Famille Chasselay - Quatre Saisons 2018

Fabien Chasselay and his sister Claire took over the family estate in 2008, in southern Beaujolais, in the magnificent Pierres Dorées region. The vineyard was already certified organic, and when they established a wine trading business that same year—separate from the estate—to market wines from the northern part of the region, they sourced only certified organic grapes. The 2016 vintages were particularly successful for the Chasselays, especially the Chénas and the Côte de Brouilly.

The Chasselay family has lived on the Éparcieux property in the golden village of Châtillon-d’Azergues since 1418. At the helm of the estate since 2008 is a complementary duo: Claire and her brother Fabien. Their father, Jean-Gilles—a prominent figure in the Beaujolais region—passed on to them his values of hard work and sharing. The estate, certified organic since 2006, cultivates its terroirs while respecting biodiversity. In the cellar, no yeasts and no sulfites are used (though a small amount is added at bottling). Destemming is tailored to the vintage and to each wine. In 2018, there was a slight lack of consistency across the range, with some wines well-defined and others lacking depth.