Winemakers Information Page
It is all too often the case that modern wine-buying is an impersonal and somewhat anonymous experience. When strolling round the wine section in the supermarket, its shelves groaning with bottles of industrially-produced wines, it is easy to forget that there are elsewhere in the world wines of character and charm which are products made by small-scale producers, usually family businesses, people for whom their winemaking is a passion. These people's lives are largely defined by their craft, for whom it is their livelihood, and in many cases has been for generations before them.
We are extremely conscious of this, and what we have done on our Winemakers Information page is to bring together facts and photos providing information about some of the producers whose wines we offer, to give you an insight - albeit a small one - into who they are. For us, knowing the people who make the wines we drink adds another dimension to the understanding of those wines, and enhances the experience. We hope that it will do the same for you.
The order in which these entries appear is of no significance.
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Domaine Bernard Santé
La Chapelle de Guinchay
Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent
Bernard Santé and his wife Françoise in their vineyard. The family has for 3 generations produced a range of Beaujolais Crus at their 9 hectare Domaine near to La Chapelle de Guinchay. The fact that they are dedicated professionals is evidenced not only by the many accolades they have received, but more directly by the quality of their wines, not least their charming traditional Julíénas, made from grapes hand-picked from vines grown on 5 hectares of granitic soils formed by the decomposition of eruptive rock. |
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The village of Juliénas, near to Domaine Bernard Santé, gives its name to the Domaine's flagship wine. |
| Grapes are harvested manually, and the wines made in the traditional manner, in which the grapes remain whole during the early stages of vinification process, in order to obtain wines rich in tannins and aromas. After vinification, the wines spend the winter months in oak vats, where they mature and become ready to drink before bottling, which takes place early in the spring following the harvest. The numerous awards and citations received by their wines encourage the family to continue to strive as hard as possible in the quest for quality. Domaine Santé wines are mentioned by: Guide Hachette, Guide Dussert-Gerber, Classement 1999-2000, Michel Bettane, le Petit Futé 2002 amongst others. |
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Jean-Paul Devay
Domaine des Pierres Dorées
Le Breuil
Beaujolais, Beaujolais Blanc
Jean-Paul Devay's family estate is in the southern
part of the Beaujolais, in the area between Le Breuil and Saint Laurent d'Oingt.
It takes its name - Domaine des Pierres Dorées - from
the golden yellow stone found in the region. This region contains both chalky
clay soils, which produce highly aromatic wines with good tannins and good
depth of colour, and also granitic outcrops, which give the wine structure.
Production here is very small - a mere 80,000 bottles a year - and the range
includes a white Beaujolais, the excellent La Doyenne red Beaujolais,
and a Nouveau. The estate is 11 hectares in size, of which about half is
on sloping hillsides, the remainder being on flat land. The family have been
winemakers here for many generations, and today adopt a mix of traditional
and modern methods in their winemaking. The entire crop is hand-harvested,
and the family practices semi-organic methods, with the "lutte raisonnée"
approach to pest control.
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Vincent Lacondemine
Beaujeu
Beaujolais Villages, Beaujolais Villages Rosé
We are particularly pleased to offer you wines from Vincent Lacondemine, whose 6 hectare estate, located on south-facing hillsides near Beaujeu, produces wines using traditional techniques passed down by his ancestors since the Domaine was established in 1876. These wines are old favourites of ours, known to us for many years. There is very strong emphasis here on quality and respect for traditional ways, the grapes being harvested by hand, & pressed using gentle wooden presses mechanised by M. Lacondemine's father. Fermenting grape juice is cooled by a natural stream running through the property. M. Lacondemine is one of those rare people who puts his soul into what he does; devoted to his wines, always striving to achieve improvements, never satisfied.... The quality is however superb, and his stunning Beaujolais Villages wines put to shame many others from the appellation. Worthy of particular mention is the superb Les Larmoïses, which has distinct Cru-like characteristics. Also his superb Rosé is light, elegant, and well worth trying.
