Producer: Sébastien Morin

Sébastien Morin

Where?

Beaujolais, again and again! This wine region can be considered the cradle of the "natural" trend in France, thanks to its ancestral carbonic maceration winemaking methods, which require grapes of absolute purity, without herbicides, pesticides, or any other additives. This process has already been mentioned in relation to Damien Coquelet, another Beaujolais winemaker in our cellar; also, in the same region, Victor Blondin of Domaine de la Gapette and Nicolas Chemarin. Sébastien Morin's methods, however, are somewhat different from Beaujolais customs.

Sébastien, who divides his time between vineyards and IT, has always been passionate about wine. It was after meeting Jean-Marc Brignot, a traveling winemaker based in Arbois after working in Beaujolais and Champagne, that he decided to make natural wine. Jean-Marc trained him in viticulture and shared with him his non-interventionist approach as well as his habit of long vatting periods. These are rarely practiced in Beaujolais: this is perhaps what makes this winemaker a little atypical for his appellation. In any case, he likes to take his time and devotes patient and meticulous care to all his vintages: long macerations, slow pressings, and extended aging.

Terroir, plots, and grape varieties

The vines, one and a half hectares of Gamay, are located in Saint-Étienne-des-Oullières, in the southern Beaujolais region, on the region's typical soils: granitic at depth and sandy at the surface (sand resulting from the decomposition of granite). The average age of the vines is around forty years.

Cultivation methods

The estate is run organically (Ecocert certified) and uses the natural method, without adding any synthetic inputs to the vines. Biodynamic farming is practiced, among other things, through the application of herbal teas (elderberry, nettle, sage, lavender, etc.). The harvest is manual.

Vinification

The natural, non-interventionist approach is respected in both the vineyard and the winery, without the addition of any additives, particularly sulfites. The harvest is often destemmed, maceration lasts around three months, and pressing takes place for about ten hours in a vertical hand press ("We'll have time to drink glasses, it's a matter of patience," says Sébastien. "Four or five clicks every quarter of an hour. It takes three-quarters of the day.") Cold fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts: the goal is to encourage the Gamay to express the maximum terroir without compromising the natural fruitiness of the grape variety. Aging is long: the reds are available one to two years after the vintage. For the magnums, aging is extended in demijohns. For the natural sparkling wine, disgorged by hand and without dosage, aging is fourteen to eighteen months on slats.

The Wines

Sébastien's wines—all dry reds except for a Gamay pèt' nat', L'Entremetteuse—demonstrate finesse, balance, and a depth that deviates somewhat from the typical Beaujolais style, while remaining sweet and indulgent. The Gamay, very expressive, conveys the terroir well. The Arcane cuvée offers an interesting smoky and spicy note that encourages us to reserve it for spicy dishes that are rarely paired with Beaujolais. Paradoxe, both fruity and powerful, lives up to its name, which could apply to the entire production of this winemaker, whose wines encourage us to rethink our experience of Beaujolais.