The Great Raymond - Guillaume Chanal

Self-taught winemaker on a small estate of 1.2 hectares (municipalities of Saint Babel and Aulhat Flat). 0.5 hectares of old Gamay vines from Auvergne (70, 60, 40 years old) complemented by recent plantings.

In 2021 Viognier (0.25 Ha massal selection) and in 2023 Pinot gris (0.25 Ha massal selection) in 2024 Damas Noir “petite syrah d’Auvergne” endemic grape variety (0.20 Ha).
In the cellar, there are no oenological additives. No temperature control system, no filtration or fining… zero sulfites and commercial yeasts. If you're ever in our area, stop by the house.
to taste a juice and see the vines. Estate tours available daily by appointment.

Every year I make a batch of cider with apples from my orchard. Harvested in September/October, the apples are stored in crates for a few weeks to allow the fruit to ripen. The juice is extracted in October/November, and fermentation takes place slowly from December to April. Fermentation occurs at room temperature, so depending on the winter temperatures, the alcoholic fermentation is more or less complete from year to year, and the amount of residual sugar varies. In 2024, it was a sweet cider with a high residual sugar content, but the 2025 batch, which will be bottled soon, will be less sweet, resulting in a semi-dry or dry cider.

As with the estate's wines, fermentations are carried out using indigenous yeasts and without any additives.