Jean-François & Yvette Chapelle, recently joined by their son Simon, are the fourth and fifth generations to be growing and bottling the wines from their own vineyards in Santenay le Haut, the separate, upper hamlet of Santenay in the southernmost part of the Côte de Beaune. Their 20 hectares are now certified organic, a process which began in the mid-1990s when they stopped using herbicides. They and their team of nine full-time employees have fully embraced the concept that true terroir driven wines are made in the vineyards with the healthiest grapes possible and their vinification process is as hands off and traditional as possible. Minimal new oak is used in during the elevage and there are no modern techniques used to transform the wines. Minimal intervention is the key in the winery where nothing is rushed and the wines are allowed to blossom at their own pace.
Their wines express a lacy elegance that is difficult to find in this world of vineyards and wines that are more and more affected by global warming. | 