujolais, compared with the limestone escarpments of the Côte d’Or.
Four styles of Beaujolais wines exist. The simplest, and one that has regrettably given the region a subpar reputation, is Beaujolais Nouveau. This is the Beaujolais wine that is made using carbonic maceration (a quick fermentation that results in sweet aromas) and is released on the third Thursday of November in the same year as harvest. It's meant to drink young and is flirty, fruity and fun. The rest of Beaujolais is where the serious wines are found. Aside from the wines simply labelled, Beaujolais, there are the Beaujolais-Villages wines, which must come from the hilly northern part of the region, and offer reasonable values with some gems among them. The superior sections are the cru vineyards coming from ten distinct communes: St-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Regnié, Brouilly, and Côte de Brouilly. Any cru Beajolais will have its commune name prominent on the label.