Domaine Chanson

Chanson Père & Fils is one of the oldest of Beaune’s great négociant houses, having been founded in 1750 by Simon Verry. The Chanson family, already vineyard owners in Beaune, Savigny and Pernand, took control during the 19th century. In 1999 the company

Chanson Père & Fils is one of the oldest of Beaune’s great négociant houses, having been founded in 1750 by Simon Verry. The Chanson family, already vineyard owners in Beaune, Savigny and Pernand, took control during the 19th century. In 1999 the company was sold to Bollinger, who appointed Gilles de Courcel to run the business in 2002. The company has kept its old headquarters and maturation cellars in the ‘bastion’, a late medieval stone tower which was one of Beaune’s principal fortifications, with a more modern vinification facility on the edge of town towards Savigny, built in 1974 and undergoing modernisation and extension between 2008 and 2010.

The wines are made by Jean-Pierre Confuron, of Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot in Vosne-Romanée, whose brother Yves supervises Gilles de Courcel’s family domaine in Pommard. The new team has made considerable improvements, beginning in the vineyards which are now ploughed and no longer fertilised. From 2009 the domaine vineyards will be organic. Unusually amongst the major négociants, Chanson reds are made with a good proportion of the stems included. The majority of the wines see about 30 per cent new oak during maturation, with François Frères favoured for red-wine barrels and Damy for white.

The Chanson domaine, increased to 45 hectares by some shrewd purchases in 2006, provides about a quarter of the company’s production which extends to Chablis, the Mâconnais and the Beaujolais. Its own vineyards are entirely in the Côte de Beaune.

The 2020 vintage: An unexpectedly classic and pure vintage

An unusual climatology: a very mild winter with only four days of temperatures below zero degrees in January and February, followed by a spring with temperatures more akin to those usually found in summer. There were then some frosts at the beginning of May, fortunately without significant negative consequences. Some episodes of rain followed, then the heat settled in for the long run. The climatic conditions experienced in Spring were favorable for quick vine growth; at the beginning of May they saw an advance of more than three weeks compared to 2019. The vineyard team did their best to manage this unprecedented situation, especially since there was a medium to high risk of powdery mildew. In July and August there were several heat waves and the absence of rain led to water stress in the vine. The harvest began therefore very early on 24th August and took place during sunny, excellent weather and lasted until the 4th September. In the winery, after meticulous sorting on the vibrating tables to spread the berries dried out by the sun, each bunch was individually cooled. These two crucial steps allowed the winery team to perfectly control the quality of the grapes and their temperature for the prefermentation maceration phase, the goal being to preserve the purity and aromatic freshness of the fruit. The fermentation, mostly in whole bunches, then took over to bring balance, complexity and elegance to the wine. The wines then began their ageing in barrels with a proportion of 25% to 30% of new barrels. On tasting, the red wines have a good depth of colour, with a beautiful concentration of black fruits and spices. In the mouth, they have a great roundness and generous texture. The tannic structure is powerful, giving breadth and length. The wines are very balanced with precise terroir definition. The white wines are expressive with a beautiful aromatic nose of exotic fruits, apricot, peach, and flowers, mixed with notes of toast and hazelnuts. The wines have a fantastic initial palatability that is followed by a precise, fresh finish. An unprecedented year and finally a classic vintage. Vincent Avenel, Justine Savoye, Lucy Auger (November 2021)