Jean-Claude Chanudet is one of the movers and shakers in the natural wine world of Beaujolais. This particular parcel is one bought with Marie LaPierre in 2010, and is composed of 2.5 hectares of granitic soils. He follows a similar philosophy to the greats of Beaujolais: he interferes as little as possible in both the vineyard and the cellar, refraining from the use of harmful, inorganic chemicals and additives. Only indigenous yeasts are used in the cellar, and a long, slow carbonic maceration gives the suppleness and softness for which Chanudet’s cuvées have become known. While not certified organic, Chanudet follows the same practices to a tee, stating that it is not up to the organic winemakers to write “Organic wine” on their labels, but rather to the others to indicate “Chemically-produced wine.” Chanudet’s wines are intense and structured and are built for ageing.
