Côte de Chatelet 2023

Description

Jean-Baptiste Souillard is a winemaker in his thirties based in Andance, in the northern Rhône Valley, where he founded his namesake Maison in 2013. Coming from a family of farmers, he studied oenology in Montpellier before completing a Master’s degree in international wine and spirits trade in Dijon. His training was enriched by numerous experiences abroad (Australia, New Zealand) and at renowned French estates such as Château Latour in Bordeaux and Comte Armand in Burgundy. With this solid background, he launched a high-end négociant business built on long-term partnerships with organic growers from the region. Each year, he works with the same vineyard plots, closely monitoring them throughout the growing season and harvesting them himself with his team. Vinifications—often using whole clusters—are carried out parcel by parcel, following a precise and low-intervention approach. Ageing takes place in used barrels for 15 to 20 months to avoid masking the wines’ intrinsic character. More recently, Jean-Baptiste acquired a few hectares of vines, which now complement his négociant work and further deepen his local roots. His style is clearly inspired by Burgundy: wines that are pure, fresh, and elegant, free of artifice, each cuvée offering a faithful and distinctive expression of place. He produces refined, precise wines with strong personality, from appellations such as Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas, and Saint-Péray.