In two weeks I will be heading to the Beaujolais with a focus on Morgon.
Any producers someone can recommend (to visit) and exceptional wines? I think the 2021 vintage will be just about avalaible.
I know Lapierre and Foillard from experience and heard good things about Mee Godard and Louis Claude Desvignes.
The winemakers are quite hard to reach out to for booking a tasting etc so it will be just ‘knocking on the door’ while i’m there.
Thanks in advance!
In addition to those that you mention, you should try to go to see J. Chamonard if you can. Jean-Marc Burgaud, too. I would say Daniel Bouland but he isn’t easy to pin down.
You’ll also be arriving when folks are likely taking their pre-harvest vacation, so don’t count on doing too many visits.
Not Morgon, but I would love to visit Thivin, so excellent and lots of cuvées!
Had the 2019 Lapierre Morgon Sans Soufre last night, one of my fave Beaujolais made.
I remember trying Burgaud a few years back and not being particularly impressed. Have they changed their winemaking style or could this just be a case of my own inexperience?
Always arrange in advance.
The winemaking style has refined over the last handful of years (no more oak signature, Brett has been eliminated) and to me JM is at the top of his game making some of the best and most consistent wines in the AOC today. He did very well in 2021, which had the capacity to produce the cool, crunchy Beaujolais lots of us love, but also involved big challenges from heavy rain and disease pressure.
Good luck doing that with Beaujolais growers 
In terms of places to eat, should that be of interest, the Auberge du Col du Truges is a classic, much frequented back in the day by Lapierre and co. Time stands still there, and I keep expecting it to close, but they do a reference point coq au vin. You will truly feel yourself in the heart of provincial France.
I also had a nice lunch at Le Morgon, opposite Mee Godard’s domaine, a few weeks ago, which has shaded courtyard seating.
Further afield, Joséphine à Table in Saint-Amour is very good.
Thanks for the great tips William. Much appreciated!
I’m not getting my hopes up for a lot of visits but else I’ll comfort myself with some good food and the charm of the village.
And I guess most of the winehouses have their wines up for sale in the local shops. If you have any recommendations for a good marché du vin it’s always welcome.
I’ll update you guys when I get back!
You could also try going to see Pauline Passot at Domaine de la Grosse Pierre in Chiroubles, not far from Morgon. Nice wines!
I have never bought from the local wine stores so I’m less helpful for that, sorry.
Had a fine meal at Auberge du Cep in Fleurie a month ago with an absolutely stunning Coudert Marquis de Griffe 2019.
Then I wouldn’t go. I think just turning up on the doorstep rather rude.
Came here thinking of three producers, happy to see them all represented in the first answer! 
Especially Chamonard’s Le Clos de Lys has consistently been a superb wine.
I’ve had many vintages of Burgaud and been to Côte du Py vertical 2006-2012 and can’t remember having a particularly bretty bottle. Some vintages might’ve had a tiny bit of funk and phenolic spice, but nothing heavily bretty and most vintages have been perfectly clean. Never had any heavily oaky Burgauds either, and I’m quite averse to oak in Bojo. However, I haven’t had that many of his top-tier labels, especially in their youth when they might’ve shown more oak.
I can understand some might not appreciate his style (probably the same thing goes for Chamonard and especially for JP Brun, who doesn’t even employ semi-carbonic) since their style can be quite tough and unapologetic compared to the fruity style most people associate Beaujolais and semi-carbonic Gamay with. However, I’ve enjoyed Charmonard’s, Burgaud’s and Brun’s style that is in many vintages more in line with structured old-school Burgundy rather than easy and fruity Bojo. Bouland’s style is very nice and to my liking as well, coming a bit more fruity and accessible, yet still retaining that rather firm, structured and serious overall feel.
It wouldn’t be considered rude. Many domaines have a tasting caveau for the “clientèle de passage”. This is not Vosne-Romanée, the bulk price of 100 liters of Chiroubles is about 200 EUR.
I have done this and it’s great. Friendly people and a bunch of cuvées we (or at least I) don’t see stateside. Probably 10 minutes from Morgon.
Yes but as we know we aren’t talking about visiting such places.
Well if we are good luck with a wasted opportunity to the OP.
Every producer has a phone number that’s not so hard to find. If you can’t speak French I can call for you.
Honestly, most of the domaines listed in this thread have tasting rooms and receive people who drop by. The obstacle to seeing someone will be the French summer vacation, not producers taking offense. You can certainly try to make appointments, but I don’t think it’s essential. In my experience, sometimes you make the appointment and the producer forgets anyway. On one occasion, with one of the growers mentioned here, I had to track him down in one of his parcels to get him to taste with me. The Beaujolais is very laid-back.
I agree with William in the difficulty in getting appointments in the middle of summer vacation - but it’s always worth a shot. Many producers are quite good at responding to email/calls.
If you don’t speak French, however, some wineries may not be able to accommodate. For example, Foillard wasn’t an option for me.
Lapierre and Thivin were awesome visits, however, and if I only had more room in my suitcase, I would have purchased even more than I did.