Beaujolais, France

Domaine Chapel

Michelle & David

Michele Smith, an American sommelier from Connecticut, met David Chapel when he was learning the winemaking trade from Mathieu Lapierre in Morgon. The magic happened and after a stint in New York, they settled together in the Beaujolais in 2017 and began their adventure tinged with Gamay and carbonic maceration...

Domaine Chapel at a glance

Country	France
Region	Beaujolais
Village	Régnié-Durette
Cultivated grapes	Gamay
First vintage	2016
Size	4 hectares
Our favorites	Fleurie, Bourgogne Aligoté

From sommellerie to the vine…

David Chapel has been immersed in the world of winemaking since his childhood. Overnoy, Lapierre and many others, friends with David's late father Alain Chapel, a renowned Michelin-starred chef, have shared their table and their knowledge with him. It is therefore natural that he decides, after a few years of sommelier training, to start his own business in Morgon, at the Lapierre family. There he met Michele, an American sommelier on a visit; after a stint in New York, they decided to return to Beaujolais and settled in Régnié-Durette in 2017.

After a 2016 vintage vinified in Morgon, 2017 marked their big debut, picking up grapes and vines from Juliénas, then from Chiroubles, Fleurie and Lantignié in 2018. A non-interventionist approach and winemaking that respects local traditions results in wines that are crisp, fresh but with all the depth of the great Beaujolais wines.