Château de La Chaize :
the most famous Castle and Estate in Beaujolais

Set within the hills of the "Cru de Brouilly" in the South of Burgundy, Château de La Chaize is the most famous castle and estate in Beaujolais, located in Odenas. The 99ha large vineyard covers 8% of the whole Brouilly "Appellation", the largest of the Crus known for its most pleasant and elegant character.

Château de La Chaize is one of the very few last important privately-owned estates which has remained in the same family until today. In 1967 the present owner, the Marquise de Roussy de Sales succeeded her aunt, the Marquise de Montaigu. At the time the estate was a "Sleeping Beauty": no roads, only paths, all the walls were overgrown with ivy, the dwellings were most primitive, the French Garden very neglected and the Vegetable Garden non-existent. The winery installations were out of date and insufficient. Together with her husband she immediately restored the buildings, starting with the houses of the 14 families living on the estate.

Then came the Castle and the Gardens, redesigned after the old plans. In 1972 their efforts were rewarded by the Ministry for Culture who gave the Castle, the Gardens and the Cellars the status of "Monuments Historiques". As for the wine, the owners decided to manage the selling on their own, no longer depending on the négoce (wine-merchants), creating their own bottle, name, image and market development, setting off for New York carrying their bottles in a bag from one restaurant to another and thereby starting one of the most remarkable French success stories in the U.S .