Morgon Montpelain

France
Beaujolais
2022

100% Gamay. Montpelain is a lieu-dit in the NE corner of Morgon in the climat of Douby, along the Fleurie border. Desvignes used to include this 0.75-hectare plot of 80-year-old vines in their entry-level "La Voûte Saint-Vincent", but its strong old-vine character warranted its separation starting in 2017. The vines are planted on silty, sandy clay 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 13-14 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 32-hectoliter cement eggs for 7 months and bottled with a light, non-sterile filtration.

91+ points
"The 2022 Morgon Montpelain, a cuvée that used to be blended into the La Voûte Saint-Vincent, is aged in 30-hectolitre concrete eggs. Redcurrant, strawberry pastille and granite scents on the nose, this has a pleasing strictness. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition, fresh and focused, structured with a sense of boldness towards the finish. Burly Bojo! Cellar this for 4-5 years if you know what's good for you. "
Neal Martin,
Vinous Media
March 2023
94 points
"The 2022 Corcelette bottling from the Desvignes family is the ripest of the single vineyards I tasted from the domaine in this vintage, tipping the scales at 14.5 percent octane. However, the nose shows no signs of sur maturité in is deep and sappily black fruity bouquet of black plums, sweet dark berries, espresso, hung game, dark soil tones, a lovely array of brown spices and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, powerfully-built and rock solid at the core, with good mineral undertow and grip, firm, chewy tannins, tangy acids and a long, primary and gently warm finish. This is a closed and concentrated example of young Morgon that will either be timeless and outstanding when ready to drink, or never quite get all of its stars in alignment. In either case, it is going to need a long time in the cellar to soften up these tannins before it starts to show its eventual shape and pedigree. I really have no clear sense of how this wine is going to evolve with bottle age. 2040-2100. 87-92?"
John Gilman,
View From The Cellar
January 2024

SKU/Code: 
DB5601-22
Product Line: 
Wine
Red
Varietal: 
Gamay
Farming Type: 
Organic