Château Chardonnay

Château de Chardonnay

A 15th-century chateau in the village of Chardonnay, cradle of the variety, at the heart of the Mâconnais. Owned by the Bretin family since 1902. Four Burgundy varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Aligoté. Wines vinified and bottled at the chateau.

Built in the 15th century, Château de Chardonnay is one of those places where the vine and history have intertwined for centuries. Formerly owned by the Church then by Burgundian lords, it joined the Bretin family in 1902, who restored its winegrowing vocation. Once the village press house, it saw countless harvests pass by: winemaking monks, villagers and generations of winegrowers came to press their grapes here. Today still, every stone recalls the inseparable link between the chateau and the vine.

Bray, a Cluny terroir of finesse

The estate also works plots on Bray, a former Roman village at the gates of Cluny. These slopes, worked for centuries by the monks, rest on soils of fine sands and silts, which give birth to lighter, delicate wines, marked by radiant fruity aromas. The Pinot Noir and Gamay of Bray reveal gourmet nuances of raspberry, blackcurrant and crunchy red fruits.

Cuvée du Château

AOC Mâcon Chardonnay - the heart of the estate

A Mâcon Chardonnay, 100% Chardonnay, born on the clay-limestone soils of the village that is the cradle of the variety: elegant minerality, natural freshness, floral and citrus notes. The benchmark cuvee of Château de Chardonnay.

L'Origine

AOC Mâcon Chardonnay - the variety at its source

A Mâcon Chardonnay paying tribute to the origin village of the variety. Fresh, precise and pure, it expresses the typicity of the Chardonnay terroir: citrus, white flowers and a fine mineral tension.

Cuvée En Cornillon

AOC Mâcon Bray - the Cluny terroir

A Mâcon Bray from the Cluny slopes of Bray, on soils of fine sands and silts. A delicate, fruity white with marked finesse, a legacy of the monks of Cluny. Also exists as a Bourgogne red.

Clos de Bray

AOC Bourgogne Aligoté - the vibrant variety

A surprising, vibrant Bourgogne Aligoté, enhanced by a precise winemaking: liveliness, freshness and energy. The radiant expression of Aligoté, Burgundy's second historic white variety, on the Bray terroir.

The climats of Château de Chardonnay

La Montagne, Les Combes, La Terrienne, Beauvois, Les Varennes

The estate's plot range, in dry white Bourgogne: La Montagne, Les Combes, La Terrienne, Beauvois and Les Varennes. So many named plots that reveal, cuvee by cuvee, the nuances of the historic terroirs of the thousand-year-old village.

Four Burgundy varieties

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay & Aligoté

Chardonnay, master of the place and essential; Pinot Noir, king of Burgundy reds; Gamay, fruity and charming from southern Burgundy; Aligoté, surprising and vibrant. A rich range, representative of the whole palette of the Mâconnais.

The cradle of the variety, at the heart of the Mâconnais, direct

Which Château de Chardonnay wine to choose?

For the estate's benchmark, the Cuvée du Château (Mâcon Chardonnay); for the variety at its source, L'Origine; for the Cluny terroir, the Cuvée En Cornillon (Mâcon Bray); for liveliness, the Clos de Bray (Bourgogne Aligoté).

Where is Château de Chardonnay located?

In the village of Chardonnay, at the heart of the Mâconnais, in southern Burgundy. The estate also works plots on Bray, a former Roman village at the gates of Cluny. A chateau built in the 15th century, owned by the Bretin family since 1902.

Is Château de Chardonnay organic?

The estate works with respect for tradition and the environment: indigenous yeasts, a search for aromatic purity and strict respect for the terroirs. No certification (organic, HVE) is stated to date on its page.

Why is the village of Chardonnay famous?

The thousand-year-old village of Chardonnay is considered the cradle of the eponymous variety. Long called Pinot Blanc, Chanay or Beaunois, the variety adopted the name of its origin village around 1900, becoming one of the most famous in the world.

Which grape varieties does Château de Chardonnay grow?

The four historic Burgundy varieties: Chardonnay, master of the place; Pinot Noir, king of Burgundy reds; Gamay, fruity and charming; and Aligoté, surprising and vibrant. A range representative of the whole Mâconnais.

What are the cuvees of Château de Chardonnay?

On the marketplace: the Cuvée du Château and L'Origine (Mâcon Chardonnay), the Cuvée En Cornillon (Mâcon Bray) and the Clos de Bray (Bourgogne Aligoté). The estate also offers a plot range: La Montagne, Les Combes, La Terrienne, Beauvois and Les Varennes.

What is the Bray terroir?

Bray is a former Roman village at the gates of Cluny, whose slopes have been worked for centuries by the monks. Its soils of fine sands and silts give lighter, delicate wines, with radiant fruity aromas, in white as well as red.

What is the Cuvée En Cornillon?

A cuvee from the Cluny terroir of Bray, in AOC Mâcon Bray: a delicate, fruity white with marked finesse, a legacy of the work of the monks of Cluny. It also exists as a Bourgogne red (Pinot Noir, Gamay).

How are the Château de Chardonnay wines made?

The wines are vinified and bottled at the chateau, with respect for tradition: ageing in stainless-steel vats or oak barrels, use of indigenous yeasts and a constant search for aromatic purity, for sincere and elegant cuvees.

What is the history of Château de Chardonnay?

Built in the 15th century, formerly the village press house, the chateau was owned by the Church then by Burgundian lords before joining the Bretin family in 1902, who restored its winegrowing vocation. It has since passed from generation to generation.

What to pair with Château de Chardonnay wines?

The whites (Chardonnay, Aligoté), fresh and mineral, accompany fish, seafood, poultry and goat cheeses; the Bray reds (Pinot Noir, Gamay), fruity and gourmet, pair with charcuterie, grilled meats and slow-cooked dishes.

Can you buy Château de Chardonnay wines directly?

Yes: the cuvees are available here, direct from the estate, shipped with care, across France and Europe.

Direct from the estate, the cradle of the variety in Burgundy

Château de Chardonnay: a 15th-century wine chateau in the village of Chardonnay, cradle of the eponymous variety, at the heart of the Mâconnais (Burgundy). Owned by the Bretin family since 1902. The estate works plots on Chardonnay (clay-limestone soils) and on Bray (fine sands and silts, a Cluny terroir). Four historic varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay and Aligoté. Wines vinified and bottled at the chateau (stainless-steel vats or oak barrels, indigenous yeasts, aromatic purity).

Cuvees: Cuvée du Château, L'Origine (Mâcon Chardonnay), Cuvée En Cornillon (Mâcon Bray), Clos de Bray (Bourgogne Aligoté), and the plot range La Montagne, Les Combes, La Terrienne, Beauvois, Les Varennes