Domaine Georges Descombes, Morgon, Beaujolais, France, 2023

Producer Profile

Georges Descombes is one of the pillars of the Beaujolais appellation.

His wines are serious, but also give a lot of immediate pleasure. Like his great friend, Jean Foillard, and his mentor, the late Marcel Lapierre, he favours minimal intervention and lets the granite terroir of his 15.5ha of vineyards lead the way. Beautifully juicy but with good backbone, his wines can be enjoyed early and will also age for several years. The estate follows an environmentally conscious approach with discipline and rigour, aimed at low-intervention winemaking.

The domaine farms around 15.5 hectares, spread across Morgon, Brouilly, Régnié, Chiroubles and Beaujolais‑Villages. From the late 1980s, Georges began converting the vineyards to organic practices, focusing on soil health and low yields. The vineyards are predominantly planted on granite soils, which give the wines their signature freshness and structure. Although no longer formally certified, the vineyards are farmed organically and without chemical treatments.

Tasting Note

A wine that bracing acid as its backbone, the redcurrant and blackcurrant fruit has serious depth and a very light tannic grip. A little garrigue on the palate as well as bramble and an earthy touch.