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2018 Morgon “V.V.”
Guy BretonIt’s no coincidence that numerous up-and-coming Beaujolais vignerons, as well as more established ones like Camille and Mathieu Lapierre, called on Guy Breton for advice while vinfying their 2018s. Not only is P’tit Max (as he is known) at the very top of his game, crafting wines of unparalleled purity and finesse, but his extensive experience with low-intervention winemaking makes him a go-to source for anyone seeking wisdom on the subject. His philosophy has not changed much since his debuts, when Camille and Mathieu’s father, Marcel, took him under his wing: Max starts with old vines in great sites, farms them without herbicides, ferments whole-cluster without chaptalization or selected yeasts, and bottles unfiltered with minimal effective sulfur. His gorgeously perfumed, supremely silky and sensual 2018 Morgon demonstrates why he has become the point of reference for Beaujolais producers and consumers alike.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Morgon |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Guy Breton |
Winemaker: | Guy Breton |
Vineyard: | 80 years, 2.5 acres |
Soil: | Granite, Sand |
Aging: | Wines are aged on fine lees in Burgundian barrels |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
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About The Producer
Guy Breton
About The Region
Beaujolais
After years of the region’s reputation being co-opted by mass-produced Beaujolais Nouveau and the prevalence of industrial farming, the fortunes of vignerons from the Beaujolais have been on the rise in the past couple of decades. Much of this change is due to Jules Chauvet, a prominent Beaujolais producer who Kermit worked with in the 1980s and arguably the father of the natural wine movement, who advocated not using herbicides or pesticides in vineyards, not chaptalizing, fermenting with ambient yeasts, and vinifying without SO2. Chief among Chauvet’s followers was Marcel Lapierre and his three friends, Jean Foillard, Guy Breton, and Jean-Paul Thévenet—a group of Morgon producers who Kermit dubbed “the Gang of Four.” The espousal of Chauvet’s methods led to a dramatic change in quality of wines from Beaujolais and with that an increased interest and appreciation for the AOC crus, Villages, and regular Beaujolais bottlings.
The crus of Beaujolais are interpreted through the Gamay grape and each illuminate the variety of great terroirs available in the region. Distinguishing itself from the clay and limestone of Burgundy, Beaujolais soils are predominantly decomposed granite, with pockets of blue volcanic rock. The primary vinification method is carbonic maceration, where grapes are not crushed, but instead whole clusters are placed in a tank, thus allowing fermentation to take place inside each grape berry.
Much like the easy-going and friendly nature of many Beaujolais vignerons, the wines too have a lively and easy-drinking spirit. They are versatile at table but make particularly good matches with the local pork sausages and charcuterie. Though often considered a wine that must be drunk young, many of the top crus offer great aging potential.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236