GRANDES MISES
MORGON
CÔTE DU PY 2014
Grape varietal
Black Gamay with white juice.
Tasting notes
This Morgon Côte du Py opens with a nose of black fruit and toasted aromas. A fine deep red colour. Very pure to the taste, with dense tannins, powerful yet soft and a very elegant finish. The manganese and iron-oxide found in the granite of Py gives the characteristic structure.
Serving suggestions
Decanting the wine will allow all the complexity and aromas to be discovered. Best served between 16° and 18°C., with white meats and game charcuterie as well as game dishes and mature cheeses. Ideal with duck, pigeon or other small game-birds with or without sauce.
Food and wine pairing
Morgon « Côte du Py » pairs well with duck and feathered game dishes. It would also match with rippened cheeses full of character.
Let be amazed by decanting this astonishing wine!
Ageing potential
This Morgon Cote du Py is rather special in the sense that it has good keeping qualities. It will improve over several years . 10 years or more if the storage temperature and humidity conditions are respected.
Origins
From the 10th Century onwards, we find traces of vineyards in Morgon. An act dated 956 A.D.shows the sale of a vineyard by the Sire de Beaujeu to a local vassal. Morgon is one of the 10 crus of the Beaujolais. The vineyard is situated on hills west of the Saône river, in the heart of the crus in the northern part of the region. (50 Km north of Lyon, 25 km north of Villefranche and 25 km south of Mâcon) and stretches over 1,100 hectares.
Terroir
A special terroir made up of decomposed rocks and brittle schists, Morgon is split between 6 distinct climats - Les Micouds, Corcelette, Douby, Les Grands Cras, Les Charmes and the most famous “Côte du Py”.
Formed by the weathering of brittle crystalline rocks, essentially pyritic schists, rich in iron-oxide and a little manganese, the soil is made up by irregular-shaped rocks, thus containing more or less clay. What is known as “roche pourrie” or “morgon” is a very-advanced form of schists and very old volcanic rocks. The Py hillside, which culminates at 352 metres gives the best terroirs with fine layers of volcanic, schistous rocks rich in manganese and iron.
Vine and soil
Soil: very deep and drains easily, ideal conditions for the Gamay grape whatever the weather
Vineyard age: between 35 and 45 years old.
Yield: 56 hectoliters per hectar
3 hectars divided in 4 plots have been selected with the partner-grower.
Oriented south and south-west with a slope often greater than 30%.
The vines are pruned « en gobelet » and « en cordon-de-Royat ». They are managed with substainable farming methods
Vinification and maturing
Burgundy-style vinification, grapes 90% destemmed, not crushed. Placed in a concrete vat by gravity.
Maceration: 3 weeks at 24° C. with cap-punching, over-pumping and racking.
The wine was put in barrel (3 to 6 years) by gravity. 228-litre French Burgundy oak-barrels, mainly from the Troncais forest with medium toasting so as not to “mark” the wine. And to bring torrefaction, sucrosity and the necessary roundness typical of this terroir. Ageing: 8 months on oak barrels.
Vintage : 2014
A round, crispy and aromatic vintage. With an early start to the year, Springtime was warm and dry and limited the vegetative growth of the vine. Summer rainfall in early July helped to accelerate the development of the vine and the grapes. Flowering took place in early June followed by the “veraison” (grapes change colour) at the end of July. The result was a low potential yield with small bunches. Under sunshine and warm weather the harvest started mid September, giving grapes with high potential degrees.
Handpicked on 17th September 2014.
