Wine for sale: Joseph Chamonard

Joseph Chamonard

Jean-Claude Chanudet took over the Chamonard domain from his father in law with his wife Geneviève. It is a small estate of four hectacres in the heart of the Fleurie and Morgon appellations and has been in the family since the 18th century. The plots in Morgon are scattered all over the commune of Villié-Morgon with the best plots being on south and south-west facing slopes. These plots are: les Chênes; Corcelette; les Grand Cras and le Colombier. The soil here is made up of decomposed rock and crumbly schist. The Fleurie cuvée, on the other hand, is in La Madone, a prime location! The Chanudet family’s beliefs are just as solid as the granite under their vines: take risks, have patience and respect the heritage of the vines. They use a vertical press, a traditional method, and they rinse it with eau de vie before pressing. Bottler turned winemaker, Chanudet possesses a certain nonchalance in the vineyard and in the chai that others admire. He is an organic farmer and his wines follow in a similar vein to the ‘natural wines’ of his dear friends Marcel Lapierre and Pierre Overnoy. However, Chanudet follows his own path, producing wines that that are elegant in character and balanced. His main objective is to reveal the capabilities of Gamay while respecting the environment and delivering a high quality wine. The domain is exporting more and more as his wines become popular abroad. The Chamonard domain has half a hectacre in the area known as La Madone. The land here owes its name to the statue of the Virgin perched at 400 metres altitude on top of the chapel that overlooks the best hill in Fleurie. This land enjoys a south facing aspect and a terroir of pink granite where the vines’ roots bury deep. The vines are between 60 and 90 years old which gives the fruit an intense concentration. The resulting wines have tight tannins with floral and black fruit aromas. It can be enjoyed young but it will certainly enhance with age.