Beaujolais - Chiroubles: Let's Get High!

Beaujolais series 11 / 14

By Stuart Pigott - last revision 21.04.26 

Vineyard Area: 266 hectares (2024)

Proportion of Total Production: 2% (2024)

Appellation Established: 1936

PART ONE: The Many Challenges of Chiroubles

Chiroubles is so many things at once. It has the highest altitude vineyards and the highest percentage of steep slopes of the Beaujolais Cru, but it’s also The Incredible Shrinking Crus, the vineyard area having dropped by 30 hectares during the last four years. If the shrinking process continues at this pace it will be gone enterly in 30 years. I had no trouble tasting a bunch of wines and meeting acouple of producers, but - I am currently at the Global Wine Desk in Berlin - it’s going to be challenge! Recently Adrien Duboeuf-Lacombe of Georges Duboeuf spoke to me with genuine regret about how hard it is to sell the wines of this appellation in spite of their unique personality.

Vin d’Altitude or wines of altitude is the slogan of the appellation and it makes sense, particularly if you taste or drink some Chiroubles wines on the terrace of The Terrace of Chrioubles wine bar and store at 740 meters above sea level with its widescreen looking view over the vineyards of the appellation. From there you can see the way the hillside vineyards twist and turn, the exposition changeing every couple of hundred meters. However, you experience that on the road driving up, during which you can’t avoid seeing the wealth of old bush-trained vines on steep the appellation has. Whoa!

And from these experiences that only demand some minutes of your attention you really grasp what this appellation is all about. It’s the differences of altitude and exposure that shape the individual wines, because Chiroubles is a more or less homogenously granitic terroir. Altitude and exposure - along with the winemakers - create a wonderful diversity of aromas, textures and expressions (as the tasting notes befow show), but the complexity that the wine geek worships is just complications for the non-freaky consumer who’s just seeking the shortest possible route to a delicious glass of wine.

PART TWO: But How Should Altitude Taste?

The most important question all this raises is how the wines of Chiroubles taste? Surely, at least those high altitude sites with steep slopes should have a distinctive aroma and flavour profile? I think that Natasha Hughes MW is right when she argues this in her new book The Wines of Beaujolais, and I'm in agreement with her that good,high-altitude Chrioubles wines are sleek and aromatic. Reading of her excitement about the appellation pushed me to look for these features more systematically than before, and my impression is now that the best wines of the appellation tend to have bright and cool aromas, plus a crisp and mineral acidity.

Yes, that acidity can sometimes be too tart and the tannins too sappy for the wine to properly balance, but as the wines from Domaine La Grosse Pierre show, even in a more challenging vintage like 2024 this can work brilliantly well. The Domaine La Grosse Pierre  Chiroubles La Grosse Pierre  Claudius  2024 shows that when it does so the minerality in these wines can be eye-popping! The Famille Morin  Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes  2023 is another excellent expression of the appellation's special personality with a wealth of wild flower and red berry character that also speak of the rugged terrain and terroir.

Chiroubles can be challening in a postive way, as the exciting wines from Domaine de Vernus show. They have a self-confident austerity that’s a feature, rather than a bug. Those from Anthony Charvet are even more daring and original, and his excellent Chiroubles  Terra Terre  2022  fermented and matured in a Georgian qvevri amphora for 7 months. The result is neither overy tannic nor oxidative, in fact the wine is still youthful and showed best a couple of days after opening.

Then there's the brilliant innovation of young Benjamin Azzara who started making wine in Beauleiu-sur-Layon in the Loire, then added five hectares of vines in Chiroubles, Morgon and Beaujolais Villages in 2023. The Domaine Azzara  Chiroubles  Le Rêve 2024 is a great wine with intense wet-stone minerality and a rather Burgundian personality. That’s where the winemaking inspiration comes from, and it seems like an excellent fit. It's the best wine I ever tasted from the appellation and it makes me feel optimistic about where Chrioubles is heading: WATCH THIS SPACE! 

