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Georges Descombes, Morgon

Other, France 2014 (750mL)
$25.00
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Georges Descombes, Morgon

Georges Descombes lives in the hamlet of Vermont outside the village of Villié-Morgon, which is situated between the two famed appellations of Morgon and Fleurie. Home to such legendary vignerons as Marcel Lapierre and Jean Foillard, Morgon is arguably the most famed village in this corner of Southern Burgundy.
When in the care of talented hands, this village’s granitic soils produce wines of stunning mineral purity, bright fruit, explosive energy—and endless cellar potential. In its youth, Morgon from a top producer and vintage is like lightning in a bottle. Young Morgon is all about energy, vibrant red fruit, wild flowers, granitic minerality, and mouthwatering freshness—Drinking it makes you feel alive.
Still, after five years to a decade in bottle, great Morgon evolves into an entirely different and more complex expression of the terroir. Some of the most illuminating and memorable older vintage wines of my career have been ancient, dusty bottles of Morgon. In time, the bright red fruit matures into savory forest/mushroom/black truffle aromas, the fresh burst of acidity softens into a finely interwoven and layered palate with a long finish, and—in the finest examples, like today’s bottle—the wines retain an ethereal quality that allows them to pair with a broad diversity of cuisines. All this is to say that, while Morgon doesn’t enjoy the prestige or stratospheric prices of neighboring Premier and Grand Crus to the north, there is no arguing that this village produces some of the greatest—and cellarable—wines of the world. On old wine lists in Paris from centuries ago, it was not Domaine de la Romanee Conti’s wines which were the most expensive, it was the wines from Morgon! 

Georges Descombes farms some of the oldest vines and steepest vineyards in the region. A walk through his untrellised vines feels more like traversing the slopes of Germany’s treacherous Mosel Valley than it does the rolling hills of Southern Burgundy—these are steep vineyards! Georges does everything the hard way. Fruit is farmed organically and by hand, and without any chemicals or systemic treatments to battle the constant challenges facing a grower in Burgundy. He even hand-labels his bottles. Grapes are fermented in cement vats without any addition of sulfur or packaged yeasts, and then the wine is aged in large neutral barrels until bottling. A small amount of Descombes is released in the US fifteen months after harvest. While there is little fanfare and prices never seem to increase, these wines have a passionate and growing following. This is one of the last unsung examples of extraordinary quality at a shockingly modest price in Burgundy—it’s only a matter of time before the word gets out. 

Georges Descombes’ 2014 Morgon shines brightly in the glass with a ruby center moving to a translucent rim. Upon pulling the cork, aromas of crushed stone, white pepper, and fresh roses fill the glass.  As the wine interacts further with oxygen, it unlocks bright cherry notes, strawberry, raspberries, white flowers and a hint of roasted meats. On the palate, it is endlessly refreshing. With finely balanced fruit and acidity plus perfectly gentle tannins, each glass begs for another to follow. This is an impossible wine to drink slowly. Still, as I’ve tried to stress above, you must exercise some discipline and store six bottles or a case in your cellar. This wine will only become more nuanced and compelling over the next decade, and I can’t stress the extraordinary value that this modestly priced wine provides. Every wine lover should have a case of this vintage in their cellar—it’s a winner.
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Country
France
Region
Other
Sub-Region
FranceMorgon
Soil
Granite, Clay, Schist
Farming
Organic
Blend
Gamay
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
Neutral French
Glassware
Burgundy Stemps
Drinking
1 Decade
Decanting
10 minutes

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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