When first buying parcels of vines in Savigny-les-Beaune, Burgundy in 1914, Louis Chenu began a family  winemaking dynasty. Now in its fifth generation, sisters Juliette and Caroline are a dynamic duo firmly at the helm of the 9.5ha of vines, composed mostly of 40 to 60 years old vines. They are proudly continuing the family commitment to producing quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, considered as some of the best ‘under the radar’ wines from the Côte de Beaune. From humble beginnings largely selling grapes to negociants, the Domaine and indeed the terroir of Savigny-les-Beaune are now making a splash.

 

It all starts with respect for the organic certified vineyards, working the vines as the season demands - never too much, never too little. When the time comes, grape sorting occurs on the vines, before they are hand harvested and bought into the winery. From here, the winemaking process doesn’t deviate too much from tradition, starting with de-stemming and crushing of the grapes and cold-macerated for a few days, which are then trodden down on a daily basis. The wines then go through a natural fermentation with native yeasts, and are aged in the cellar for over 18 months. The process for the white wines includes immediate pressing, racking and then stored in barrels for fermentation. Unlike the red wines, the white wines are then filtered before bottling (which occurs a year later). 

 

The result of this care in the vineyard and observance of tradition in the winery results in wines truly reflecting their place - the Premier Crus of Savigny-les-Beaune. These include “Aux Clous”, “Les Hauts-Jarrons”, “Les Lavières” or “Les Talmettes” wines, along with a rare white Savigny-les-Beaune Village wine. 

 

Chenu’s wines are pretty and elegant, they are truly great value Burgundy!