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Domaine Des Arbins
Vaux-en-Beaujolais
Beaujolais Villages
Annie and Franck Lathuilière have 13 hectares of south-easterly facing vines on granitic soils around the Domaine des Arbins, near to Vaux en Beaujolais (Clochemerle in the Gabriel Chevalier novel), with a fine view over the Saône valley to the east, & the Alps beyond visible on a clear day. The picture shows the vendangeurs at the Cheneverts vineyard on the last day of the harvest in 2002. |
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Jean Bererd & Fils
Domaine de La Madone
Le Perréon
Beaujolais Villages
Jean Bererd's family runs a 25 hectare estate in the southern part of the Beaujolais at Le Perréon, and can trace family winemaking activity here back to the 16th century; their house is the oldest in the village and dates from that time. |
| This Domaine is unusual in that it does not use the traditional maceration carbonique of the Beaujolais, preferring instead production techniques more in keeping with Burgundy, with full de-stemming to eliminate harsher tannins. Today, quality is foremost in this estate; great importance is attached to the harvest, and strenuous efforts are made to ensure that the grapes are picked at the moment of ideal ripeness, during 2 weeks of intense work. Grapes are rigorously selected, with anything other than the ideal rejected. |
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Jean-Marc and
Maryse Despres
Domaine de La Madone
Fleurie
We are pleased to feature a range of Fleurie wines from Maryse and Jean-Marc Despres at Domaine de La Madone, seen here proudly showing off yet another award for their wines. |
The estate, which we have been visiting for a number of years, is located in a particularly spectacular position on the slopes high above the village of Fleurie near to and overlooked by the chapel of La Madone, from where one has a spectacular panoramic view over the entire region, and has been in the family for 5 generations. The latest innovation is a new tasting room and cellar complex, the cellars being cut into the rock in the hillside below the chapel of La Madone. (See photo to right).
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Wines from Fleurie don't come much better than these; they achieve the height of finesse, less heavy than Moulin, but much more floral and subtle, and are regularly praised by and listed in publications such as Decanter, Guide Hachette, "La Revue des Vins de France", "Le Classement", etc.
Fermentation vessels at Domaine de la Madone. |
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Domaine Champagnon
Les Brureaux, near Chénas
Chénas, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent
We have known this 15-hectare family-run establishment, located at the hamlet of "Les Brureaux", for many years. Louis Champagnon is now officially retired, having handed over to his sons Patrick et Jean-Yves, but still meets and greets visitors. |
| Hospitality here knows no bounds, and it is impossible to leave here without having been plied with copious quantities of their excellent wines. Your French has to be quite good, however - although as the tasting progresses this somehow seems less important! A feature of the tasting room is the photo-board, with numerous snaps of happy visitors (us included) sampling the excellent Champagnon wines. |
| The wines made here are truly stunning; the vines are aged on average 40 years, and maturation is in large oak casks, with rigorous selection of cuvées prior to bottling. Champagnon wines seem to collect more than their fair share of medals, and rightly so; these are Beaujolais Crus of great character which can be enjoyed young but which will also age gracefully. The Chénas is the Domaine's flagship wine, and is a truly excellent example; there is a house style which is evident in all the Champagnon wines. |
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Domaine
Fernand Gravallon
Vermont, near
Villié-Morgon
Morgon, Fleurie, Chiroubles
At the foot of the Col de Truges, the hamlet of Vermont overlooks the town of Villié-Morgon, and its 6 different climats or zones, each with distinct characteristics, influenced by differing soil, altitude and exposure to the sun. It is here that Fernand Gravallon presides over his estate, which stretches from the valleys of Fleurie to the hillsides of Chiroubles. |
The fourth generation of his family to run this estate, he produces with passion wines from 3 appellations, overseeing all parts of the operation personally. Despite being very busy, he is a genial man who will always find the time to talk to visitors about his wines, the countryside, life in general, and always has time to give generous tastings. He is also a great fan of good single malt whisky, and has a small but interesting personal wine cellar which I was once lucky enough to see.
M. Gravallon's wines start life with grapes being pressed using this ancient wooden press. Following fermentation, the wines are matured in oak casks, during which time they are regularly sampled to check on their development prior to the final assemblage and bottling. |
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After a well-deserved rest in the cellar, the wines are ready for drinking. Bottling, sales, and distribution are all handled directly by the estate. All the Gravallon wines are highly respected in France, although the elegant Morgons deserve a particular mention; the balance and roundness of the Morgon Vielles Vignes deserves a particular mention, and this product has opened a large number of doors for the estate.
Bottles aging..... |
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Domaine des Chazelles and Domaine Sainte Barbe
Viré-Clessé, Bourgogne Chardonnay
Domaine des Chazelles is a 10-hectare property on the outskirts of Viré in the Viré-Clessé appellation, owned by Josette & Jean-Noël Chaland. We have been visiting this domaine for years and have found the wines to be of consistently good quality, and to represent excellent value for money. There are a number of different parcels of vines, and full advantage is taken of this to produce a variety of wines each with their own distinct characteristics. Another Viré-Clessé is made under the Domaine Sainte-Barbe label by the Chaland's son, Jean-Marie, who has worked in Australia. |
Chaland wines are made using traditional methods, with no chemicals, no chaptalisation, and natural yeasts. Harvest is by hand. The climate here is semi-continental, with hot summers and moderately cold winters, influenced by dry winds from the Sâone valley. Ripeness is considered critical, and the family style is one of generously flavoured, rich, full-bodied wines which are lively and have long aftertaste.
A strange character in the courtyard at Domaine des Chazelles. ---> |
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a word about....
The Burgondia d'Or
Twice yearly, wine lovers and trade professionals meet at the "College d'analyse sensorielle des Burgondia d'Or" to taste and judge the best Burgundian wines. This competition is officially recognised by both the French Administration and the EU. Only about a third of the wines entered will receive the distinction of the Burgondia, their makers then being entitled to attach the "Macaron (sticker) des Burgondia d'Or" to the bottles. The Macaron has the Burgundian colours of red and blue, on a gold background. For the Chaland family to have so many of their wines recognised in this way is an outstanding achievement. For more information, visit www.burgondia.com.
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Domaine Daniel Pollier
Fuissé
Mâcon-Villages, Saint Véran, Pouilly-Fuissé
The family of Christine and Daniel Pollier, in Fuissé, have for 4 generations produced Mâconnais wines. They have a number of different parcelles of vines in and around Fuissé, and their range includes Mâcon-Villages, Saint Véran, and Pouilly-Fuissé wines. The Polliers also have a Gîte, which can be rented (details can be found at
www.domainedanielpollier.com
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Maison Albert Sounit
Rully, Montagny, Mercurey, Givry, Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Pinot Noir, Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Blanc, Crémant de Bourgogne
We are pleased to offer a range of fine red and white Burgundy wines from Maison Albert Sounit, based in Rully in the Côte Chalonnaise. Maison Albert Sounit, founded in 1851 by Flavien Jeunet, is an excellent producer with a fine reputation which today offers a wide range of classy Burgundies, both red and white, and also specialises in a range of white Crémants de Bourgogne, sparkling wines which make an excellent substitute for Champagne. We offer Albert Sounit Red Burgundies from the appellations of Rully, Givry, and Mercurey, as well as the red Hachette-listed Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Pinot Noir 1998. Whites on offer are from Rully, Montagny, and Mercurey, as well as the excellent Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Blanc 2001.
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There are extensive cellars beneath the main house at Maison Albert Sounit. |
| Another part of the part of the cellars at Maison Albert Sounit. This is the area used for remuage, where the bottles of Crémant de Bourgogne are periodically turned a few degrees to encourage the spent yeasts to fall into the inverted neck of the bottle. |
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Aerial shot of Maison Albert Sounit in Rully. |
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