Description
Grégoire Hoppenot, Morgon “Corcelette”
SommSelect had already heard the deafening hype surrounding young-gun Grégoire Hoppenot prior to his wines arriving in California for the first time in 2019. From his inaugural vintage, Hoppenot’s Fleurie cuvées elicited near-hysteria from the French wine press and trade, which quickly prompted a pitched battle among top American importers vying for bragging/distribution rights. In the last two years, the clamor has only grown to include rave reviews from Robert Parker, and La Revue du Vin de France’s “Discovery of The Year” (arguably the most prestigious accolade for an emergent French winemaker). Across the board, from Hoppenot’s humble “village” bottling to his most limited Crus, we have been beyond impressed. In fact, we believe the broad, sweeping hype is not only justified—it isn’t loud enough!
For us, Hoppenot is crafting the most exciting Cru Beaujolais wines of the moment. And there’s no denying that today’s Morgon is his most coveted and limited bottling. The vineyard of origin, “Corcelette,” is one of the region’s closest equivalents to a Grand Cru. And when you combine this timeless micro-terroir with environmentally conscious farming and judicious winemaking, everyone is rewarded with a profound fusion of granitic minerality, invigorating wild berry fruit, and pure southern Burgundy terroir. Life is full of uncertainties in 2021, but my experience is that Hoppenot reds are reliably more delicious, more expensive, and far more difficult to acquire every vintage, so hoard as much of this beauty as your budget will permit. It is a future classic and one of the true “no brainer” investments of the year!
Having excelled for many years in a more corporate wine business context, in 2018 Grégoire Hoppenot took a hard left turn for the more peaceful, less-itinerant life of a vigneron. Before he returned to his Beaujolais birthplace and set up shop in Fleurie—right across the road from one of my all-time favorites, Clos de la Roilette—Grégoire was a well-known consultant for Chapoutier in the Rhône Valley and several top estates in Burgundy and the Beaujolais. So, when it came time to assemble the raw material for the first Cru Beaujolais wines made under his own name, Greg (as his friends call him) assembled a small yet remarkable collection of vineyard parcels, including acclaimed sites in Fleurie and some treasured old vines in Morgon’s “Corcelette.”
Not far from his homestead/winery on a ridgetop in Fleurie are some of that village’s top vineyard sites, including “Poncié,” in which Hoppenot has a monopole (sole ownership) called “Clos de l’Amandier.” His parcel in Morgon “Corcelette,” meanwhile, comprises less than one hectare: It is a high-elevation site (400 meters) and quite steep, or as Hoppenot himself puts it, “…a real wall.” The schistous soils are littered with pieces of the granite “mother” rock, which also shows itself in larger outcroppings throughout the vineyard. Only the “Côte du Py” vineyard, also in Morgon, attracts more fame when it comes to top-quality/dollar Cru Beaujolais, but after drinking multiple bottles of this 2019, we believe “Corcelette” may deserve the title!
One thing Hoppenot mentions when describing his beautiful Gamay bottlings is that he makes them “sans fard” (“without makeup”). I love that. Today’s wine was fermented on ambient yeasts in concrete vats, then aged for roughly eight months in a combination of tanks and used 228-liter Burgundy barrels. In the glass, the 2019 reveals a vibrant ruby-purple moving to a bright magenta rim, and quickly separates itself from the richly layered wines that the 2018 vintage produced—this ‘19 is all about harmony, finesse, and lift. With 30 minutes in a decanter, the small carbonated “prickle” blows off and pure, decidedly nuanced aromas emerge: ripe raspberry, black cherry, cranberry, wild strawberry, huckleberry, crushed granite, damp clay, grape stem, purple flowers, wisps of pepper. Coming in with less than 18 months of age under its belt, this is in a youthful “primary” phase as expected, but treat it to large Burgundy stems and enjoy it over many hours—even into day two—and you’ll uncover a savory, secondary edge. It’s bright, ebullient, and bursting with crushed minerals and the juicy, brambly, high-toned nature that is associated with the very best Cru Beaujolais. Best of all, this 2019 “Corcelette” will really hit its stride in 3-5 years, so do yourself a favor and grab no less than six bottles today: Three to drink during the next 24 months while the wine is fresh and vibrant, and three more to unearth in a half-decade when aromatics have evolved and fireworks start to begin! Enjoy!
