M. & C. LAPIERRE
Little
would we know that when Marcel Lapierre took over the family domaine from his
father in 1973, he was on the road to becoming a legend. In 1981, his path
would be forever changed by Jules Chauvet, a man whom many now call his
spiritual godfather. Chauvet was a winemaker, a researcher, a chemist, and a
viticultural prophet. It was he who, upon the advent of chemical fertilizers
and pesticides in the 1950s, first spoke out for “natural wine,” harkening back
to the traditional methods of the Beaujolais. Joined by local vignerons Guy Breton, Jean-Paul
Thévenet, and Jean Foillard, Marcel spearheaded a group that soon took up the
torch of this movement. Kermit dubbed this clan the Gang of Four, and the name
has stuck ever since. These rebels called for a return to the old practices of
viticulture and vinification: starting with old vines, never using synthetic
herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but
the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all,
and disdaining chaptalization. Sadly, the end of the 2010 vintage was Marcel’s last. He passed away at the end of the harvest—a poetic farewell for a man that forever changed our perception of Beaujolais. His son Mathieu and daughter Camille confidently continue the great work that their father pioneered, now introducing biodynamic vineyard practices and ensuring that Marcel's legacy lives on.
The
methods at Lapierre are just as revolutionary as they are traditional; the detail
and precision with which they work is striking and entirely different from the
mass-produced majority of Beaujolais on the market today. Decomposed granite
comprises most of their eleven hectares, and the vines are an average of 45
years of age. Grapes are picked at the last possible moment to obtain the
ripest fruit, which is a trademark of the estate style. The Lapierres age their
wines on fine lees for at least nine months in oak foudres and fûts ranging
from three to thirteen years old. These wines are the essence of Morgon:
bright, fleshy fruit with a palatable joie
de vivre that was undoubtedly inherited from their creator. In the words of
KLWM salesperson Sam Imel, “They are meant to be devoured.”

The methods at Lapierre are just as revolutionary as they are traditional; the detail and precision with which they work is striking and entirely different from the mass-produced majority of Beaujolais on the market today. Decomposed granite comprises most of their eleven hectares, and the vines are an average of 45 years of age. Grapes are picked at the last possible moment to obtain the ripest fruit, which is a trademark of the estate style. The Lapierres age their wines on fine lees for at least nine months in oak foudres and fûts ranging from three to thirteen years old. These wines are the essence of Morgon: bright, fleshy fruit with a palatable joie de vivre that was undoubtedly inherited from their creator. In the words of KLWM salesperson Sam Imel, “They are meant to be devoured.”
Technical Information
Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Vin de France “Raisins Gaulois” |
Gamay | 15 years | Sandy decomposed granite | 9 ha |
Beaujolais “Le Beaujolais” |
Gamay | 70 years | Sandy decomposed granite | 2.5 ha |
Morgon |
Gamay | 70 years | Sandy decomposed granite | 15 ha |
Morgon “Cuvée Marcel Lapierre” |
Gamay | 100 years | Sandy decomposed granite | 2.5 ha |
Morgon “Cuvée Camille” |
Gamay | 50 - 75 years | Sandy decomposed granite | 1 ha |
Juliénas |
Gamay | 60 years | Volcanic, Schist | 5 ha |
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres |
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
• No chemical fertilizers, synthetic products, or weed killers are used
• To keep soils alive, they use compost and surface plow their vines
• Only non-aggressive treatments are used in order to preserve indigenous yeast populations on grapes and other organisms
• Once the grapes have reached maturity, they are harvested exclusively by hand and put into small containers to prevent any damage to the fruit before vinification
• The bunches undergo a rigorous sorting process “because a clean harvest and an appropriate maturity are essential in our quest for quality during the vinification”
• Only indigenous yeasts are used in fermentation
• The estate vinifies using the traditional “semi-carbonic” method, meaning the majority of berries remain intact and are then saturated with CO2 inside of a closed vat. In this atmosphere, the enzymatic activity manages to start the fermentation
• Wines are bottled unfiltered
Vin de France “Raisins Gaulois”
• Grapes are hand-harvested and meticulously sorted
• Semi-carbonic maceration without SO2, for 4-6 days
• 2 months in “cuve”
• Almost all the grapes for this cuvée come from within the Morgon cru, but the wine is not entitled to the Morgon appellation because yields surpass the accepted limit of 56 hl/ha. This is intentional: the high yields prevent excessive concentration and yield an easy-drinking, fruit-driven red with low alcohol.
Beaujolais “Le Beaujolais”
• Sourced from three parcels that are just across the village line of Morgon in Lancié, a neighboring commune of Villié Morgon.
• Semi-carbonic maceration without SO2, for 10-21 days, and spends 6 months in “cuve”
• Unlike with the entry-level Raisins Gaulois cuvée, this wine is bottled in the spring instead of winter.
• It is the mid-way cuvée between “Raisins Gaulois” and Morgon
Morgon
• Ages 9 months in 216 liter barrels
Morgon “Cuvée Marcel Lapierre” •Only produced in exceptional vintages from the domaine’s oldest vines (100+ years) sourced from the Côte du Py and lieu-dit “Le Douby” near Fleurie.
•Semi-carbonic maceration without SO2, for 15-36 days
•Ages 9 months in 228 liter barrels
Morgon “Cuvée Camille” •Sourced from an old parcel on the Côte du Py with a south-west exposure and shallow soil
•Long cuvaison in wood fermenter
•Named after Camille Lapierre, Marcel’s daughter, but also her paternal grand-father, also named Camille
Juliénas
•Sourced from the lieu-dit Côte de Bessay
•Produced in only three vintages, 2016, 2017, and 2018
MISCELLANEA
Nobody’s
wines taste like Marcel Lapierre’s. He is the source of a whole new school of
winemaking, turning the hands of time back to wine the way Mother Nature
envisioned it. Tasting it can change the way you taste wine.
Kermit Lynch
Our
ideal is to make wine from 100% grape juice.
Marcel Lapierre
Our ideal is to make wine from 100% grape juice.
General Information
- Country
- France
- Region
- Beaujolais
- Appellation(s)
- Vin de France, Beaujolais, Morgon
- Producer
- Mathieu & Camille Lapierre
- Founded
- 1909
- Annual Production
- 8,000 cases
- Farming
- Organic (certified)
- Website
- http://www.marcel-lapierre.com