Domaine Marcel Lapierre - Le Beaujolais 2024

Mathieu Lapierre, now joined by his sister Camille, continues the legacy established by his father Marcel, who passed away too soon. It was in 1981, at the urging of Jules Chauvet, a distinguished researcher, that Marcel Lapierre decided to make wine without sulfur or cultured yeasts and to cultivate his vineyards using biodynamic methods. Since his father’s passing, Mathieu Lapierre has carried on his father’s legacy with the same passion—and with great success. A former executive chef, Mathieu Lapierre is driven by precision and rigor. Sulfur-free winemaking is not an absolute goal and should only be pursued when conditions allow. The 2017 vintage presents a dilemma: choosing between the “nature” cuvée and the sulfited one, each possessing qualities that the other lacks! It’s a matter of taste that only the connoisseur can decide, as both philosophies seem equally valid to us.

Since Marcel Lapierre’s passing, his wife Marie, his son Mathieu, and his daughter Camille have carried on the spirit of “natural” wines, of which he was one of the pioneers. The Lapierres’ strength lies in their beautiful vineyard parcels, which have been organically farmed since 1981 and allow them to produce a Morgon that is representative of the appellation, complemented by a “sulfur-free” wine offering immediate enjoyment and a more exclusive Julienas. To meet demand, the estate also purchases grapes. The wine is aged without sulfur for an average of nine months in barrels ranging from three to thirteen years old, as well as in venerable large casks. The estate has entered an era in which it can produce “natural” wines consistently, without overflow.