Château de la Chaize - Brouilly lieu-dit La Chaize 2018

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

As we announced in the previous edition, Château de la Chaize, previously owned by the Marquise de Roussy de Sales, has been purchased by Christophe Gruy and his Maïa group. With 250 hectares of vineyards, including 99 in Brouilly, Château de la Chaize is one of the most beautiful properties in Beaujolais, which the new owner plans to convert to organic farming. At the same time, extensive renovation work has been undertaken, particularly in the cellar, whose old-fashioned charm and layout had been hindering the production of great wines. The first wines of the Maïa era have yet to be produced, but we would like to commend this colossal, visionary, and courageous investment in a region that has every potential to shine. While the 2017 vintage still lacks depth and personality, the 2018 vintage is a big step forward. Brûlhier is rich and generous, and Combiliaty, with its granite-like integrity, already shows a certain elegance.

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

From this 3.5-hectare vineyard surrounded by walls dating back to 1676, Boris Gruy has produced an impressive 2018 vintage which, after 18 months in oak barrels, offers an intense and complex nose of ripe black fruits, violets, undergrowth, and pepper. Spicy and fruity notes, enhanced by a touch of licorice, are found on the palate, which is full-bodied, dense, and ripe, with firm yet refined tannins that give this wine a beautiful texture. An intense, deep Brouilly with impeccable clarity.

About the estate:

This Grand Siècle château, built in 1674 according to plans by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, features gardens designed by André Le Nôtre. The vineyard is one of the largest in the Beaujolais region: it covers 300 hectares in a single block, 150 of which are in production, with a parcel-by-parcel approach to winemaking. It was purchased in 2017 by the Gruy family (Christophe and his nephew Boris, operations manager). Numerous projects are underway, including the transition to organic and biodynamic farming.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

The ambitious restoration of Château de La Chaize and its vineyards—including a transition to organic farming—is continuing, and the results are beginning to show in the glass. With these new developments, this property immediately earned a place on my shortlist of estates to visit during my next tasting trip to Beaujolais.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

When he bought this estate in 2017, Christophe Gruy decided to wake up a sleeping beauty. A historic property in Brouilly, previously cultivated by sharecroppers, La Chaize now benefits from an owner who has taken stock of the situation: major investments have been made in terms of viticulture (replanting program and transition to organic farming), technical (the winemaking facilities are undergoing a massive overhaul) and human resources (Pierre-Jean Villa as consultant, winemaker Boris Gruy, Christophe's nephew, appointed director) to bring the château's 150 hectares up to their highest potential. To top it all off, the new owner is planning to achieve "zero waste" production. The range is characterized by a rich and spontaneous style for the "small" vintages, and a serious, deep and controlled style for the single vineyard wines; its consistency allows the estate to reconnect with our guide. Beaujolais needs this type of ambitious project, which we will follow closely over the coming vintages.

Wine Enthusiast

About wine:

This single vineyard wine is rich and structured. With ripe black fruit and partial aging in oak that adds spice, the wine has density and further aging potential. Drink from 2022 onwards.

James Suckling

About wine:

Mature, fresh, and concentrated, this is an impressive Beaujolais, a modern Cru with lots of black cherry and violet aromas. The fine tannins support the rather smooth body very well (given the very hot vintage), and the spices in the long finish leave you wanting more. Drink now or cellar.