Domaine Chignard

Even after many successful years practicing his craft, fourth-generation vigneron Michel Chignard claims to be a novice. He is a modest man, kind and courteous, but in every aspect of his winemaking one clearly sees a passionate perfectionist. In 2007 Michel turned the management of the family domaine over to his son Cédric, who is carrying on this philosophy with great pride and has already managed to prove himself in his first few vintages. The Chignard family is also blessed with vineyards in one of the best sites of the Fleurie appellation, Les Moriers, an arrowhead-shaped parcel that juts right down into Moulin-à-Vent vines. Their eight hectares of vineyards average over seventy years old, keeping yields naturally low. These old-vine root systems also run very deep, accessing minerals from the granite subsoil and giving Chignard’s Fleurie a trademark goût de terroir and great freshness.

While many critics attribute Michel’s success to the soil, Kermit would argue that his traditionalist stance on vineyard management and winemaking is essential to craft such great wines. As ardent defenders of traditional Beaujolais methods, the Chignards take a minimalist approach in both the vineyards and the cellar. The finished wines couldn’t be more reflective of Les Moriers’ splendid location: light and playful, with deep, ripe fruit and finesse. The Chignards have recently started making wine from another Beaujolais cru, Juliénas, which produces a beautiful, high-toned wine in keeping with the style of the domaine. La Revue du Vin de France claims that the aromas from their wines evoke memories of the great Chambolle-Musignys from Burgundy, to the North…but who’s to say, maybe they got it reversed.

Technical Information

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area*
Fleurie Les Moriers	Gamay	35-100+ years old (65 years average)	Granite	8 ha
Juliénas Beauvernay	Gamay	Planted in 1946	Roche bleue (diorite)	1 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

• All grapes are harvested by hand

• Vinification is natural, including whole-cluster fermentation for 8-12 days before pressing

• Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and cement tanks

• Wine is aged in tank and foudres until bottling in April or May of the following year

• Wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered

Fleurie Les Moriers :

• Vineyards are planted at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare

• Aged in a combination of large old foudres, concrete tank, and stainless steel

• The name Les Moriers comes from the word “mûrier” or mulberry tree. This area used to be planted with mulberry trees, the preferred food of silkworms. The land was once used to produce silk fabric.

Juliénas Beauvernay :
• Beauvernay parcel sits at high elevation (450 m) with full southern exposure
• Aged in concrete tank
• The exact etymology of the name Beauvernay is unknown but the Chignard family has uncovered a few possible origins. The historical name for the hill on which this parcel resides is the “Côte de Beauvernay.” At the base of this hill, there is a small river and along the banks you’ll find “Verne” trees, a type of Alder. The hillside was therefore named for the trees at the base and the addition of “beau” is simply a term of endearment-hill with beautiful Alders or hill with beautiful view of Alders.

MISCELLANEA

This is not simply a Fleurie, it is Fleurie “Les Moriers,” and les Moriers is a steep vineyard that penetrates down into the Moulin-à-Vent zone. The result is like a marriage of the two. That explosive, floral Fleurie character emerges from an intense, regal, tannic, Moulin-à-Vent chassis. It is loaded with flavor and has an intense palate feel.

Kermit Lynch