2012 Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon ‘Côte du Py’

Region: Beaujolais < Burgundy < France
Grapes: Gamay
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Sustainable farming, granite/schist soil, minimal SO2 at bottling, whole cluster fermentation

Forget that frothy Beaujolais Nouveau you had back in your formative wine years. Cru Beaujolais is a whole different story: serious, elegant and coveted in somm circles. ‘Côte du Py’ is the name of the high-elevation slopes in the Morgon region – it would be a Grand Cru, if there were a classification system here. Morgon wines, arguably the most structured and age-worthy of the Cru Beaujolais, evolve to take on the character of Pinot Noir. Louis-Claude Desvignes, a 7th generation vigneron known for a more full-bodied style than is typical for Beaujolais, recently handed over the reins to his daughter, Claude-Emmanuelle. No carbonic maceration here – their wines are vinified in the traditional Burgundian style, where the grape clusters (stems and all) are pressed to extract the juice, left to ferment for 12 days in big wooden vats, then aged for 13 months in concrete. This wine is bold and concentrated, with intense dark cherry, raspberry and blackcurrant flavors, plus spice and mineral notes.