The oldest known ancestor of Dominique Piron, Etienne Bailly, was born around 1590 in Morgon, under the reign of King Henry III, in full wars of religion. 3 centuries of family Bailly and Piron followed one another, producing and selling wine from Gamay to Morgon.
Today, a new story is being written. With know-how, roots and terroirs, Dominique Piron has created a Domain among the leaders of the region.
At Maison Piron, there is no "recipe", but a multitude of possibilities and combinations, depending on the knowledge of the terroirs, the appellation, and the purpose. Grapes of quality that are ripe and representative of their soil, a severe sorting if necessary, a partial destemming depending on the maturity of the stalks, some "pigeages" and pumping over, lengths of fermentation depending on terroirs, appellations, and vintages. Few technical interventions. The major idea is "permanent adaptation to the elements". Piron wines are traditional. They express the soil from which they come from. It is a compromise between the search for the best tannins and the preservation of finesse, elegance and purity. A moderate maturation in barrels brings roundness without being overwhelming.
Starting with the Romans, wine growing has developed since the 3rd century. Dominique Piron’s oldest known ancestor was born in Morgon in 1590. Since then, there have been 14 generations of wine growers in the family. Morgon and Moulin à Vent wines have long been renowned among France’s finest wines.
Dominique Piron
1590 Oldest known ancestor Etienne Bailly, winemaker in Morgon
1950 Born in Côte du Py ; 14th generation in Morgon
1968 University of Dijon
1971 First vintage
1988 First grapes bought in Beaujolais
2003 Chenas with Lameloise
2016 President of the Interbeaujolais Bureau
Julien Revillon
1973 Born in Beaujolais
1997 Master of Wine Trade in Dijon
1998-2004 Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne
2005 Colombo in Rhône Valley
2013 Domaines Piron, Beaujolais
In a vineyard with difficult terrain− 30% steep slopes and a virtual patchwork of parcels, Dominique Piron is engaged in sustainable winegrowing. On winegrowing land filled with old broken-down granite and schist, the watchwords are natural balance and biodiversity.
For vinification, their goal is to create terroir wines, wines of character, that remain fruity, subtle and elegant.
Gamay is the heart and soul of Beaujolais crus.
A cross between the Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc varieties, Gamay was originally imported from Croatia by the Huns in the 4th century. Gamay is a delicate variety and it is either excellent or nothing at all. At any rate, Gamay is a quite remarkable variety because it can either be enjoyed young for its fruitiness and elegance, or allowed to age, developing the structure and mineral qualities so appreciated by connoisseurs.
Morgon, the image of Dominique Piron.
Morgon wines are solid but never hard. They are racy and elegant. They always have a slight hint of black cherry (some would say kirsch, as the wine ages), and bright spicy notes. With their great structure, Morgon wines keep very well. Morgon, a sure value.
Eight other appellations, including Brouilly, Regnié, Fleurie, Chénas, Moulin à Vent, Saint Amour, Beaujolais rouge, rosé and white with the Chardonnay variety.
Domaines Piron, the specialist in Morgon.
A leading Beaujolais enterprise.
An international reputation with wines sold in 30 countries worldwide.
Dominique Piron Beaujolais Morgon Aux Pierres is made from 100% Gamay.
A mineral wine with fine tannins reflecting a perfume of concentrated dark fruits.
A small plot of vines of 85 ares acquired by Dominique Piron's grandfather in 1932. Registered on a place called "Aux Pierres", it is well named due to its blue stones, very typical of the Côte du Py. Year by year, the quality of the harvest has made it an emblematic plot of Piron's family. Elite of the domain, this special cuvee is produce only in case of exceptional vintage. It's a cuvee that can be kept for more than 10 years.
Review:
"This deep and powerful Morgon is just beginning to give its best. The spicy oak is there, but well integrated with the plum and blackberry fruit. Very good balance on the generous front palate, but at the back the richness makes a bold statement and the tannins just hold it in check. With a shade less ripeness this would be even more impressive. Drink or hold.
- James Suckling (April 2021), 92 pts
Dominique Piron Morgon Cote du Py is made from 100 percent Gamay.
The Morgon Cru is based in the heart of Northern Beaujolais. Côte du Py is the heart of Morgon, a little hill of very old blue stone rocks - the oldest soils of Beaujolais (around 430 millions years old), with a typical blue color.
Côte du Py has been known for centuries for being the best terroir of the village, producing long lived wines with strong structure and flavors.
Wines of the Côte du Py are very dark, profound and dense. Classic aromas of red berries, cherry, kirsh. Fruity, structured and mineral in the mouth with graphite flavors and spicy notes of black and white pepper. Wine can age up to 10 years.
Hand picked grapes are sorted manually and destemmed for 50 to 70%. Fermentation starts in concrete tanks and lasts for 18-25 days with remontages and pigeages. Then after pressurage starts the aging, for 2/3 in concrete tanks, and 1/3 in recent French oak barrels with batonages on fine lies only. After 10 month we do the blending, keeping only the best cuvees and best barrels, and do the bottling.
