Lapierre Was There
by Chris Santini
Lapierre was there, flowing out of a barrel, the day of our wedding. Lapierre was there, in the form of a magnum, opened the day each of my daughters was born. Lapierre is there now, in my cellar, as jeroboams tucked away for said daughters to enjoy on their own special day down the road, whatever and whenever that may be. Lapierre was there—a 1993 vintage—over dinner with Kermit the day I was officially hired. (In fact, I recall us having a good chuckle at how people then insisted natural wines couldn’t age, and just how good that wine was, already thirteen years old.) Lapierre was there, countless bottles opened on countless evenings of joy and festivity among friends and family. And Lapierre was there, too, just days ago, a bottle opened in solace to honor a friend who passed away much too young. What I call simply “Lapierre” is more specifically the Lapierre family’s main Morgon cuvée, which is, without a doubt, the most important and inspiring wine I’ve ever found in my glass. I can say with great certainty that I am not the only one—many other people can rattle off their own “Lapierre list” of memories and occasions.
I can also say that without the work, patience, guidance, and influence of Marcel Lapierre, the wine world would be a much different place today, and many wines we enjoy now would simply not exist. The 2020 vintage is the tenth anniversary of the passing of Marcel, he himself gone too young, just as the last grapes of the 2010 harvest were coming in. Since that day, two of his children, Mathieu and Camille, have stepped up. They clearly have the same generosity, the same twinkle in the eye, and the same spirit of questioning, experimenting, and constantly improving that their father had. They continue to provide us all with Morgon that is just as important, impressive, and fun to drink as it ever was. The 2020 is warm, inviting, exceptionally balanced, and delicious by the boatload. The timeless, refined label that has always graced this bottle is the perfect reflection of the elegance inside. So, enjoy, and here’s hoping the 2020 adds a special memory to your own Lapierre list.