Domaine Chavy-Chouet

At A Glance

Region: Burgundy
Appellation: Bourgogne Aligoté
Villages: Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Volnay and Pommard
Main grape: Aligoté
Wine: Bourgogne Aligoté Les Maréchaux
Defining feature: Lutte raisonnée farming, soil ploughing and hand picking

The Producer

Romaric Chavy is the seventh generation of his family to work the vines. Domaine Chavy-Chouet spans nearly 13 hectares across Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Volnay and Pommard. The domaine's Bourgogne Aligoté Les Maréchaux comes from Meursault vines and places Aligoté at the centre of a named bottle.

Place

The Meursault parcels named for the domaine are Castets, Narvaux, Clos des Corvées de Citeaux, Charmes and Genevrières. A named parcel is a smaller vineyard address within a village, allowing the label to point to one specific piece of ground instead of the whole commune.

Soil And Site

Les Maréchaux comes from vines grown in clay soil. Clay can retain moisture more readily than coarse stone, supporting a steadier water supply to the vine. The wine pairs that growing ground with Aligoté and its lively acidity.

Story

Estate bottling began in 1982, when Romaric Chavy's grandfather started filling bottles after the family had supplied everything to the négoce. The domaine name carries another family turn. Chouet refers to Hubert's first wife, and some later vintages were labelled only Hubert Chavy when this became apparent. Romaric is restoring the Chavy-Chouet designation, returning the family name to the bottle.

Vineyards And Cellar

The domaine uses lutte raisonnée viticulture, a measured approach that uses intervention when needed, alongside soil ploughing. The harvest is picked by hand with 30 to 40 workers over approximately ten days for the whole estate.

Romaric Chavy's winemaking philosophy prioritizes freshness and avoids a sweet vanilla taste. Les Maréchaux is aged for 12 months on lees in stainless steel tanks. Lees are spent yeast cells, and contact with them can build a rounder texture while stainless steel avoids oak flavour from the ageing vessel.

Wines

The wines include Bourgogne Aligoté Les Maréchaux, a white Bourgogne Aligoté made from 100% Aligoté. The bottle carries one grape and one Meursault source under a regional appellation label, with a lively palate and subtle creaminess.

In The Glass

The nose shows Granny Smith apple, pear, mineral notes and white flowers. Citrus and lime bring a crisp, vibrant character, with a touch of salinity beneath the fruit.

On the palate, lively acidity meets subtle creaminess and balanced components. The finish is refreshing, with brightness and minerality carrying through the final impression.

A Bottle To Understand It

Choose Bourgogne Aligoté Les Maréchaux first. It puts 100% Aligoté, Meursault vines averaging 30 years old and clay soil into one bottle. The label stays Bourgogne Aligoté, while Les Maréchaux names the bottling and Meursault supplies the vineyard source. The wine is aged in stainless steel, keeping the grape and place clear without oak vessel character.

Anecdote

In 2005, at age 22, Romaric Chavy joined the family domaine after completing his studies in Beaune. He then spent six years apprenticed to his godfather, François Mikulski. The first year was mainly vineyard work, but when Romaric moved into vinification, he found the cellar work more appealing. He immediately began expanding production, moving the domaine from roughly 30,000 to 40,000 bottles annually to 80,000 bottles by 2009.

Final Word

Domaine Chavy-Chouet is a family domaine across five Burgundy villages, with Meursault parcels and a Bourgogne Aligoté made from Aligoté.

At A Glance

The Producer

Place

Soil And Site

Story

Vineyards And Cellar

Wines

In The Glass

A Bottle To Understand It

Anecdote

Final Word

Sources

Where to go next