2018 is the best vintage yet for Delphine and Gregory Viennois, the innovative couple behind Irancy’s Maison de la Chapelle.
These wines, from the north of Burgundy, not far from Chablis, are brilliantly characterful, offering flavours at once recognisably Burgundian as well as distinctive in their own right. The village Irancy, described as ‘beautifully pure and precise’ by William Kelley in the Wine Advocate*, will drink well from this Autumn; the two single vineyard wines, Les Beaux Monts and Les Bâtardes, will need a little time but have the balance and structure required to age.
The cool vineyards of Irancy do well in warm years, giving the wines extra depth and intensity. In 2018 winter and early spring were wet. The hot summer was tempered by plentiful water in the ground, the vines flourished, and ripening was able to happen steadily and slowly, ideal for Pinot Noir. They harvested on Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th of September. Amongst the first in the village to do so. They aim to produce juicy and generous wines without sacrificing freshness or precision. A fine balance and one which they have achieved brilliantly in 2018.
We are offering special prices on unmixed cases and delivery is free on any 12 bottles which may be mixed.
Please find information on the wines below, as well as William Kelley’s tasting notes from the Wine Advocate. To order any of the wines in this offer simply email us.
Maison de la Chapelle 2018 – Introductory Six
Three Irancy, two Beaux Monts and one Les Bâtardes
£155.00 including VAT and delivery.
Irancy 2018
£22.95 per bottle inc VAT / £126.00 per case of six
A blend of five climats, Mazelots, Paradis, Beaux Monts, Bâtardes and Bégneaux from vines aged between 30 and 50 years. 100% destemmed. Indigenous yeast ferments. Aged in three and four-year-old Burgundy barrels. Bottled with no fining or filtration. 10,000 bottles produced.
“Wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, cassis and violets, the 2018 Irancy is medium to full-bodied, with a generous core of fruit, succulent acids and a chassis of rich, powdery tannin. Beautifully pure and precise, this is the most immediate of these new releases. Drink 2020-2028″*
Irancy Les Beaux Monts 2018
£29.95 per bottle inc VAT / £165.00 per case of six
35-year-old vines planted on a steeply sloping south facing site, thin clay over Kimmeridgian limestone. 30% whole bunches used. Aged in three and four-year-old Burgundy barrels. Bottled with no fining or filtration. 2,500 bottles produced.
“Offering up inviting aromas of dark berries, cherries and Indian spices, the 2018 Irancy Les Beaux Monts is full-bodied, rich and muscular, with tangy acids and ample reserves of fine but youthfully chewy tannins. Brooding and broad shouldered, this is a hearty, characterful Irancy that will reward some bottle age, though its structure isn’t for the fainthearted. Drink 2022-2045″*
Irancy Les Bâtardes 2018
£29.95 per bottle inc VAT / £165.00 per case of six
30-year-old vines planted on a north west facing slope. This cool site gives wines with perfume and finesse. 30% whole bunches used. Aged in three and four-year-old Burgundy barrels. Bottled with no fining or filtration. 2000 bottles produced.
“The 2018 Irancy Les Bâtardes has also turned out very nicely, offering up an inviting bouquet of cherries, raspberries and plums, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that’s muscular and structured but ripely tannic, with none of the asperity that one might expect from a powerful Irancy. Drink 2022-2040″*
Domaine Profile
Maison de la Chapelle
Delphine & Grégory Viennois are changing the way the world sees Irancy and producing concentrated, deeply fruited wines which show the quality and finesse of these northern vineyards. Although Irancy isn’t a household name this northern neighbour of Chablis has enjoyed something of a revolution in quality recently. The steeply sloped vineyards produce classically light and fresh Pinot from Kimmeridgian soils similar to those found in Chablis.
Maison de la Chapelle, the personal project of Delphine & Grégory Viennois (Grégory is technical director of Domaine Laroche in Chablis), is at the forefront of this revolution, producing wines of uncommon depth and perfume from some of Irancy’s finest sites. Everything here is done by hand, including harvesting into small cases. Winemaking is traditional and low intervention. Fermentation with natural yeasts takes place in conical wooden vats before the wines are moved to 3rd and 4th fill barrels to mature. After maturing for 12 months the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
“Maison de la Chapelle is the personal project of Grégory Viennois—technical director of Laroche—and his wife Delphine. Specializing in Irancy, these are rich, succulent reds, framed by powdery tannins and carrying an elegant patina from used oak barrels that situates them among the more contemporary expressions of the appellation. I was very impressed by these debut releases and warmly welcome another serious exponent of this unique village’s vineyards.”
William Kelly Wine Advocate Issue 244 August 2019
“These wines are simply delicious; I feel the urge to make an order!”
Bill Nanson www.burgundyreport.com
The Vintage – 2018
In 2018 winter and early spring were wet, but by flowering time, conditions had become warm and dry and the fruit set was excellent. The hot summer was tempered by plentiful water in the ground, the vines flourished and ripening was smooth and untroubled, perfect for Pinot Noir. Careful pruning and canopy management ensured the grapes were shaded from the sun to further slow ripening. They harvested in perfect conditions on Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th of September (the joy of a small domaine!), amongst the first in the village to do so. The quality of the fruit was excellent, needing little sorting. They aim to produce juicy and generous wines without sacrificing freshness or precision, a fine balance in 2018 and one which they have achieved brilliantly.