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The twin brothers Antoine and Olivier Chastel run Domaine Romanesca together with Olivier's wife Lucrèce, in the second generation. After taking over in 2019 they converted to organic viticulture at once. Seven hectares in Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Morgon and Juliénas, the cream of the Beaujolais crus. Their greatest coup: instead of blending, they vinify each parcel separately.
≈ Food: Lamb
In all wines: 622 Wines
More about Romanesca
Twins, one estate
Guy and Ferréole Chastel had farmed seven hectares in the best sites of Beaujolais for decades. In 2019 they handed over to the next generation: the twins Antoine and Olivier, supported by Olivier's wife Lucrèce. The trio had previously pursued entirely different careers in Lyon, and now they came back to take over the family estate. Their first step was converting to organic farming, a statement that drew attention in tradition-bound Beaujolais.
The revolution of the parcels
The father had always blended his vineyards, so that a drop from Moulin-à-Vent mingled with one from Fleurie. The brothers took a different path: each parcel is vinified individually, and each terroir speaks for itself. The Champ de Cour from Moulin-à-Vent shows the depth of weathered granite. La Rochelle comes from 50-year-old vines on 2.3 hectares west of the village centre. This separation of single sites reveals the diversity of Gamay like hardly any other estate.
The Roman road as legacy
The name Romanesca points to the Romans, who planted the first vines here 2,000 years ago. Along the strategic road from Lugdunum (Lyon) to the North Sea, vineyards grew up around the Gallo-Roman villas of Romanèche-Thorins. In the third century, amphorae carried the wines down the Saône to Lyon. The twins deliberately link up with this legacy, with wines that combine character and drinkability.
Gobelet and granite
The vineyards are trained in the traditional gobelet style, free-standing bush vines without a wire trellis, as has been usual for centuries. The high planting density and the competition between the vines lead to low yields but concentrated grapes. Granite and schist shape the soils of all four appellations. Petit Aigle in Chénas works in a similarly terroir-focused way, with old vines and organic farming.
Four crus, one style
The seven hectares are spread across the cream of the Beaujolais appellations: four hectares in Moulin-à-Vent, one hectare each in Fleurie, Morgon and Juliénas. Each wine shows its own character: Moulin-à-Vent with power and structure, Fleurie with floral elegance, Morgon with depth, Juliénas with freshness. Some vines are over 50 years old. The result: wines full of finesse and minerality that prove Beaujolais is far more than a Nouveau. The clear work with parcels makes Romanesca one of the most exciting young estates in the region.