P'tit Max Morgon Gamay

Love this wine. Subtle and elegant nose. Mid season cherries covered in lace. So sexy. A bit quiet aromatically which is a good thing in 18 as that tells me this is not some ripe bomb. Tree bark. Just lovely. Palate is pure, Lacey and elegant. Super juicy but does show a bit of heat on the palate and yes it’s 14%. But I have faith in the P’tit Max! Lovely sweet fruit and dazzling purity. One of the better 18’s all things considered. Will track this.

Pass.

Superb vintage for this wine. Floral, really floral, fresh roses. Spice. Lovely detailed light cherry. Smells so pure and fresh. Palate has incredibly fresh fruit and wonderful freshness and tension. Sweet cherries turn into sour cherries on the finish which turns into delicate minerals. It’s super refined. Perfect balance and terrific density for this bottling. Tangy finish that just gets more complex and fine. A brilliant bottle of Beaujolais.

Smells like Vosne Romanee. Violet, peach, citrus, stunning purity, mint, feral forest aromas as well. Elegant but concentrated and intense. Sunshine and sweetness of 15 are there but it is balanced so perfectly that it floats despite being a pretty big boy. Good velvety tannins. Serious structure. Will age 10-15 years.

Nose has deep, ripe black cherry, mashed red cherry, old roses, baking spice (light) and dry earth. The cherry nose is quite overpowering, very intense.

Palate has sweet black cherry, under-ripe red cherry with mild tannins, sweet spice on the trailing end of a very long finish. Fruit is rich and silky, but still somewhat tight after a 6+ hour decant. This bottle still needs years, revisit post 2022+.

I am always delighted when drinking bottles from any of the Gang of Four, but their top-tier bottles are always the most special and unique. I think at a 10-year birthday, this bottle will easily rival some of the best Pinot Noirs to the north in Burgundy. The best in Beaujolais generally need many years to come together, Morgon is no exception, needing the most cellaring for satisfaction, in my experience. Take note this wine comes from a plot of 90+ average year old Gamay, in only a 2 ha plot (just under 5 acres in USA speak), not many bottles will come from that effort. (It wasn't even made in 2016 due to low yield after the frost.) Seek, have patience and be rewarded.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over three days. Best on Day 3 but slayed from Day 1. The 2021 “P’tit Max” sources fruit from Guy Breton’s oldest vines in Les Charmes; some nearing a century old. It can often be one of the harder expressions from the Gang of Four to find. The wine pours a pale ruby color with a slightly hazy, transparent core and a watery rim. Medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, so fresh! Almost like a spring rain shower. The fruit is so beautiful: strawberry, watermelon, kiwi, red flowers mixed with some anise and wet asphalt. On the palate, winsome structure with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and I want to spread it over toast. This is drinking so well in its youth but this undoubtedly has a long life ahead. If anyone has multiples, I would recommend enjoying one now and cellaring other bottles to be enjoyed over the next 15+ years.

Limpid ruby, just beautiful to look at. Nose is characterized by high toned florals that are only a whisper now, even after a day open, but I suspect will develop with time. On the palate, fruit that is at once flamboyant and delicate. Purple and red fruit shape shift through expressions of red currant, purple raspberry, cranberry, tart cherry and red apple candy. This is deepened with a turn to the medicinal— cherry ludens, maybe a dash of peychauds— as well as the mineral. Silken texture with real depth despite so little extraction, tannins, or even too much acid. Subtlety reigns supreme; with herbal, mineral and textural nuances providing balance. This is a really fascinating wine. I’d say in 2-3 years it will be singing, after that I’m not sure how it will develop.

Delicious.

Nose is cherry flower. Cherries.

Palate is so elegant.

Bought from fass selections.

Pairs perfectly with a radio play of Richard II. 😎📻

Nose is a bit barnyardy / bretty to open up with. But I’m sure that will blow off as other bottles of the 14 have been exquisite. Some fruit, mineral and spice lurking underneath. Palate is exquisite. So juicy and complex with wonderful balance and freshness. This is insanely fresh and deep with a silken like structure. Sappy and so mineral. Wonderful fruit. Score goes up as soon as nose gets into its groove.