Jean-Claude was a great friend of natural wine revolutionary Marcel Lapierre. He adopted the dogma of this revolution, before eventually forging his own path with the goal of elevating Beaujolais above the realms of simple ‘nouveau’ styles. He took over the historic Domaine Chamonard, in the early ’90s, after his father-in-law passed away. The Domaine was established in the Cru’s of Morgon and Fleurie during the 18th Century and, thanks to Jean-Claude, is still thriving today.

The vines are all grown organically, with the utmost respect for the environment: zero chemical use, harvesting exclusively by hand and using natural fermentation in the cellar. Though the Domaine is small, with just 5 hectares in Morgon and 0.5 hectares in Fleurie, it is certainly mighty. Jean-Claude is a firm believer in making wines gently; coaxing the subtle nuances out of Gamay (a grape that usually lives in the shadow of its Burgundian neighbour, Pinot Noir) and creating wines with great finesse.