Wines

The vineyard holdings of the Domaine de la Chapelle des Bois extend across the Fleurie boundary into Chiroubles. Their parcel is dominated by granite and is planted to vines that are of an average age of fifty years. The cuvaison for the Chiroubles is normally a 10 to 12 day affair. The resulting wine has a vibrant expression of fresh red fruits; it is marked by delicate tannins; and, it is the most precocious and welcoming wine of this estate.

From parcels heavily infused with granite, the Fleurie “Grand Pré” is the classic, workhorse wine of this estate. From vines with an average age of forty years, this Fleurie undergoes a cuvaison between 10 and 15 days, the length of which depends on the underlying structure of the grapes from each specific vintage. The wine is generally supple, round and fruity and, although delicious in its youth, it can support several years of age, after which additional nuance is found in both bouquet and flavor.

This cuvée is sourced from a single parcel planted to vines over eighty years old in the deeply granite soils of Fleurie. In contrast to the other wines of the domaine, this special selection is aged 12 months in large, older foudres to best express its formidable character. Surprisingly, this structured wine is supremely elegant and fine; and, it is surely capable of providing pleasure over an extended period of time.

From a parcel of old vines on the fabled Côte de Puy slope. As is to be expected, the Morgon is more structured than their Fleurie and Chirouble. It is perhaps a bit reticent at first and somewhat racy initially on the palate but it fleshes out nicely with some aeration and becomes more serious and weighty with about 20 to 30 minutes of breathing.