Morgon
Morgon, situated in the heart of Beaujolais, is one of the region’s ten legendary crus (the others are Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié and Saint-Amour). Covering 1100 hectares, it is the second-largest Beaujolais cru appellation in terms of surface area after Brouilly. Its name comes from the Gallic word “morga”, meaning “bounded by stones”. Morgon’s best-known terroir is Côte de Py, an exposed winegrowing plot on an east-facing slope, formed by a volcano. Its vineyards lie at an altitude of around 300 metres in the locality of Villié-Morgon. The soil here contains blue rock, adding finesse and elegance to the wines. Morgon’s other terroirs are composed of granite, flint and clay. Gamay is the hallmark grape variety of the Morgon AOC, producing wines with aromas of red fruit, violets and spices. Morgon is aged in small oak barrels and is a wine that can be kept for many years. Names to look out for are Jean Foillard, Marcel Lapierre, Château des Jacques, Mee Godard, and Georges Descombes.
