Domaine du Château de La Chaize
OdenasThe largest estate in Beaujolais, and one of the most iconic in southern Burgundy, Château de la Chaize, with its 108 m-long cellar and cuvage, is listed as a Monument Historique.
Since its birth in 1676, this beautiful wine château built to plans by Jules-Hardouin Mansart and André Le Nôtre - whose main door was sculpted with a Bacchus, God of Wine - has remained a family home. The descendants of the founder, Jean-François de La Chaize d'Aix, looked after the estate for almost three hundred and fifty years. In 2017, they passed it on to another family, that of Christophe Gruy. Determined to magnify this remarkable vineyard with the utmost respect for nature, he and Boris Gruy - his nephew and the estate's Director of Operations - are developing a bold ecological approach: The conversion to organic viticulture, the recycling of every by-product of the wine-making process in a "0 waste" dynamic, the use of machinery, vehicles and equipment running solely on electric power with the aim of "0 CO2 emissions", and a parcel-by-parcel approach enable the wines of Château de La Chaize to fully express the character and uniqueness of their terroir. Covering around 400 hectares, including 350 hectares in a single block, its vineyards have a production potential of around 150 hectares, in the Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Morgon and Fleurie appellations. Since 2017, Château de La Chaize has been developing a range of cuvées based on parcel-based vinification.