Description

Joseph Chamonard was probably the least-known of Beaujolais’ Gang of Five (Yes, Kermit Lynch dubbed them the ‘Gang of Four ” but left out Chamonard, which doubtless explains his low profile). Along with Marcel Lapierre, Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thvenet, and Jean Foillard, he helped show that there was far more to Beaujolais than Nouveau. For many years, he produced world-class Morgon from his 10-acre estate in Corcelette, just a short drive northwest of the town of Villi-Morgon. Chamonard’s daughter Genevieve married Jean-Claude Chanudet, himself a proponent of minimal-intervention winemaking, and in 1990, after Chamonard’s death, they took over management of the estate. In 1998, the property was renamed ‘Domaine Chanudet. “Chanudet, like his late father-in-law, has never bothered to obtain ‘biologique ” certification. Nonetheless, he operates his vineyard organically, picks later than most of his neighbors, relies only in part on the typical carbonic maceration technique, and uses indigenous yeasts to start his conventional fermentation. He makes minimal use of sulfur. – Importer Note