The Domaine de Gry-Sablon
The beginnings of the estate date back to the early1900s. Mr. Besson, Dominique Morel’s great-grandfather, moved to the town of Émeringes. A man of his time, Besson was the inventor of the first filter press, for which he won a bronze medal at the Concours Lépine in 1910. He set up a distillery and a cooperage near the small 2-hectare (5-acre) vineyard.
- In 1967,Dominique’s father, Albert Morel, assumes control of the estate. Two appellations are produced on 4 hectares (about 10 acres): Fleurie and Beaujolais-Villages.
- In 1991,Christine (an accountant) and Dominique (a trained oenologist) take the reins and a new appellation is produced: Juliénas.
- In 1999,The Morels assume control of the vineyards of Christine’s mother, Madame Larèpe, and the Morgon and Régnié wines they produce.
- In 2005,3 new appellations are produced: Saint-Amour, Bourgogne Blanc and Beaujolais-Villages Blanc.
- In 2011,The first harvest for the Moulin à Vent wine.
- Today,the estate extends over 18 hectares (nearly 45 acres) and produces 12 appellations.
The mosaic of terroirs ...
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Émeringes
This small village nestled between the Chénas, Fleurie and Juliénas vineyards is home to our estate and our three large plots of Beaujolais-Villages.
- The granitic-clay soils of the Replat de Vavre where our white and rosé appellations are produced
- The southern slope of Chevenal with its granitic soils that are particularly well-suited to producing Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau
- The "Clos des Combiers" which my grandparents also called "Les Bourguignons", no doubt for the ability of these soils to produce Beaujolais-Villages vintages to be kept.
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Morgon
Our vineyards are located in climates known as "Douby" and "Corcelette."
We would like to recognize the work of Christine’s grandfather, Mr. Jean-Pierre Aucoeur, who spent his life observing and selecting the best vines for his operation.
The quality of the grapes and wines is impressively regular.
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Lancié
0.5 hectares of Beaujolais-Villages separated only by a patch of the famous Moulin à Vent vines!
This plot is dedicated to the production of prestigious Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau.
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Fleurie
Two production sites:
- On the Côteaux des Marrans
- On the steep slopes near the "Madonna" on granitic soils of incomparable purity, which ensures the quality of the wines.
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Juliénas
Our plot is located on the southern slope of Bessay, easily recognizable by the small cabin in the middle of the vineyards.
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Saint-Amour
The "Les Tines" plot is located on the southern slope of Saint-Amour.
The many small stones in the soil retain heat from the sun and make for a wine with extra warmth.
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Régnié
The most confidential wine on our estate, Régnié "Les Forchets" comes from the property once owned by Christine's father.
There’s no question that these deep granite soils give Gamay its best aromatic expression.
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Moulin à Vent
Our four plots are located below the iconic Moulin à Vent, or windmill.
Composed exclusively of older vines, these mid-slope plots are characterized by a subsoil rich in veins of manganese.
