Our Verdict of a Top Thanksgiving Red Wine: Morgon Gamay

For Thanksgiving, many people have turkey or the vegan alternative (Quorn anyone?). Our Thanksgiving table had both and we have to say the vegan version is pretty darn close to the real thing. And because turkey is a lighter meat, you’ll typically want to drink a wine that is lighter, such as a chardonnay or dry riesling, a pinot noir or grenache, rosé, bubbly or our favorite: a gamay from the Beaujolais wine region in France, specifically from the French AOC of Morgon.

What’s an AOC?

They are pretty strict about how wine is created in French wine country. An AOC, or Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, ensures that if you buy a bottle of French wine labelled “Morgon,” you’re getting a wine made in the AOC-approved method from Morgon.

Things to Know about Morgon

Located on the western slopes of the Saone river and influenced by the terroirs of Villié-Morgon (its namesake), Morgon is one of ten Beaujolais crus, or wine-producing areas. Morgon gamay isn’t your typical light and fruity Beaujolais. It’s more masculine, bolder and denser, with a powerful structure (for a gamay grape). Even though it’s a lighter wine, it can actually be served with grilled red meats and hold its own. Morgon gamay is one of the few Beaujolais wines that can be laid down up to 10 years.

Interestingly, an article we read said to cool the Morgon down for 20 minutes in the refrigerator so we did a side-by-side taste test and found the cooler version to be a little smoother. So if you like smooth, let it cool down a bit.

Our Morgon Bottle

Jean-Ernest Descombes, bottled by Georges Deboeuf

Morgon Appellation

Red Beaujolais

100% Gamay

2019

13.5%

Steve Says

I really like a good Morgon gamay, its a nice medium-weight wine, which is good since it seems that I have been drinking a lot of big, heavy and rich Syrahs of late. To most people Beaujolais is a French wine region synonymous with the super-light ultra-fruity Thanksgiving wine called Beaujolais Nouveau. Thankfully that’s not all that they produce. The French Morgon appellation within Beaujolais produces my preferred version, the muscular (for a gamay) big brother to the fruity Nouveau.

After partaking in a bottle of the above Beaujolais and another Beaujolais-Villages at a Thanksgiving gathering this week I am convinced that I need to dig deeper into the this and other wines that Beaujolais has to offer.

The 2019 bottle we’re tasting today from Jean-Ernest Descombes is quite versatile. We tasted it with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey and decided to try it again this evening with grilled pork loin. It’s a pretty shade of brick red, with a lovely translucency about it. This one has a very pulled back nose; I want to say it shows a hint of cola. On the palate it is very smooth, no perceptible tannin with a subtle dryness on the finish. I consider it a very well-balanced value priced wine, it stood up well today to the grilled pork loin, mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. Priced at $22 at our one of our favorite wine shops in Los Angeles-Mission Wine & Spirits-it’s a good value. I consider it a great option when you don’t feel like committing to an expensive bottle or when partaking in lighter foods.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Jane Says

Gamay is an interesting grape. I often think of the lighter, fruitier version of a gamay wine when I see it on a wine list. This may be because one of the most famous Beaujolais wines, called Beaujolais Nouveau, tastes almost like candy-it’s fruity, sweet and very young (bottled only 6–8 weeks after harvest when most wines are bottled 3 to 6 months later).

And since I don’t typically love lighter, fruitier red wine unless it’s a hot day (and even then I have to be convinced), I’m not normally drawn to a gamay wine. BUT, when we learned about the Morgon gamay wine, I’ve had a change of heart about this grape. From the way it looks and tastes, I find the Morgon gamay similar to a pinot noir. It’s even suggested to drink a Morgon gamay in a pinot noir glass.

However, the Morgon gamay definitely has something going on that’s different than a pinot noir. I find it on the drier side and the structure to be more intense than a pinot noir, which is kinda cool. It’s a pretty garnet color and with this bottle from Jean-Ernest Descombes, I taste cranberry and a touch of smoke. I may be drawn to it because it’s different but I really do find it to be a pleasurable experience on my palate.

4 stars out of 5 for me