Beaujolais-Villages
2018
Domaine Chapel is a Beaujolais estate founded by David Chapel and Michele Smith-Chapel in the Cru Village of Régnié-Durette. The Chapels produced their first wine - a 2016 Juliénas “Côte de Bessay” - in partnership with the acclaimed Morgon estate Domaine Lapierre. The connection between the Chapel and Lapierre families goes back to the 1980s. David’s late father, Alain Chapel was one of the leaders of French Nouvelle Cuisine in the 1970s and 80s (along with Paul Bocuse, Jean and...
See the DOMAINE CHAPEL detail page for more information on this brand
The Beaujolais-Villages is a blend of 3 parcels, totaling 1.4 hectares, in the mountainous village of Lantignié, on the border of Régnié. The average altitude of the east and southeast facing parcels is 380 meters. Because of its high altitude, Lantignié has long been considered the best location for Beaujolais-Villages vines to grow. The wines tend to have higher aciditiy, lift and energy. The shallow soils on this side of the villages are mainly composed of sandy, decomposed-pink-granite which sit on a bedrock of granite rock.The average vine age is between 40 & 50 years old.
Hand harvested the first week of September. The whole cluster bunches go through a semicarbonic maceration with their indigenous yeasts. The grapes fermented as whole berries for 2-3 weeks before being pressed in a horizontal Vaslin press. An assemblage was made from the free run juice and the pressed juice and the wine finished fermentation in the spring.
From three high-altitude parcels with pink granitic soils in Lantignié, the 2018 Beaujolais-Villages bursts with aromas of rose petals, red berries and herbs. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and supple, with succulent acids and melting tannins. This is already drinking well.
See detailed press review