Tasted in Châtillon d’Azergues with Fabien Chasselay, 24 February 2023.
Claire et Fabien Chasselay
123/127 Chemin de la Roche
69380 Châtillon d’Azergues
Tel: +33 4 78 47 93 73
www.domaine-chasselay.com
More reports with Domaine Claire & Fabien Chasselay
Fabien on 2022:
“It was the light soils that suffered the most in the heat – rain came but a bit too late – further in the direction of Brouilly it was much better – and the higher volumes unsurprisingly delivered a little less alcohol – more like 13° instead of 14°. We have lots of balance and finesse but it wasn’t so easy in the cuverie as the grapes were quite warm arriving and we struggled to cool everything – but 90% fermented easily without too much attention. Fleurie was first harvested on the 26 August and in September it was already done! Some of those with more alcohol took longer to ferment, but they went steadily.”
Fabien on 2021:
“Less volume than 2022 due to frost, and then there was some rain every week – rarely more than 20mm – but every week! The weeds grew, the rain came and it was necessary to treat – the work never stopped for modest volume – but we love the typicité, the freshness, and the acidity in these wines – for the reds our highest was 12.6° but the whites were over 13°. We slowed down the sales of 2020s as we saw a little lower volume for the 21s and extended the elevage a little – many were only bottled at the end of the year. So we are not sold out!”
The wines…
As is so often the case here, a bunch of great wines that won’t break the bank but are worth a special search…
2021 Beaujolais Ephemère
Maceration of gamay and chardonnay – in layers then elevage in jars.
A light colour. Round, red, slightly fumé. Open, juicy, almost some orange bitters – not quite Aperol – but you get the idea. That’s simply lovely.
2021 Beaujolais – Is not dead!
Carbonic – not so granitic here – 10 days of maceration. All foudre elevage.
That’s open and very pretty – perfumed – maybe a suggestion of gentian but at this level it’s a positive extra complexity – lovely. Open and perfumed in the mouth – crushed red fruits – almost strawberry juicy finishing. Top!
Large-format barrels of 650-litres. ‘We had these vines since 2017 but took some time to find the best way and change the culture of the vines – this is the first vintage where we say ‘yes!’
Crushed red fruit noise again but here with more cushion – that’s just so attractive. Silky, concentration – more of a Fleurie-style finesse here – that’s simply beautiful wine – bravo!
2021 Fleurie III
There are three terroirs here, 4 parcels with foudre elevage
Another very attractive nose, slightly smoky. Broad, silky, fluid – that’s a super wine – smoky like the nose, slightly chalky finishing.
Pinot – Maceration carbonic here
Ooh – that’s a big broad nose – smoky from the stems – but not a bit austere. Mouth-filling, melting with flavour. That’s a simply beautiful Bourgogne – I think great.
On clay and limestone.
Once more, a big punch of perfume. Silky, concentrated, supple, faintly accented with a small grain of tannin – some wood is suggested in the middle flavours. Long and satisfying – another bravo!
2021 Morgon Corcelette
Nearly 450m but south-facing. Near the Col du Truges, the only grapes bought by the domaine but the vigneron works organically.
A more elegant and direct perfume here – what finesse – slowly growing deeper! A little bubbly and almost a little impression of overripe today – but juicy and highly addictive. That’s a lovely wine.
2021 Côte de Brouilly Chardignon
Blue-stone, on the north side of the hill, but sometimes with more degrees of ripeness than the south – the vines here never suffer and seem to ripen forever here as there are some sources of water despite the height! Elevage like the last – except the demi-muids replaced by barrels – and for a longer time.
An airy width redder fruit. Red fruit, beautifully shaped, supported by a fine structure, very fine tannin – beautifully constructed. Beautiful wine.
And blanc or two:
2021 Beaujolais Blanc Terroir de Chatillon
Young vines – 350-litre barrel elevage.
An oxidative style here – cider apples. Lovely over the palate – mobile, silky with nice precision – it’s a style choice but it’s still delicious wine.
2021 Beaujolais Blanc Eparcieux
Old vines 228-litre barrel elevage for 13 months. Two parcels one high and one low, but it was the lower that was lost to frost. Wax-topped bottle.
No apples but a little barrel – but here’s a freshness and width of aroma and some very attractive, late-arriving perfume too. Rounder sweeter, with plenty of flavour intensity – a richness of flavour here. Excellent wine but a hint too sweet for my taste.