Producer: Domaine Frederic Sornin
Wine: 2022 Morgon Les Charmes Certified Organic
Varietal: 100% Gamay
Tasting Notes: Red garnet robe with purple tints. Notes of cherry (kirsch) with hints of pepper. Very fruity on the palate with nice minerality.
Food: Grilled white meat would also be a good choice amid this flavorful concerto followed by an encore even being served with the cheese. Cheeses like Camembert, Brie, Brillat-Savarin, Munster, Saint-Marcellin, Neufchâtel or even Livarot all pair well with the cherry, peach and apricot notes of Morgon wines.
Cellaring: Drink now or hold until 2030
DOMAINE FREDERIC SORNIN
Beaujolais
Frédéric Sornin is a 9th generation winemaker who took over
his family estate in 1978. He produces certified organic wines
and tend over 35 acres, divided between holdings in Beaujolais-
Villages, Lantignie, Cru Regnie and the Cru Morgon “Les
Charmes”.
Vineyard is ocated in the climat « Les Charmes » in the Cru Morgon at the border of the Regnie appellation. Vines between 50-60 year old on average. High density of 10 000 feet/ha. Very poor soil made of granite sand and silt soils.
The average age of vines are 50-60 year old and his production
yield is very low between 20 to 40 hl/ha depending on the
conditions of the year.
Frédéric farms his land naturally and fermentation progresses
in a leisurely fashion with indigenous yeasts. Grapes are hand
harvested and only a tiny bit of sulfur is added at bottling.
Frédéric practices an organic farming (certified) in his vines: plowing the soil with his
horse, only use of sulfurs and copper in the vines. Manual pruning in “bushes” very short
according to the position of the moon. Manual harvest. Use of native yeasts for fermentation.
Whole cluster fermentation in gridded vats to maintain cap down. Maceration 20 days in concrete
vats. Aging on fine lees in cement for 9 months before bottling. Light addition of SO2 before
bottling. (less than 30ppm)
The Morgon cru, overlooked by Mont du Py, is the largest of the Beaujolais crus. The famous Côte du Py is made up of decomposed shale. The appellation’s wines offer aromas of stone fruit like sour cherries, with notes of violet and kirsch. Their delicate tannins promise optimal ageing.
If there is one Beaujolais appellation that you’ll often find in cellars, it’s Morgon. Tending towards excellence, the potential for ageing of this rich, powerful wine is about ten years. Morgon wines are only produced in 6 very well-known lieux-dits in the Beaujolais region: Les Charmes, La Côte du Py, les Micouds, les Grands Cras, Corcelette and Douby. And, just like Chénas, the vines enjoy the benefits of a mild climate and being bathed in sunshine on a daily basis. As life is sometimes full of contradictions, an interesting fact about one of the most famous Beaujolais crus is that it grows in soil formed on “rotten rock”. That rather unattractive nickname is due to the fact that the rock originates from the decay of shale and igneous rock. Nevertheless, it is precisely that crumbly soil that gives Morgon its character and power!
Morgon wines do the whole Beaujolais region honour by enhancing the intense nature of the terroir, thanks to their bouquet made up of ripe stone fruit. But their power also dwells in their unusual aromas of kirsch and eau-de-vie. Yes, Morgon wines really are unique! For that matter, this appellation has something so specific about it that a new term has been added to French winegrowing vocabulary: “morgonner”, or to morgon. It’s a verb that emphasises the particular taste of the wine and how it is an expression of its terroir.So when wine tasters use that term, they are indeed inferring that Morgon develops excellent qualities as it ages.
Information by Beaujolais
