Winemaker Mee Godard was born in South Korea to farmers, adopted at nine months old by a French couple, educated in France and then headed to the US, where she did an undergraduate biochemistry degree specializing in wine science at Oregon State University. The university then accepted her to do her Masters, where she took on a graduate research assistant role in the Department of Food Science and Technology, studying polyphenolics, plant physiology and ‘a bit of viticulture’. After this she came back home to France and headed to Montpellier to do the Diplôme National d'Oenologue.

Mee Godard didn’t grow up in a winemaking family, so she had to carve her own path. She headed to Burgundy, interned at Maison Chanson, Domaines des Comtes Lafon and Corton André. She got a job selling oenological products, worked in Champagne, and then, at the beginning of 2013, she finally found five Beaujolais hectares (12 acres) she could call her own. Beaujolais, she discovered during a wine-tasting trip with friends and was surprised by the quality. Beautiful wines, beautiful atmosphere and beautiful landscape. Apparently, this was the good combination. Thanks to contacts made while holding the position of vice president of Oenologues de France Region Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Mee ended up with 1.7 ha (4.2 acre) of Morgon, Côte du Py, 2.3 ha (5.7 acre) of Morgon, Corcelette, and 1 ha (2.5 acre) of Morgon, Grand Crus. Right from the start, she began working according to the principles oflutte raisonné —mesured control, but by 2016 she’d begun working organically, getting rid of herbicides and using mechanical tillage in 2017. The longer-term goal is to introduce biodynamic practices into the vineyard.

Yields from these old vines are low. Grapes are hand picked, hand sorted and, depending on the vintage, she ferments about two-thirds with stems. They undergo a three-week maceration in concrete tanks and then age in a mix of old and new barrels and foudres for 12 to 18 months. She’s played around with indigenous yeasts and in 2018 the wines went through ambient-yeast fermentation with a pied de cuve (the wine equivalent of a sourdough starter, using natural vineyard yeast). But that, she adds, doesn’t always work. Until 2017, she managed the entire vineyard by herself, but since she’s acquired one more plot, she’s had someone to come and help part time. She produces wines from the Morgon appellation which are known for their power and aging potential. Her philosophy is to produce complex wines that are both elegant and alive. As an artisan passionate about her work and the pursuit of perfection each day, she demands the best of herself in the vineyard as in the winery. Her wines has pretty imposing aromas on cherry, raspberry, blueberry, redcurrant, peony and spices. Concentrated and fresh on the palate with intense and fine tannins. Beautiful freshness thanks to the acidity coming from Beaujeu on volcanic rocks at about 450 m high.