Notify me
2023 Juliénas “Beauvernay”
Domaine Chignard
Juliénas is perhaps the most diverse of Beaujolais’s ten crus, making it difficult to generalize about the character of its wine. Soils range from granite to schist with pockets of clay, sand, and alluvial deposits, while a wealth of different exposures and elevations also contribute to its countless possible expressions of the Gamay grape. Site is therefore crucial, and the hill of Beauvernay is certainly among the top vineyards in the appellation. Cédric Chignard inherited this small plot of land from his mother, and the old vines here now produce a fine companion to the lovely Fleurie upon which Michel, Cédric’s father, built the domaine’s reputation. At high altitude on steep slopes of schist-like blue volcanic stone, Beauvernay yields bright fruit with racy acidity and an intense mineral backbone—a vin de terroir if there ever was one. An electric lightning bolt of Gamay, this Beaujolais can be enjoyed today or aged for several years.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Juliénas |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Domaine Chignard |
Winemaker: | Michel & Cédric Chignard |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1946, 1 ha |
Soil: | Roche bleue (diorite) |
Aging: | Aged in old foudres (large oak barrels) for 13 months |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2023 Côte de Brouilly MAGNUM
France | Beaujolais
Château Thivin’s Côte de Brouilly seamlessly fuses pleasure, class, and intellect.

2022 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
France | Beaujolais
This Fleurie beautifully combines high-toned finesse with a potent depth. Can a wine be delicately intense?

2021 Côte de Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
A relatively new addition to Guy Breton’s Beaujolais lineup, this exuberant Côte de Brouilly is flat-out delicious.

2023 Brouilly “Reverdon”
France | Beaujolais
This bottling is classic Brouilly, balanced and old-school, and showcases the beauty of Gamay.

2023 Beaujolais Rosé
France | Beaujolais
The result is a pretty, round, and versatile rosé full of notes of red fruit, melon, and rhubarb. It finishes with a subtle herbal note and foodfriendly acidity.

2022 Régnié “En Voiture Simone”
France | Beaujolais
The high-toned nose suggests an absolutely electric wine, full of delicate florals and tart berries, and the juice hits the palate like a dreamy cloud of Gamay.

2022 Régnié
France | Beaujolais
Savor it while you can, because your glass will be empty before you know it, leaving you only with the spicy, mineral-laden aftertaste of a bottle that went down way too easily.

2023 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
France | Beaujolais
This Fleurie beautifully combines high-toned finesse with a potent depth. Can a wine be delicately intense?

2023 Régnié “Grain & Granit”
France | Beaujolais
Here is a rich, bold Régnié, saturated with luscious fruit and earthy spice.

2022 Fleurie
France | Beaujolais
An opulent, mouth-filling expression of granitic terroir, this bottling has the delicate floral nuances and fine-grained tannin that differentiates Fleurie from the other crus.
About The Producer
Domaine Chignard
About The Region
Beaujolais
After years of the region’s reputation being co-opted by mass-produced Beaujolais Nouveau and the prevalence of industrial farming, the fortunes of vignerons from the Beaujolais have been on the rise in the past couple of decades. Much of this change is due to Jules Chauvet, a prominent Beaujolais producer who Kermit worked with in the 1980s and arguably the father of the natural wine movement, who advocated not using herbicides or pesticides in vineyards, not chaptalizing, fermenting with ambient yeasts, and vinifying without SO2. Chief among Chauvet’s followers was Marcel Lapierre and his three friends, Jean Foillard, Guy Breton, and Jean-Paul Thévenet—a group of Morgon producers who Kermit dubbed “the Gang of Four.” The espousal of Chauvet’s methods led to a dramatic change in quality of wines from Beaujolais and with that an increased interest and appreciation for the AOC crus, Villages, and regular Beaujolais bottlings.
The crus of Beaujolais are interpreted through the Gamay grape and each illuminate the variety of great terroirs available in the region. Distinguishing itself from the clay and limestone of Burgundy, Beaujolais soils are predominantly decomposed granite, with pockets of blue volcanic rock. The primary vinification method is carbonic maceration, where grapes are not crushed, but instead whole clusters are placed in a tank, thus allowing fermentation to take place inside each grape berry.
Much like the easy-going and friendly nature of many Beaujolais vignerons, the wines too have a lively and easy-drinking spirit. They are versatile at table but make particularly good matches with the local pork sausages and charcuterie. Though often considered a wine that must be drunk young, many of the top crus offer great aging potential.
More from Beaujolais or France
2023 Côte de Brouilly MAGNUM
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais
2021 Brouilly
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2023 Brouilly “Reverdon”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2023 Régnié “Grain & Granit”
Jean Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais
2024 Beaujolais Villages Rosé
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2023 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes”
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais
2023 Morgon
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2020 Brouilly
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Moulin-à-Vent “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Diochon France | Beaujolais
2023 Côte de Brouilly MAGNUM
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais
2021 Brouilly
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2023 Brouilly “Reverdon”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2023 Régnié “Grain & Granit”
Jean Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais
2024 Beaujolais Villages Rosé
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2023 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes”
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais
2023 Morgon
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2020 Brouilly
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Moulin-à-Vent “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Diochon France | Beaujolais
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!
Inspiring Thirst, page 117