2018 Château de Grand Pré Morgon

Region: Beaujolais < Burgundy <France

Grapes: Gamay

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic (ECOCERT) with biodynamic practices; granite-sand soils; 75+ year-old-vines; after fermenting in the ‘Sputnik’ vessel, the wine ages in concrete; bottled unfiltered with no added sulfites; zero-zero; 12.5% ABV

Winemaker: Romain Bertrand

In 1972, Louis and Renée Bertrand purchased the 18th century estate of Château de Grand Pré and its respective vineyards. When their children took over, a major push towards organic and biodynamic farming began. Then Louis and Renée’s grandson, Romain, returned to Beaujolais after working at wineries around the world, and helped the estate become certified organic through ECOCERT in 2009. Romain then built upon this eco-friendly mindset by implementing natural practices in the winery (little-to-no sulfite additions, natural yeasts, neutral barrels).

Grapes for this cuveé are sourced from 75+ year old vines on 1.25 ha vineyard in the Cru village of Morgon. As always with this estate, yields are half of Grand Cru Burgundy (especially important in a region that has some of the world's highest vine densities), and fermentation occurs in a spherical concrete vessel known as ‘Sputnik”