# Famille Morin Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes (2023)

- **Producer:** Domaine Famille Morin
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Gamay
- **Region:** Beaujolais, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €22
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, strawberry, violet, herbaceous

## About this wine

Domaine Famille Morin was founded in 1926 in Javernand, on the heights of Chiroubles. Today, it is tended by the fourth and fifth generations of the family: Eric, Pauline, and their son Théo Morin. Théo returned to run the family estate in 2022 after completing oenological studies in Beaune and working with top Burgundy domains, notably Domaine Heitz-Lochardet in Chassagne-Montrachet. This Burgundian sensibility reflects in the precision of their winemaking. Chiroubles is the highest and coolest of the ten Beaujolais Crus. This Vieilles Vignes bottling derives its unique energy from 98-year-old vines planted on steep pink granite slopes. The combination of extreme altitude, ancient vine depth, and cool, wind-swept exposure results in a red wine of unparalleled racy mineral precision.

## Interesting facts

- The 2023 vintage is the estate's very first officially certified organic release, following a three-year conversion process.
- The wine is sourced from 98-year-old vines originally planted around 1925 on punishing slopes of up to 50% incline.
- The estate uses eco-packaging, replacing traditional metal or plastic capsules with a natural wax dip and using lighter glass bottles.

## Food pairing

This high-altitude Chiroubles thrives on its vibrant acidity and elegant, medium-bodied structure. The high acidity is brilliant at cutting through the rich fats of charcuterie and roasted poultry, while the fine-grained tannins and fresh red fruit flavors complement delicate meats like milk-fed veal and pork without overpowering them.

## Wine making process

The 2023 vintage marks a historic milestone as the first to carry the official Agriculture Biologique (AB) organic certification. Sourced from steep slopes ranging up to 50% incline, the grapes are harvested entirely by hand. Vinification involves 12 days of low-temperature maceration of 100% whole bunches to maximize fruit aromatics and soft tannin extraction. Fermentation is carried out exclusively with naturally occurring indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged for 12 months in a combination of old, neutral French oak barrels and large wooden foudres to prevent aggressive wood-tannin extraction. The estate also employs eco-packaging, using lighter glass bottles, recycled paper labels, organic natural corks, and a natural wax dip instead of capsules.