Tasted in Châtillon d’Azergues with Fabien Chasselay, 23 February 2024.
Claire et Fabien Chasselay
123/127 Chemin de la Roche
69380 Châtillon d’Azergues
Tel: +33 4 78 47 93 73
Domaine Instagram
www.domaine-chasselay.com
More reports with Domaine Claire & Fabien Chasselay
Fabien on 2023:
“It was variable – where there was volume the concentration was balanced, where less it was a little too concentrated.”
Fabien on 2022:
“Less volume than in 2023 but with very good quality – we have lovely things and we have a much finer balance than in 2020 which were very rich due to their higher alcohols. 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 vs 2020 the higher volumes unsurprisingly delivered a little less alcohol – more like 13° instead of 14°. We have lots of balance and finesse. 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.”
The wines…
It’s not really a surprise – these wines are absolutely delicious!!
2022 Pour pas quoi
The label is a triptych – you may get pour, pas or quoi – or you need to buy 3 bottles. It’s vdf
Depth of aroma, faintly reductive but attractive too. Mouth-filling, juicy, faintly with gas – foudre elevage for this – done in 2 bottlings. Delicious summer wine – and with a very nice finishing intensity.
2022 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Pinot – Maceration carbonic here
Much larger aromatics and with a hint of balsamic. Extra volume and extra freshness too. Vibrant, with waves of finishing flavour. That’s lovely wine.
2022 Beaujolais La Platière
Only two weeks in bottle – ‘it’s a vintage that I think merits the elevage.’
Deep colour – large-scale nose a little oak. Direct, ultra-silky. Growing in intensity, very slowly fading. Simply excellent wine!
2022 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.
A really wide nose with almost a granular complexity, becoming silky and floral in the glass. ‘We had easy fermentations despite the sun of the vintage.‘ Large scale in the mouth, graphite minerality, really wide and mouth-watering. What a delicious wine!
2022 Fleurie III
Three terroirs blended – next year will just be 2 as they replant Chapelle du Bois. Foudre elevage after the barrels of the last
A depth of aroma here – so welcoming. Super scale and freshness. A very tiny grain of tannin and I love this delicious length.
2022 Brouilly Les Balloquets
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 the only wine not bottled – it will be done in April.
Direct, slightly smoky. Super fresh and direct – what a juicy, delicious thing – vin dangereux. And so fine finishing too. Not my vision of a cru but absolutely what I would want in my glass.
And blanc or two:
2022 Beaujolais Blanc Terroir de Chatillon
Young vines – 350-litre barrel elevage plus half jar too.
A cushioned nose – calm after the Brouilly. Supple, fine texture, a small generosity. Sweet ripe fruit in the finish. A calming wine but a very tasty one too.
2022 Beaujolais Blanc Eparcieux
Old vines 228-litre barrel elevage for 18 months. Two parcels one high and one low, but it was the lower that was lost to frost. Wax-topped bottle. Bottled last week – labelled for me yesterday 😊
A more creamy width of aroma – quite inviting though. Large scale but with overt freshness and energy. The finish has plenty of creamy barrel so I’d wait for a year but this is completely delicious.
Really lovely length too…