L'Epicurieux Morgon 'Hey Joe' 2021

Hey Joe is L'Epicurieux's Morgon from the schist soils of Côte du Py, one of Beaujolais' most celebrated terroirs. This is Gamay at its most structured and age-worthy, showing what the variety can achieve when it's grown on the right soils and handled with care.

Growing up amidst the vineyards of southwestern France, Sébastien embarked on a career working on offshore oil rigs in 2006. In 2011, back in France, he met and fell in love with Charlotte Congretel, whose family owned vineyards in Régnié. The couple soon had a son, and in 2015, Sébastien decided to return to dry land permanently to commit to their 2.5-hectare project, L'Epicurieux. By 2016, they had completed their first full vintage.

Farming is organic, fermentation is on wild yeasts, and winemaking takes place without the addition of any sulphur. Whilst the domaine is yet young, Sébastien is moving towards biodynamic certification and has recently acquired the new French natural wine certification 'Vin Méthode Nature'. All wines are vinified the same way to really express the difference in the soils.

Morgon's Côte du Py is famous for its decomposed schist soils, which give the wines structure, minerality, and aging potential. Hey Joe shows dark berries, herbs, mineral edge, and that characteristic depth and grip that makes Morgon so distinctive. There's structure here, but nothing feels heavy – the wine remains elegant and precise.

Serve it at room temperature with grilled meats, roasted vegetables, stews, or aged cheeses. This is drinking beautifully now but will develop further complexity with a few years in the cellar. Honest, energetic Beaujolais from one of the region's most exciting young producers.