David Schildknecht of the Wine Advocate implores consumers to drink more Beaujolais calling it a "happy hunting ground for jaded or bargain-seeking wine lovers" continuing a trend that has brought much greater exposure to the region over the past few vintages. We are thrilled to again offer one of the region's most exciting producers Domaine Mathieu and Camille Lapierre. Long-time followers will note change in name from Domaine M. Lapierre to Mathieu and Camille. Sadly Marcel passed away in October 2010. He was a tremendous gentleman who hosted members of our team on numerous occasions. He was a visionary, and he will be missed. Today Mathieu, who had been working alongside his father since 2005, is joined by his sister Camille to continue the tradition of beautiful, natural Beaujolais wines.

The wines of Marcel Lapierre and his successors have been integral to the region's re-emergence. Long before it was fashionable to make wine organically with minimal intervention; before "Natural Winemaking" became buzz-worthy Lapierre embraced these ideals. The estate has been in the family for 4 generations, today with Mathieu and Camille at the helm. In 1973 Marcel inherited vineyards around the village of Morgon, the most famous of all the Beaujolais Crus, including a portion of the acclaimed Cote du Py. At that time he began to return the estate to more traditional "soft culture" farming techniques. In 1980 Marcel was introduced to Jules Chauvet, a winemaker and chemist in whom Marcel found a kindred spirit. Chauvet was proponent of traditional farming and minimalist winemaking omitting cultured yeast and the addition of sulphur during the winemaking process. Starting with the 1981 vintage, now working with completely organic (and impeccably farmed) vineyards, Marcel adopted Chauvet's methods. The wine is matured on fine lees for 9 months in oak barrels ranging from 3 to 13 years of age. The wines are ethereal, structured, mineral expressions of the terrior of the region and are one of the great bargains in the wine world.