PS If you drink red Burgundy with any regularity you may already have consumed some Chiroubles. Anonymous industry sources say that due to its combination of low price, brightfruit and fresh acidity Chiroubles bulk wine is highly sought-after by Burgundian negotiants to pep-up otherwise boring and uninspiring Bourgogne rouge blends. The law allows for the addition of up to 15% of wine from Beaujolais to the entry level wines of Burgundy and Chiroubles seems to be the drug of choice, followed by Régnié. And that’s our next subject.

PPS Rumours that I am looking for steep vineyards with old vine to cultivate manually myself are NOT TRUE. However, the very fact there are rumours says something about Chiroubles and I.

23 wines tasted, one with 95 and three with 94 - MORE TO FOLLOW IN A FEW WEEKS!

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2024 REDS

Anthony Charvet  Chiroubles  Granite  2024 - 13% /  This surprisingly full-bodied Chiroubles has a solid tannic core and much more restrained earthy aromas than the fruity norm for this terroir (although there is some sour cherry).  Quite some depth and length, the long savoury finish already very well balanced with a touch of liquorice. 93 (SP)

Frédéric Berne  Chiroubles  Les Terrasses  2024 – 12% / The youthful graphite aroma makes this stand out of the crowd as much as the intense wild herb freshness. Masses of redcurrant fruit and bright blood orange acidity complete this mountain wine from vineyards above 500 meters altitude. Some may find the tartness of the finish quite challenging. 92 (SP) 

Domaine Azzara  Chiroubles  Le Rêve  2024 – 12.5% / This extremely youthful wine needs plenty of aeration, but then if you have patience, then it unfurls a very long, vividly coloured banner. Intense wet-stone minerality, terrific focus and structure on the concentrated, sleek palate. Excellent aging potential! 95 (SP)  

Domaine La Grosse Pierre  Chiroubles Aux Craz  2024 – 12% / The violet, sour cherry and wild strawberry aromas pour from the glass and behind the charm offensive is an abundance of gentle tannins and stony minerality. Excellent energy at the long, slightly sappy finish. From vines growing at 480 meters above sea level. 92 (SP)

Domaine La Grosse Pierre  Chiroubles La Grosse Pierre  2024 – 12% / Much more silky and suave than the norm in this appellation this has aromas ranging from violets to mulberry and a touch of pomegranate. Tha fine tannins are already well integrated and together with the gentle acidity. Long, velvety finish. 93 (SP)

Domaine La Grosse Pierre  Chiroubles La Grosse Pierre  Claudius  2024 – 12% / Violets, Alpine flowers and gentian root aromas make this an extremely expressive Beaujolais. Very serious fine-grained tannins for this appellation and an almost eye-popping minerality open a new chapter for Chiroubles! Extremely long and radical finish that will surely soften with time. From the oldest vines in the La Grosse Pierre site. 94 (SP)  

Domaine des Marrans  Chiroubles Aux Côtes  2024 – 12% /  This is a prototypical expression of the Gamay grape on granite with generous fruits rouge and violet aromas, plus a healthy structures, some palate mid-palate fleshiness and lively acidity. Long, juicy and dry finish. 93 (SP)

Domaine Gilles Paris  Chiroubles  Terroir  2024 – 13% / This is quite earthy with a touch of vinegar character that I don’t find unattractive. However, the balance on the palate is OK, the tannins only slightly rustic. 83 (SP) 

Domaine Ruet  Chiroubles La Fontenelle 2024 – 13% / Well-rounded and juicy for this appellation with ample, moderately dry tannins this Chiroubles is a rather easy to enjoy and has good depth. 91 (SP)

Domaine de Vernus  Chiroubles Chatenay  2024 – 13% / Exiting nose of redcurrant and red beets. Crisp and fresh with a pronounced stony character. Long, zesty finish that’s a slight positive austerity. Good aging potential. 40% matured in oak and 60% matured in tank. 93 (SP)

