A.O.C. Morgon, Beaujolais, France - 100% Gamay from old vines planted on decomposed granite soils in the Morgon appellation. It is cultivated using organic and biodynamic farming methods, with hand-harvesting and natural fermentations with indigenous yeasts. Vinification follows the traditional Beaujolais style, with 10-21 days of semi-carbonic maceration and aging on lees in old oak barrels for several months before bottling. Although Marcel Lapierre and his family historically worked without adding SO₂ during vinification, the "classic" version imported by many markets today does include a minimal dose of sulfur dioxide at bottling to ensure some stability and transportability (though it remains very low compared to conventional wines). Morgon Sans SO₂ (often labeled with an “N” on the back label) is essentially the same wine in terms of vineyard, grape, and cultivation and winemaking philosophy, but with one key difference: no sulfur dioxide is added at any point, not even during bottling. This means the wine is made and bottled entirely without added sulfites, bringing it even closer to the style Marcel Lapierre sought to establish from the beginning. In these cases, fermentation is natural, no commercial yeasts or other additives are used, and there is no aggressive filtration or fining. The result is a wine that can exhibit an even purer and more vibrant fruit character, with a pronounced energy and brightness on the nose and palate, and in some cases, a more noticeable tendency to evolve over time or develop more “wild” profiles—what many enthusiasts call an authentic natural style wine. Recommended by The Sommelier.
