Georges Descombes lives in the hamlet of Vermont outside the village of Villié-Morgon, which is actually 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. In 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 cellar-worthy—wines of the world. On old wine lists in Paris from centuries ago, it was not Domaine de la Romanée 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 and 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 vivid 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. This wine will only become more nuanced and compelling over the next decade and I can’t stress enough the extraordinary value that this modestly priced wine provides. Every wine lover should have some of this vintage in their cellar—it’s a winner.