This wine used to come to us simply as Morgon Vieilles Vignes without the name of the vineyard or lieu-dit (it is now labelled Morgon Les Délys Vignes plantées en 1926).

It comes from a single hectare of 100-year-old vines located on the Morgon-Chiroubles border at the end of the Corcelette valley—a terroir historically known as Délys. The old, gnarled vines sit on a southeast-facing slope, planted at 10,000 vines per hectare.

Humming like an idling V8 engine, it’s always deep and chewy when young—built for long aging in the cellar. The 2023 is saturated with blue and wild berry fruits underscored by cracked pepper and cardamom spice, liquorice root and forest floor complexity. The palate is infused with unstoppable velvety fruitiness and length of flavour rare for the region.

Bouland admits that if he could find the grafting materials he needs, he would start to replant this ancient parcel—it yields too little juice for his liking. Just as well he can’t: this is one of the greatest single-vineyard wines in all of Beaujolais.