Notify me
2023 Morgon
M. & C. Lapierre

Marcel Lapierre

Camille and Mathieu

The Lapierres’ courtyard
There’s a word I still struggle to translate from French, gourmandise, which refers to something one eats or drinks, not out of any kind of hunger or thirst, but rather for the pure pleasure of it all. Something that brings out an irresistible urge for self-indulgence of deliciousness. In other words, Lapierre’s Morgon! Perhaps that is the best translation after all. Pure gourmandise.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Morgon |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | M. & C. Lapierre |
Winemaker: | Mathieu & Camille Lapierre |
Vineyard: | 60 yrs, 10 ha |
Soil: | Sandy decomposed granite |
Aging: | Wines aged on fine lees in old Burgundy barrels |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2023 Moulin-à-Vent “Sous la Roche”
France | Beaujolais
It combines the structural grandeur typical of Moulin-à-Vent with a high-elevation freshness.

2023 Beaujolais
France | Beaujolais
Dupeuble’s rouge is thirst-quenching and tangy with loads of violet and réglisse.

2023 Morgon “Côte du Py”
France | Beaujolais
Serious minerality, with earthy stone and plum notes.

2022 Chiroubles “Cuvée Léa”
France | Beaujolais
Floral and succulent, bursting with notes of little red berries, but it is also delicate and light on its feet.

2023 Brouilly “Reverdon”
France | Beaujolais
This bottling is classic Brouilly, balanced and old-school, and showcases the beauty of Gamay.

2023 Côte-de-Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
Loads of fun—juicy, round, structured, yet always elegant and focused. A classic favorite.

2024 Beaujolais “Le Beaujolais”
France | Beaujolais
It tastes more like top-class Morgon, with loads of bright cherry and silky violets, only it’s made from parcels just beyond the Morgon AOC boundaries.

2024 Vin de France Rouge “Raisins Gaulois”
France | Beaujolais
This juicy red—brimming with bright, playful fruit—is low in alcohol and delightfully refreshing.

2022 Côte de Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
A relatively new addition to Guy Breton’s Beaujolais lineup, this exuberant Côte de Brouilly is flat-out delicious.

2023 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes”
France | Beaujolais
Leave it to Breton to take summer heat and turn it into a light summer breeze in a glass.
About The Producer
M. & C. Lapierre
Little would we know that when Marcel Lapierre took over the family domaine from his father in 1973, he was on the road to becoming a legend. Following the example of traditionalist Jules Chauvet, Marcel and three other local vignerons Jean Foillard, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Guy Breton, soon hoisted the flag of Chauvet’s back-to-nature movement. Kermit dubbed this clan the Gang of Four, and the name has stuck ever since. The Gang called for a return to the old practices of viticulture and vinification. Sadly, the 2010 vintage was Marcel’s last. His children, Mathieu and Camille continue the great work that their father pioneered, introducing biodynamic vineyard practices and ensuring that Marcel's legacy lives on.
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.
More from Beaujolais or France
2023 Morgon “Côte du Py”
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Chénas “Les Blémonts”
Domaine Thillardon France | Beaujolais
2023 Chénas “Vibrations”
Domaine Thillardon France | Beaujolais
2024 Vin de France Rouge “Raisins Gaulois”
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2024 Beaujolais “Le Beaujolais”
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2023 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2023 Moulin-à-Vent “Sous la Roche”
Domaine Thillardon France | Beaujolais
2023 Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Chiroubles “Cuvée Léa”
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Fleurie
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2022 Côte de Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Morgon “Côte du Py”
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Chénas “Les Blémonts”
Domaine Thillardon France | Beaujolais
2023 Chénas “Vibrations”
Domaine Thillardon France | Beaujolais
2024 Vin de France Rouge “Raisins Gaulois”
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2024 Beaujolais “Le Beaujolais”
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2023 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2023 Moulin-à-Vent “Sous la Roche”
Domaine Thillardon France | Beaujolais
2023 Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Chiroubles “Cuvée Léa”
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Fleurie
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2022 Côte de Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
Where the newsletter started

Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch