Notify me
2023 Morgon
M. & C. Lapierre

Marcel Lapierre

Camille and Mathieu

The Lapierres’ courtyard
More than any other grower, Marcel Lapierre did pioneering work that paved the way for what we do today as a company. I feel fortunate to have joined many casual gatherings at the rough-hewn oak table in the courtyard of his domaine in Les Chênes, a hamlet of Villié-Morgon. His cuverie, cellars, family home, and some of his vineyards were all there, and it was the heartbeat of the entire Beaujolais region. As I lived only an hour away in Beaune, I went often, and he was the type of person who made sure that a foreigner with a funny accent felt comfortable. Wine would be poured, saucisson would be sliced, and (most importantly) conversation would flow—open debate reigned and nothing was off the table, so to speak. Several of the most memorable bottles of Beaujolais I’ve ever tasted were served there. A magnum of his 1989 Morgon looms large. Marcel was always generous and gracious with his time and knowledge, and he had an insatiable curiosity and everpresent mischievous sparkle.
I know he would be extremely proud of the way his talented son and daughter, Mathieu and Camille, have maintained the standards he set during his storied career. They have continued to imbue their wines and the domaine that bears Marcel’s name with the same spirit, and the wines are as good as ever. Lapierre is still on the cutting edge globally of what can be achieved with zero-intervention, totally free winemaking, which of course must by definition start with maniacal viticulture that produces grapes that can stand up to the rigors of their technique (or lack thereof!). The Lapierre name remains a benchmark for the greatest Gamay produced on planet Earth. Their 2023 vintage is delicious proof.
—Dixon Brooke
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 “Vieilles Vignes”
France | Beaujolais
Moulin-à-Vent has a unique, earthy, chewy edge to it that you just can’t find anywhere else.

2023 Beaujolais Rosé
France | Beaujolais
The result is a pretty, round, and versatile rosé full of notes of red fruit, melon, and rhubarb. It finishes with a subtle herbal note and foodfriendly acidity.

2023 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
France | Beaujolais
Notes of stones, pear, and citrus... Enjoy as a refreshing, mineral apéritif or alongside your favorite fresh seafood.

2023 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes”
France | Beaujolais
If Beaujolais were Burgundy, we might consider Morgon to be Vosne-Romanée, with its haunting perfume and silky texture, the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove.

2022 Régnié “En Voiture Simone”
France | Beaujolais
The high-toned nose suggests an absolutely electric wine, full of delicate florals and tart berries, and the juice hits the palate like a dreamy cloud of Gamay.

2022 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes”
France | Beaujolais
Leave it to Breton to take summer heat and turn it into a light summer breeze in a glass.

2023 Côte de Brouilly MAGNUM
France | Beaujolais
Château Thivin’s Côte de Brouilly seamlessly fuses pleasure, class, and intellect.

2021 Beaujolais Blanc “Terrain Rouge”
France | Beaujolais
Charly Thévenet and his father, Jean Paul, now bottle a range of five different wines in their cellars in Villié-Morgon

2023 Beaujolais MAGNUM
France | Beaujolais
This Beaujolais offers the drinkability of the most effusive Morgons with the frankness of a chiseled Moulin-à-Vent.

2022 Chiroubles “Cuvée Léa”
France | Beaujolais
April Club Rouge ~ Floral and succulent, bursting with notes of little red berries, but it is also delicate and light on its feet.
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
2022 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais
2021 Côte de Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais Blanc “Clos de Rochebonne”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Côte de Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Brouilly “Reverdon”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais MAGNUM
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2024 Beaujolais Villages Rosé
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2023 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2022 Régnié “Grain & Granit”
Jean Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais
2023 Moulin-à-Vent “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Diochon France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais
2021 Côte de Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais Blanc “Clos de Rochebonne”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Côte de Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Brouilly “Reverdon”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais MAGNUM
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2024 Beaujolais Villages Rosé
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2023 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2022 Régnié “Grain & Granit”
Jean Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais
2023 Moulin-à-Vent “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Diochon France | Beaujolais
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.
Inspiring Thirst, page 312