Domaine Croix-Charnay - Iris Mauclert & Vincent Lebègue

Located in the hills above the historic capital of Beaujolais at an altitude of 380 meters, Domaine Croix Charnay was taken over in 2018 by two "new winemakers," Iris and Vincent. Iris was a bookseller, Vincent worked in live entertainment... For him, winemaking is an extension, a creative expression; for her, an opportunity to reconnect with a childhood passion for nature. Together, they developed this shared project with conscientious beginners, professional amateurs, and discerning tasters!

They cultivate a small area of 1.79 Ha with an average yield of 25 Hl/Ha, fairly old vines trained in goblet style on slopes of 25 to 30% of diverse soils, spread between Chiroubles, Morgon and Beaujolais Villages, cultivated ecologically and with respect for living things:
- Light soil preparation, plow/winch and pickaxe.
- Minimal treatments, cover crop management, vine shoot shredding...
- Use of natural products for treatments and amendments, combined with the stimulation of the vine's immune defenses.
- The harvest is done manually in 15 kg crates which are possibly left to cool overnight in the coolness of the vat room before being placed in the vat (but no pre-fermentation in a cold room!).
The winemaking process is carried out at low temperatures using a "whole-cluster infusion and intra-skin fermentation" approach, similar to Jules Chauvet's method, like a semi-carbonic maceration but without the addition of CO2. We aim to capture the specific characteristics of each soil by ensuring the entire fermentation sequence takes place at the naturally low temperature of our high-altitude winery: it's a very long process!
No additives of course, with the occasional exception of SO2 after malolactic fermentation in borderline cases, at a rate of 1 to 2 g/Hl. The back label clearly states this, as well as the total residual sulfur, which is always less than 40 mg/l.
- The wines produced are aged in barrels that have held several wines, for 6 to 18 months in the vaulted cellar of the estate.
- All stages of this work are aligned with the lunar cycles.