Marcel Lapierre

Marcel Lapierre in his cellarThe news came to me in the evening yesterday : Marcel Lapierre is no more with us. I kind of knew for a year or so that he was ill, without more details, all I knew is that it was not light stuff. From time to time I wondered how he was going, like a few months ago when I went with Alice to this Beaujolais tasting in a Paris hotel where his son Mathieu was behind the tasting table. We all think to him and to his family, he was a loved person, not only for his role in crafting the real wines that we all loved to drink, but because his frequentation was fun and pleasant.
Here are a few selected pictures of him, among them some shot at Caves Augé when he came there with other vignerons to bottle his wine on the sidewalk...

Corks at hand Beaujolais nouveau bottled Continuous bottle filling Opening the tap Bottled ! Ready for all of us Misstic mural-Art for Marcel If you live in Paris, you may know the mysterious Misstic, a woman artist whose mural art can be seen here and there on the front walls in the street. She made this one for a special issue of the satirical paper Charlie Hebdo named Marcel Hebdo which was made earlier this year for marcel Lapierre's 60th birthday.

Comments

[Frank]

We met friends for dinner last night in Peoria Illinois USA. There was a wine listed as "Morgon, 2007" so we took a chance on it - it turned out to be Marcel Lapierre Cuvee Mathieu. It was a treat. We drank to Marcel's memory, Mathieu's career.

[Michael Rapati]

I am sorry to hear about the loss of Marcel Lapierre. I had the pleasure of picking grapes at his vinard in 1977. The generosity and kindness that Marcel and your whole family showed me was profound. I always felt welcome and a part of the team. Even though I was not very good at picking the grapes Marcel always was encouraging and positive. His caring attitude to me and all of the hired help is something I have strived to copy with the people I work with and to those who work for me.
I am glad that I had the chance to know him.
Michael Rapati

[Ralph Gray]

I too am saddened at the loss of Marcel Lapierre. I have been consuming his wines over many years with great pleasure. All of his variants of Morgon have been great age worthy examples of beaujolais. R.I.P.
Ralph Gray
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia