2021 Domaine Chapel Chiroubles, Beaujolais France
A smooth red wine with intense aromas of black cherry, plum, and raspberry fruit, mineral notes, and hints of spice. A juicy, silky, easy-drinking wine that reveals electric acidity and pronounced tannins.
ABOUT THIS WINE
Domaine Chapel Chiroubles is a natural, wood-aged red wine made with the Gamay variety in the AOC Chiroubles, in Beaujolais (France). The vineyard is run by the young couple Michele Smith and David Chapel. After meeting in Beaujolais and spending some time in New York, they returned to France to start cultivating three plots in two different crus in the village of Régnié. They work meticulously and without intervening, which has given Beaujolais wines an even better reputation.
Domaine Chapel Chiroubles comes from vineyards planted on pink granite and sandstone soils with fragments of weathered rock. These are old vines with an average age of 55 years that are cultivated organically and by hand.
In the winery, the Domaine Chapel Chiroubles grapes undergo a semi-carbonic maceration with native yeasts for 3 weeks before being pressed. Then the wine is aged for 8 months in foudres and finally bottled unfiltered.
Domaine Chapel Chiroubles is a delicious cuvée with an intense fruity bouquet and a powerful yet juicy palate.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
David Chapel has been immersed in the world of winemaker since his childhood. Overnoy, Lapierre and many others, friends with David's late father Alain Chapel, a renowned Michelin-starred chef, have shared their table and their knowledge with him. It is therefore natural that he decides, after a few years of sommelier training, to start his own business in Morgon, at the Lapierre family. There he met Michele, an American sommelier on a visit; after a stint in New York, they decided to return to Beaujolais and settled in Regnie-Durette in 2017.
After a 2016 vintage vinified in Morgon, 2017 marked their big debut, picking up grapes and vines from Julienas, then from Chiroubles, Fleurie and Lantignie in 2018. A non-interventionist approach and winemaking that respects local traditions results in wines that are crisp, fresh but with all the depth of the great Beaujolais wine.
