Marcel Lapierre – Morgon, Beaujolais

Marcel Lapierre (1950–2010) was a visionary winemaker and one of the founding figures of the natural wine movement in France. Based in Villié-Morgon, he took over the family estate in 1973 and, inspired by chemist Jules Chauvet, radically transformed his approach to viticulture in the early 1980s.

Rejecting chemical treatments, commercial yeasts, and sulfites, Marcel focused instead on organic farming, indigenous fermentations, and minimal intervention—allowing Gamay to speak with clarity, depth, and terroir. His wines, especially from old vines in Morgon, became cult classics, praised for their purity and vibrancy.

Marcel was a key member of the influential “Gang of Four” (with Foillard, Descombes, and Breton), a group of Beaujolais winemakers who redefined the region with their natural approach.

Today, his children Mathieu and Camille carry the legacy forward at Domaine Marcel Lapierre, continuing to produce wines that are honest, soulful, and alive.