Paul Chapelle & ses Filles
Domaine Paul Chapelle is a very young domaine by Burgundian standards, having only been started in 1976, when Monsieur Chapelle inherited a parcel of vines in the fine premier cru Santenay vineyard of Les Gravieres. Over the course of the next several years he pieced together a small estate with vineyard parcels in Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault and Santenay. Prior to starting his own domaine, Monsieur Chapelle had made a name for himself as a consulting enologist at some of the very best estates in all of the Cote de Beaune, including Domaines Ramonet, Michel Lafarge, Francois Jobard, Paul Pernot, Simon-Bize, Hubert de Montille and Domaine de la Pousse d'Or. Veritably this is a who's who list of the greatest estates in the southern half of Burgundy. He began as a consultant in 1967, and based on the caliber of his previous clients, it is quite easy to see that Monsieur Chapelle brought to his own domaine a wealth of experience and winemaking savvy. He retired after the 1995 vintage, handing over the reigns of the estate to one of his two sons in law, Jean-Francois Beck, who was responsible for the vineyard management and winemaking from 1996 thru 2009. The reigns have since passed to Paul Chapelle's daughter, Christine Beck Chapelle, who has re-immersed herself in the domaine and today oversees all aspects.