Domaine Chapel, Beaujolais Villages

Domaine Chapel, Beaujolais Villages

Domaine Chapel is a Beaujolais estate founded by husband and wife team David Chapel and Michele Smith-Chapel in the cru village of Régnié.   It was in Beaujolais, while working at Domaine Lapierre in 2013, that David met Michele, a wine director based in New York. After living together in New York, the Chapels returned to Beaujolais to found Domaine Chapel. The Chapels produced their first wine - a 2016 Juliénas “Côte de Bessay” - in partnership with Mathieu and Camille Lapierre, winemakers and owners of acclaimed Morgon estate Domaine Lapierre.
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​Currently farming 4 hectares of vines on the slopes of Beaujolais,  Domaine Chapel is divided between the crus Chiroubles and Fleurie. Working by hand, in organic agriculture, the focus is always to promote the health of the soil and work with respect for the natural environment.

2018 was an important year for Domaine Chapel, as they started farming 3 plots in two different crus of Beaujolais: Fleurie (Charbonnieres) and Chiroubles (Saint-Roch and Poullet). Sitting at 460m and 400m respectively the subsequent work they’ve done has been organic and by hand, using only garden tools and a cable plough. The following year, they began farming one additional hectare of old vines in the parcel Charbonnières.

Domaine Chapel has recently introduced Smith-Chapel wines, an exploration of high altitude parcels located on the slopes of Beaujolais and the nearby Mâconnais region. They partner with growers who work with respect for the land they care for, who are either already certified organic or are in the conversion period.
The wines are bottled in lightweight glass to create a minimal impact on the environment when shipped. There is a Nomacorc cork-like closure, made from carbon-neutral sugarcane, a renewable resource which is also recyclable.