Morgon Château Gaillard

Desvignes
France
Beaujolais
2023

100% Gamay. Château Gaillard is a lieu-dit in the NE corner of Morgon in the climat of Douby, along the Fleurie border. Desvignes used to include this 1.03-hectare plot of 80-year-old, south-facing vines in their entry-level "La Voûte Saint-Vincent", but its strong old-vine character warranted its separation starting in 2020. The vines are planted on sandy granite soils, are certified-organic and harvested by hand. The bunches are mainly left whole, with about 10% destemming, and placed into closed concrete vats for a partly carbonic fermentation; maceration is about 10 days with a submerged cap and no punchdowns. A very small amount of sulfur is added after malo (and sometimes at bottling). The wine is aged in cement tank for 7 months in 30-hectoliter concrete eggs and bottled with a light, non-sterile filtration.

93+ points
"Ever since the Morgon “Château Gaillard” bottling from the Desvignes family made its debut in the 2020 vintage, I have had the impression that it continues to get better with each passing vintage. The 2023 version is outstanding, offering up a complex, black fruity aromatic constellation of black cherries, sweet dark berries, coffee bean, gamebird, a complex base of dark soil tones, woodsmoke and a touch of sweet whole clusters notes in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and sappy, with a lovely core of ripe fruit, excellent soil undertow, ripe, buried tannins and lovely balance on the long, complex and very promising finish. Though this comes in listed at the same octane level as the Javernières, it comes across as just a touch riper in personality, though still firmly embedded in its foundation of soil and well balanced. 2033-2075."
John Gilman,
View From The Cellar
May 2025

SKU/Code: 
DB3304-23
Product Line: 
Wine
Red
Varietal: 
Gamay
Farming Type: 
Organic