Louis Claude Desvignes

Claude-Emmanuelle and Louis-Benoît Desvignes have been managing the family estate since the early 2000s, succeeding their father. Established on 11 hectares of vineyard and producing a range of Morgons elevated to the highest level by the glowing tasting notes of international critics, the DESVIGNES estate produces a complete and well-rounded range of Morgon wines, all sourced from different terroirs and all sharing the common characteristic of seeing no oak (all wines are aged in concrete vats), which is quite singular. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that the Morgons from the DESVIGNES estate age with grace, and that 10 to 15 years of cellaring hold no fear for them. Already in the 1980s, when the entire Beaujolais region was succumbing to the temptation of pre-fermentation carbonic maceration at high temperatures, Louis-Claude Desvignes resisted this trend, convinced that this practice stripped wines of their character. A contrarian stance that could sometimes become problematic when seeking approval of his wines from the INAO. It is even in homage to this "unrepentant" spirit that the estate's greatest age-worthy cuvée was named "Les Impénitents," featuring a black sheep on its label. The Morgons from the DESVIGNES estate follow in this tradition and are therefore rather structured, built for ageing, and far removed from the usual easy-drinking wines of Beaujolais. The soils are worked in the most natural way possible, with ploughing and no chemical agents, in order to stay as close as possible to their terroir. The wines display real personality, thanks to traditional maceration — either with destemmed berries or as whole clusters for the oldest vines. With long, parcel-by-parcel ageing in concrete vats, the wines are quite straightforward, without artifice, and can be enjoyed young or after a period of cellaring. The two cuvées "La Voûte Saint-Vincent" and "Montpelain" represent a very interesting entry-level offering, with a beautiful mineral imprint, complemented by intense notes of dark fruit and a delicate hint of incense. The Morgon cuvée "Côte du Py" comes from a magnificent terroir of schist on decomposed eruptive rock, with highly characteristic blue stones; it reveals aromas of blackberry, cherry, smoked meat and liquorice; ample and fleshy, it is enveloping, with a fruity core wrapped in powdery tannins. This "Côte du Py" can be drunk young for its fruit character within 5 years, but 10 years of cellaring will only do it good. The Morgon cuvée "Javernières" is situated further south on the hillside, on a more clay-rich terroir imbued with iron oxide. With intermingling aromas of raspberry coulis, damp earth and fern, the palate is utterly vibrant, at once suave and caressing, and it can be kept for at least 8 years. Finally, the Morgon "Impénitents" represents the most emblematic cuvée of the Desvignes estate. It is sourced from century-old vines and offers a deep bouquet of blackberries, blackcurrant and raspberries, complemented by notes of smoked meat and peonies, with phenomenal concentration, marked acidity and a structure of powdery tannins, finishing with a long, penetrating finale. This is a truly exceptional wine, a fine wine, that could even rival certain wines from the Northern Rhône!

Discover the wines of Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes and other Beaujolais winemakers such as Dupre, Gay Coperet, Jean Foillard, Joseph Chamonard, Marcel Lapierre, Yohan Lardy, Château des Jacques. Bottles, magnums, old vintages…, at Vins & Millésimes, buying wine online has never been so easy! Always 100% in stock, with fast shipping and at the best price!