“La Patronne de la Côte”
by Chris Santini
Nicole’s son Romain recently joined her at the domaine, bringing an inspired idea for a new cuvée: an exquisite and one-of-a-kind white wine made from direct-press Gamay. It is a revelation and a great sign of the creativity and thoughtfulness of the next generation at Domaine Chanrion.
Nicole’s son Romain recently joined her at the domaine, bringing an inspired idea for a new cuvée: an exquisite and one-of-a-kind white wine made from direct-press Gamay. It is a revelation and a great sign of the creativity and thoughtfulness of the next generation at Domaine Chanrion.
“La Patronne de la Côte”
by Chris Santini
It must not have been an easy ride, but Nicole Chanrion did it. Gone from an unknown young woman in a decidedly man’s world (Beaujolais of yesteryear) to the sage, ever-cheerful vigneronne the locals like to call “La Patronne de la Côte” (“The Boss of the Côte”). While nobody threw any spokes in the wheel when she began, most did look on with a bit of condescending amusement, waiting for what they believed would be her inevitable failure. And while many wondered in disbelief how a woman could possibly drive a tractor, much less make a decent wine, one man never had a doubt and offered nothing but unwavering support: Nicole’s father, Raymond. It was he who took her out as a young child to work in the family vineyard, who taught her at an early age how to taste and appreciate fine Beaujolais.
Although it was neither imposed on nor planned for Nicole to take over the family vines and winery, once Raymond began to age and fell ill, she decided to step in for good, some forty years ago. Small in stature, strong in presence, she forged ahead and by 1980 was alone on the domaine and running the show entirely on her own. Since then, Nicole has been one of those rare growers who basically do a single wine* but do it really, really well.
Her vineyards are all in a big block, right behind her house on the volcanic slope of Mont Brouilly, from which she fills five large casks each year of bright purple, heavenly scented, juicy Côte-de-Brouilly. Year in and year out, it is tremendously reliable, fun, and age-worthy. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret. As you know, we have some heavy hitters and big stars in our Beaujolais portfolio, with earth-shatteringly great wines. And yet, when it comes time to put in Kermit’s orders for his personal drinking cellar here in France (where he could just as easily order many of the hippest, hottest wines of the moment), more often than not he simply requests a few cases of Nicole’s Côte-de-Brouilly. Upon arriving in France recently, Kermit checked in on what he’d ordered for his cellar so far. “Have I ordered the last vintage from Chanrion yet?” he asked. “Hardly anyone outside of her little village has heard of her, but she’s as good as anyone.”
Wines In The Collection
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Domaine Tempier is a wine—it is also a family; exuberance and finesse are the traits common to both,” wrote Richard Olney back in 1984. What’s remarkable about this simple yet spot on-observation is how true it rang then, how true it rang forty years prior to that, when Tempier had just released its first wine, and how true it still rings today, forty years later.
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New Arrivals from Savary
(and an Unexpected Trip Down Memory Lane)
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Domaine Savary’s 2023 wines have landed, and just in time for oyster season! In celebrating the new arrivals from one of our favorite domaines in Chablis, I can’t help seizing the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane of the appellation to recall some of its colorful history here in the states…
Spotlight on Corbières
If you’d like a travel tip for France, I have a good one for you: go to Corbières! Living is good in those southern hills, with plenty of artsy villages, locavore restaurants, B&Bs with old-school charm, hikes and sites galore, and, of course—the reason we’re here—a plethora of local wines that are most often affordable and pleasantly drinkable, and, at their best, truly exceptional.
New Arrivals
Here is a collection of recent arrivals. Every week, we’ll be adding a dozen or more new arrivals, so check back often for your favorite classics or new discoveries!
The Carpe Vinum Collection
An ever-changing offering of wines that are just about to sell out; one last opportunity to seize a range of selections before they disappear from our shelves forever.
50th Anniversary Merchandise
When the esteemed French wine artist Michel Tolmer created beautiful artwork for our 50th anniversary, we knew right away that we had to feature it on a few select items of merch. After spending maybe a little too much time researching the options, we landed on a classy, leather-strap cap, a comfortable t-shirt made from 100% cotton, and a tote made with incredibly sturdy, fair-trade, and organic cotton by a certified B corp that invests in the livelihoods of women and farmers of India, featuring three wine sleeves and two other compartments for all of your other needs!
Recent Wine Club Selections
Our five wine clubs feature our best values from France and Italy as well as complex and cellar-worthy wines.