Domaine de Vernus  Chiroubles Le Bois  2024 – 13% / For anyone sceptical about the Chiroubles appellation here is proof of its ability to produce exciting wines that combine concentration, racy acidity and intense stony minerality. Some may find the austerity a bit challenging, but I find it exciting. Matured only in used Burgundian barriques. 94 (SP)

Famille Dutraive  Chiroubles Lieu-dit Javernand  2024 – 11.5% / This needs plenty of aeration to blow off the funk (scientific name: reduction)! However, then it is a strikingly sleek, crisp and stony wine with an austere beauty. Delicate finish. 92 (SP) 

D. Piron  Chiroubles  2024 – 13% / Very floral (think iris!) with an elegant and delicate personality that deftly expresses the appellation. Quite a serious structure thanks to almost half of the stems being included in the ferment. Long, fine grained finish with pronounced wild herb character. 92 (SP)  

2023 REDS

Steeve Charvet  Chiroubles Grille Midi Vieilles Vignes  2023 – 13% / Very bright red fruit nose, but the wine has a surprisingly rich texture and a healthy tannin structure that forcefully underpins the fruit. Matured for a year in used barrique casks. 91 (SP)

Château de Javernand  Chiroubles  Indigène  2023 – 13% / very fresh, bright and juicy with underplayed power, this is a delightful introduction to Chiroubles. Very zesty acidity for the warm 2023 vintage, and for this still really youthful. 92 (SP)

Château de Javernand  Chiroubles  Climax  2023 – 13.5% / Excellent integration of smoky oak, blackberry and black cherry fruit makes this an immediately appealing wine. Perhaps this generosity, velvety tannins and quite firm finish aren’t totally typical for the appellation, but this works very well. 93 (SP) 

Domaine Lathuilière Gravallon  Chiroubles Souzon  2023 – 13% / Concentrated and fleshy with plenty of savoury character this is a generous expression of this appellation, in fact it resembles a Morgon wine. The deep blackberry fruit and restrained velvety tannins underline this beautifully. Excellent harmony. 93 (SP)  

Christine, Alain & Thomas Jambon  Chiroubles  Granite Vieille Vigne  2023 – 13% / The violet aroma is bright and pure and this makes you expect to be light in body, but it combines the freshness (also of the herbal kind) and acidity I expect from the appellation with crisp tannins to make a surprisingly solid impression. Long zesty and quite stony finish. 92

Famille Morin  Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes  2023 – 12.5% / A prototypical expression of this high-altitude appellation that’s vibrant and precise. Very racy and intensely mineral, the moderate crisp tannins. I love the wild flower and red berry aromas. Very energetic finish. From 98 year old vines growing at 450 meters altitude in the Javernand site. Matured for a year in large foudre oak cask. 93  

2022 REDS

Anthony Charvet  Chiroubles  LXIR  2022 – 13% / Dark and dense, yet still fresh, this marries stacks of bitter chocolate and liquorice character with a mineral acidity that’s very Chiroubles! The tannins build at the very structured, but harmonious finish.  Matured for 12 months in barrique and demi-muid oak casks.  93 (SP)

Anthony Charvet  Chiroubles  Terra Terre  2022 – 13.5% / In spite of the lively acidity, this unique Chiroubles has a dense and emphatically dry tannic core. In spite of the fact this was fermented and matured in a Georgian qvevri amphora for 7 months it is clearly identifiable as a wine of this appellation. Long, very structured finish, but no hint of heaviness. 94 (SP)

Arnaud Combier  Chiroubles  2022 – 12% / This unexpectedly sleek and crisp wine for the hot and dry vintage still has some surprisingly youthful aromas. At once zesty and stony, here’s an attractive, maturing Chiroubles. Crisp, but not tart finish. 90 (SP) 

Château Grange Cochard  Chiroubles “Bel Air”  2022 – 13.5% / At once Quite rich, fleshy and fresh, this is a delicious Beaujolais Cru with ample depth. The only things I miss a bit is the special personality of this appellation. And the finish is harmonious, but particularly long. 92 (SP)