Morgon Côte du Py "Cuvée Javernières" Les Impénitents 2023 Louis & Claude Desvignes | Beaujolais

Louis Claude Desvignes ' Morgon Côte du Py Les Impénitents is a cuvée with a cult following, produced in less than 4,000 units from the oldest vines of this legendary Beaujolais wine estate. Planted between 1910 and 1915 on a parcel at the foot of the Côte de Py, this Gamay flourishes on clay soils rich in iron oxides, with a south-easterly exposure. To bring out the best in this exceptional terroir, the Louis Claude Desvignes wine estate, now run by Claude-Emmanuelle and her brother Louis-Benoît, uses traditional winemaking methods with conviction and talent: natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts, followed by ten months' ageing in concrete vats. The result is a wine estate that exceeds Morgon standards in both density and ageing potential.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Claude-Emmanuelle and Louis-Benoît's work since their arrival at the head of the Louis Claude Devignes wine estate has rapidly made it one of the great Beaujolais stars. In this respect, Morgon Côte du Py Javernières Les Impénitents illustrates the quintessence of its appellation, and the talent of the wine estate when it comes to revealing the expression of the Morgon terroir. A few years in the cellar will enable it to develop its full potential.

On the nose, a characterful, almost animal-like wine emerges between concentrated aromas of ripe red and black fruit. Notes of dried flowers, leather, spices and graphite intermingle, revealing earthy, roasted accents of great depth as the wine opens up.

The palate displays great energy and superb concentration, without becoming overly exuberant. Notes of black fruit, clove, licorice and black tea sublimate the wine's suave substance. A delicate tannic structure, still somewhat serious given the wine's youth, structures the tasting until the smoky filigree on the finish. The lingering aromas leave the palate with the graceful, beautifully defined impression of a Gamay of formidable complexity.