When Marcel Lapierre started down the path of reinventing Beaujolais, he set off with a few friends. Foillard is the most famous today. But Guy Breton and Jean-Paul Thevenet were every bit as integral to re-discovering the pre-war, old-school ways of making Beaujolais more than a cheap, mass-produced bistro wine.

But while they walked the same path – eschewing chemical treatments, preserving old vines, harvesting ripe fruit, and fermenting naturally – they each had their own style. Foillard became best-known for structured, complex and elegant wines from his old vines on and around the schistous Côte du Py. Lapierre became known for pure, crushable wines of surprising depth.

Thevenet, meanwhile, found a style right between the two of them. Working with very old vines (this bottling is from 1929, 1936, and 1962-63 plantings) in sandy granite, Thevenet makes a wine that shows pretty fruit and silky ease upfront. But then the granite takes over and a fine structure and deep mineral vein come out, especially on the finish.

Today Jean-Paul works with his son, Charly, preserving the traditions, protecting the legacy. In 2024 they managed the cool vintage perfectly, making a wine with perfect fruit (you gotta love those ancient vines!) and the classic-fresh structure of old time Morgon. This is a great vintage from a living legend of French winemaking (and an important player in its future) and we’re thrilled to be able to share it with you today.

Jean-Paul Thevenet, Morgon Vieilles Vignes, 2024 $39.99