Pairs well with red meat like beef, duck and game (Hare, Dear, Wild Pork,…), cheses.
Dominique Piron Morgon Cote du Py is made from 100 percent Gamay.
The Morgon Cru is based in the heart of Northern Beaujolais. Côte du Py is the heart of Morgon, a little hill of very old blue stone rocks - the oldest soils of Beaujolais (around 430 millions years old), with a typical blue color.
Côte du Py has been known for centuries for being the best terroir of the village, producing long lived wines with strong structure and flavors.
Wines of the Côte du Py are very dark, profound and dense. Classic aromas of red berries, cherry, kirsh. Fruity, structured and mineral in the mouth with graphite flavors and spicy notes of black and white pepper. Wine can age up to 10 years.
Hand picked grapes are sorted manually and destemmed for 50 to 70%. Fermentation starts in concrete tanks and lasts for 18-25 days with remontages and pigeages. Then after pressurage starts the aging, for 2/3 in concrete tanks, and 1/3 in recent French oak barrels with batonages on fine lies only. After 10 month we do the blending, keeping only the best cuvees and best barrels, and do the bottling.
Pairs well with red meat like beef, duck and game (Hare, Dear, Wild Pork,…), cheses.
Weingut Prager Achleiten Riesling Smaragd is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Franz Prager, co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers.
Smaragd is a designation of ripeness for dry wines used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. The wines must have a minimum alcohol of 12.5%. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October and November, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.
Achleiten sits east of Weißenkirchen and is one of the most famous vineyards in the Wachau. The steeply-terraced vineyard existed in Roman times. Some sections have just 40 cm of topsoil over the bedrock of Gföler Gneiss, amphibolitic stone, and slate. “Destroyed soil,” as Toni Bodenstein likes to say.
Tasting Notes:
Austrian Riesling is often defined by elevated levels of dry extract thanks to a lengthy ripening period and freshness due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night. Wines from Achleiten’s highly complex soils are famously marked by a mineral note of flint or gun smoke, are intensely flavored, and reliably long-lived.
Food Pairing:
Riesling’s high acidity makes it one of the most versatile wines at the table. Riesling can be used to cut the fattiness of foods such as pork or sausages and can tame some saltiness. Conversely, it can highlight foods such as fish or vegetables in the same way a squeeze of lemon or a vinaigrette might.
Review:
The 2020 Ried Achleiten Riesling Smaragd offers a well-concentrated, fleshy and spicy stone fruit aroma with crunchy and flinty notes. It needs some time to get rid of the stewed fruit flavors, though. Full-bodied, fresh and crystalline, this is an elegant, complex and finely tannic Riesling that needs some years rather than a carafe to polymerize the tannins and gain some finesse. Tasted at the domain in June 2021.
At Prager, I could not determine that 2020 would be inferior to the 2019 vintage; on the contrary, the 2020 Smaragd wines fascinated me enormously in their clear, cool, terroir-tinged way. A 38% loss had occurred mainly because of the hail on August 22, although predominantly in the Federspiel or Riesling vineyards. There was no damage in the top vineyards such as Ried Klaus, Achleiten or Zwerithaler. "Interestingly, the vines are in agony for about two weeks after the hail. There was no more growth, no development of ripeness and sugar," reports Toni Bondenstein. The Veltliner then recovered earlier, while even picking a Riesling Federspiel in October was still a struggle. "Why Riesling reacted more intensively to the hail, I don't know myself either," says Bodenstein. Whole clusters were pressed to preserve acidity and to compensate for the lower extract, and compared to 2019, the 2020s were left on their lees longer. In June, however, the 20s in particular showed outstanding early shape.
-Wine Advocate 94 Points
Light yellow-green, silver reflections. Yellow stone fruit nuances with a mineral underlay, notes of peach and mango, a hint of tangerine zest, mineral touch. Juicy, elegant, white fruit, acidity structure rich in finesse, lemony-salty finish, sure aging potential.
-Falstaff 95 Points
Mortet Bourgogne Passetoutgrain is mae from 60% Gamay and 40% Pinot Noir
Aged 11 months in Neutral French oak barrels.
12% ABV
Malolactic fermentation in barrel.
Slight filtration before bottling.
Bourgogne Passetoutgrains is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine from the region of Burgundy.
Most Bourgogne Passetoutgrains is red, although rosé wine may also be produced. Unlike other Burgundy wines, which are
primarily produced from a single grape variety, Bourgogne Passetoutgrains is essentially a cuvée of Gamay and Pinot noir.
This is a quintessential bistro wine. Fresh and fruity, displaying red and black fruit flavors. Well balanced, good structure and silky finish with excellent length. Serve slightly chilled.
Oeufs en Meurette (poached eggs served in a red wine sauce with onions and lardons).
Boeuf Bourguignon (beef cooked in red wine with carrots and patatoes).
Pizza and pasta.