Chateau des Bachelards is a legendary winery in the Beaujolais region of France, famous for its profound historical heritage, pioneering ecological concepts and excellent wine quality.
The winery originated in the 11th century and was founded by the Benedictine monks of Cluny. It is the southernmost monastery vineyard in Burgundy. "Bachelards" means "God's place" in Old French, confirming its divine origins. The monastery was destroyed during the French Revolution, but the walls and buildings were preserved, forming the castle structure we see today. The Platet family owned the winery for a long time from 1793 to 2007. In 2014, it was taken over by winemaker Alexandra de Va Zeilles, who had worked at Chateau Latour in Bordeaux and Domaine Montille in Burgundy. She incorporated the winemaking concepts of Burgundy, Bordeaux and Northern Rhone into Beaujolais, combining modern winemaking techniques with traditional concepts.
The winery has 12 hectares of vineyards spread across the three Cru appellations of Fleurie (6 hectares), Moulin-à-Vent and Saint-Amour. The core plot "Clos des Bachelards" is Fleurie's only exclusive garden. It is circular around the castle and protected by walls, forming a unique microclimate. The soil is mainly weathered granite, rich in minerals, with a surface layer of clay that gives the wine a fine structure. The winery has been fully adopting organic and biodynamic methods since 2007 and has been Demeter certified, making it the first dual-certified estate in Beaujolais. A complete ecosystem has been built by planting cover crops, introducing sheep grazing, and setting up beehives. The average age of the vines is 60-100 years, and the density of some plots is as high as 10,000 vines per hectare.
Alexandra de Va Zeilles overturned the traditional Beaujolais brewing method, refusing to use carbonic maceration and artificial yeast, and adopting 100% natural fermentation. After being hand-picked, the grapes are fed by gravity into concrete tanks or old oak barrels, where they are macerated for 3-4 weeks to extract more tannins and aroma. Ageing: 18-20 months in 228-litre French oak barrels (20% new) and in large earthenware pots, avoiding excessive oak. This "zero intervention" philosophy results in wines that exhibit the elegance of Burgundy with the richness of the Rhone Valley, with critics describing them as having "power wrapped in silk".
La Petite Fleur is produced from plots located on the border of Fleurie in the Beaujolais Villages appellation. Composed of silt sand atop pink granite bedrock, these soils are millions of years old, lending the wines a unique finesse and precision.
🏅James Suckling 92 pts
A fleshy and spicy red for Beaujolais. Surprisingly fine tannins and an attractive warmth on the medium- to full-bodied palate. Long, velvety finish that’s blessed with a healthy acidity. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now.
