Had to share.
thomas matthews' blog
Thomas Matthews
"Call me hard-hearted, or wrong-headed. But as I read the outpouring of admiration and love for Marcel Lapierre following his untimely death in early October, I thought of Georges Duboeuf.
Lapierre, who tended a small family domaine in Morgon, in the Beaujolais region of France, had an impact far beyond the size of his production. He was an early and faithful adherent to a traditional, non-interventionist approach to grapegrowing and vinification. This made him a hero to the proponents of "natural" wine. And they, in turn, have positioned him in opposition to the wines they judge as industrial or even immoral.
As New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov put it in his obituary, "[Lapierre] and a group of three other producers were instrumental in demonstrating to the world that Beaujolais had far more to offer than its often insipid mass-market nouveau wines."
Wine writer Alice Feiring cast Lapierre's legacy in ethical terms. She wrote in her blog, "There are stars in the world, leading men and women, ones that make a difference. You can smell them, see them vibrate The saving of Beaujolais was mostly his heavy lifting in his quiet way he left behind a legacy of commitment, [that] belief + action changes the world."
I regret to say that I never met Lapierre. Based on the eulogies, I am sure he was an admirable person. I don't know his wines well, either. Based on our reviews, I can tell they were exemplary, too. Last night, out for dinner with friends at a locavore restaurant in Brooklyn called Rose Water, I spotted a half-bottle of Lapierre Morgon 2007 on the list for $36, and we drank it.
It was lovely. Light ruby in color, just showing some age at the rim, it offered alluring aromas of berries, tobacco, tea and spices. It was supple on the palate, with notes of tobacco and fresh earth framing a core of sweet cherry fruit.
...Reading between the lines, I suspect that Asimov and Feiring would say that Lapierre saved Beaujolais from the likes of Georges Duboeuf, the epitome of "insipid mass-market nouveau." As if cheap and cheerful Beaujolais Nouveau was the threat, the enemy....
In I'll Drink to That, his history of Beaujolais, Rudolph Chelminski portrays Duboeuf as a key figure in the confrontation between deep-rooted tradition and relentless modernization that has transformed not only Beaujolais, but much of Europe in the last half century. ... In Chelminski's view, which I share, much of the good enjoyed by the region is due to the efforts of Georges Duboeuf. (You can read more about his history in our article archives: Georges Duboeuf: Beaujolais and Beyond, Challenges for a King and Duboeuf's Wine Museum.)
...
I imagine Duboeuf knew Lapierre, too, and knowing Duboeuf, I am sure he admired the principled vigneron from Morgon. I suspect he feels that much of the praise now being lavished on Lapierre is a veiled attack on him..."
[Alice, the Politburo has edited your full repost into a link and something that we think better approximates fair use. Thank you for bringing this interesting article to everyone's attention. You may wish to reedit our first cut to more closely fit your needs. You may even consider interspersing your own comments or responses to the post, which would also more closely approximate fair use. Curiously, the Politburo supports everyone's rights of free expression (more or less), and also we don't want to pick a fight with the laws of the US, what with Obama's gulag being better than our gulag and all.]
thomas matthews' blog
Thomas Matthews
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www.winespectator.com
"Call me hard-hearted, or wrong-headed. But as I read the outpouring of admiration and love for Marcel Lapierre following his untimely death in early October, I thought of Georges Duboeuf.
Lapierre, who tended a small family domaine in Morgon, in the Beaujolais region of France, had an impact far beyond the size of his production. He was an early and faithful adherent to a traditional, non-interventionist approach to grapegrowing and vinification. This made him a hero to the proponents of "natural" wine. And they, in turn, have positioned him in opposition to the wines they judge as industrial or even immoral.
As New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov put it in his obituary, "[Lapierre] and a group of three other producers were instrumental in demonstrating to the world that Beaujolais had far more to offer than its often insipid mass-market nouveau wines."
Wine writer Alice Feiring cast Lapierre's legacy in ethical terms. She wrote in her blog, "There are stars in the world, leading men and women, ones that make a difference. You can smell them, see them vibrate The saving of Beaujolais was mostly his heavy lifting in his quiet way he left behind a legacy of commitment, [that] belief + action changes the world."
I regret to say that I never met Lapierre. Based on the eulogies, I am sure he was an admirable person. I don't know his wines well, either. Based on our reviews, I can tell they were exemplary, too. Last night, out for dinner with friends at a locavore restaurant in Brooklyn called Rose Water, I spotted a half-bottle of Lapierre Morgon 2007 on the list for $36, and we drank it.
It was lovely. Light ruby in color, just showing some age at the rim, it offered alluring aromas of berries, tobacco, tea and spices. It was supple on the palate, with notes of tobacco and fresh earth framing a core of sweet cherry fruit.
...Reading between the lines, I suspect that Asimov and Feiring would say that Lapierre saved Beaujolais from the likes of Georges Duboeuf, the epitome of "insipid mass-market nouveau." As if cheap and cheerful Beaujolais Nouveau was the threat, the enemy....
In I'll Drink to That, his history of Beaujolais, Rudolph Chelminski portrays Duboeuf as a key figure in the confrontation between deep-rooted tradition and relentless modernization that has transformed not only Beaujolais, but much of Europe in the last half century. ... In Chelminski's view, which I share, much of the good enjoyed by the region is due to the efforts of Georges Duboeuf. (You can read more about his history in our article archives: Georges Duboeuf: Beaujolais and Beyond, Challenges for a King and Duboeuf's Wine Museum.)
...
I imagine Duboeuf knew Lapierre, too, and knowing Duboeuf, I am sure he admired the principled vigneron from Morgon. I suspect he feels that much of the praise now being lavished on Lapierre is a veiled attack on him..."
[Alice, the Politburo has edited your full repost into a link and something that we think better approximates fair use. Thank you for bringing this interesting article to everyone's attention. You may wish to reedit our first cut to more closely fit your needs. You may even consider interspersing your own comments or responses to the post, which would also more closely approximate fair use. Curiously, the Politburo supports everyone's rights of free expression (more or less), and also we don't want to pick a fight with the laws of the US, what with Obama's gulag being better than our gulag and all.]