Laurent Gauthier

Update 16.7.2016(6.7.2016)billn

DSC00033Tasted with Laurent in Morgon, 13 April 2016.

Laurent Gauthier
Morgon
69910 Villié-Morgon
Tel: +33 6 07 69 26 93
www.laurent-gauthier.com

Here is a domaine, extant since 1832, Laurent Gauthier is the 6th generation at the helm. The domaine covers 24 hectares, 8 in Morgon of-which Côte du Py represents 5.8 hectares – “I’ve also a bit of Chiroubles” says Laurent. Laurent says that he’s destemmed his grapes for about 12-14 years, “The actual percentage of destemming really depends on the maturity of the stems” he says. “In 2014 they were not so ripe so I destemmed 90%. In 2015 it was more like 20% destemmed as the grapes and stems were so ripe.”

“I always harvest reasonably late, and use a grill in the tank to keep the skins below the surface of the liquor, so virtually no pigeage is needed.” All the cuvées of Vieilles Vignes stay 8-14 months in barrel, but there are also 500 litre demi-muids and 35 hl foudres in use too.

About 30% of the production is exported, mainly to the USA and Canada, but also the Swedish Systembologet…

The wines…

There’s a little Beaujolais Villages here, but Laurent has chosen to also make a rosé with it in the last 5-6 years – it sells well.

Really a good address here – much to enjoy…

2015 Beaujolais Villages Rosé
‘There’s a big demand for finesse right now. This has a 2 month ‘soft’ fermentation at 15 degrees like a white.’
A very inviting, pretty nose – why can’t most people do that with the reds? Really pretty, tasty wine, of-course for aperitif but a good weight of tasty flavour.

2014 Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes
Enamel and concrete tanks for grapes grown on rose granite. Relatively early bottlings here.
Deep, dark but vibrant fruit. A little lush, a little pyrazine inflected flavours, floral after with a hint of salinity, tasty wine…

2014 Morgon Grand Cras
Bottled just after harvest on October
Tighter, but with silky dark fruit – appealing. Fills the mouth well, a little texture of tannin below, bright and open growth of mid-palate flavour – yum! Nice length too. A really nice line of aroma in the empty glass.

2014 Morgon Côte de Py
Airy, floral, impressively open and inviting nose. Supple, beautiful fruit – complex but cushioned. Tastes fine, juicy and not a little mineral. Delicious today already.

2013 Morgon Grand Cras
Open, complex, faintly spiced – lovely perfumed wine. A little more strict tannin, faintly dry but fresh and super-tasty. Persistent too. What a lovely wine – a hint young but super!
2013 Morgon Côte de Py
Compared to the Cras this is clearly less overt but there’s concentration at the fore of the nose – a fine floral top note too. Less overtly structured, but it’s there – fine energy and complexity. The best finish – wow – an explosion of fruit and flowers – I’m like these wines very much!
2012 Morgon Grand Cras
This is interesting, open, complex, with an almost grained aromatic – just a faint development. Really mouth-filling, good texture super extra dimension if fruit flavour. Concentrated, violet flowers in the finish – super yum.

2011 Morgon Côte de Py
12 is sold out!
Here is a faintly spiced sweet red fruit nose – like all these wines with a fine clarity. Intense, waves of flavour, some ripe tannin at the base. Fresh fruit, not obviously the longest but super wine. Last drops in the glass smell lovely…

2010 Morgon Grand Cras
Laurent: ‘I always thought 2010 good but didn’t expect it to be very good!’
Like most of the 10s I’ve tasted, this has a fine clarity of red fruit almost airy impression – yes! Big in the mouth, voluptuous, layers of great flavour. Great wine, really concentrated but moves with ease over the palate, finishing with flowers in the mouth – bravo!

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