Château de La Chaize : A typical Vineyard

The vineyard is nowadays cultivated by the "vignerons" and employees of the Roussy de Sales family. Seven of the families living on the estate are" métayers" (or vignerons) according to the old Burgundy custom. Their families have been on the estate often since many generations, handing down their passion and knowledge. The Brouilly grape is exclusively gamay, a black grape producing a white flesh. At La Chaize, 50% of the vineyard is older than 50 years, some plants even reaching 75 years. This wine estate is the largest in one block in the whole of Beaujolais and Burgundy (99 hectares). It is beautifully set on the slopes which continue the "Côte", offering different exposures from South-East to South-West, next to the Mont Brouilly.

Therefore the vines are offered a natural protection against North winds and capitalize all the benefit of the sunrays, from sunrise till sunset. The granitic soil of the Brouilly hills made of ochre sand also allow a perfect drainage.

Since 2000 the traditional and typical Beaujolais "goblet pruning" has partly been replaced by the Burgundy "cordon de Royat" technique, and the planting density has been reduced from 10,000 to 6,500 plants per hectare. This decision is part of the constant policy of improving the quality of the wine and the keeping of the vineyard.

Château de La Chaize is as such a synonym of respectful agriculture and doesn't need any extra label such as "organic" or bio-dynamic". Chemical treatments have been reduced to a strict minimum, grass-growing between the rows has been re-introduced in order to avoid erosion and to enrich the soil. The grape-picking is made totally manually.