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Benjamin Passot’s Chiroubles is a charming expression of top-end Beaujolais rooted in genuine sense of place and craft. Originally from Burgundy, Benjamin honed his winemaking skills working on the storied terroirs of Vosne-Romanée before relocating his ambitions to Beaujolais. In 2017 he founded his estate near Juliénas and has since assembled more than 3.5 hectares spanning several of the region’s Crus — including Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon, Chénas and Chiroubles.
Benjamin is committed to low-intervention, artisanal viticulture: vines are hand-harvested, fermentation is native (no added commercial yeasts), and wines are matured in barrels — a Burgundian approach transplanted into the granite uplands of Beaujolais.
Tasting the Chiroubles, the wine greets you with a light to mid ruby hue. On the nose delicate floral aromas unfurl — violet, iris, lily-of-the-valley perhaps even peony — weaving with fresh red berries: wild strawberry, raspberry, maybe a hint of crushed cherry and subtle rose petal notes. The floral lift is unmistakably rooted in the terroir of granite and “gore” — the sandy, crumbly granite-derived soil that gives the wines their lightness and finesse.
On the palate the wine is supple and elegant rather than muscular. The red-fruit flavours carry a gentle brightness, with fine acidity and soft, silky tannins that make for an easy glide across the mouth — smooth, drinkable, and graceful. There’s a refreshing freshness and mineral ease, more about finesse than force. The overall effect is a charming, light-bodied red that captures the airy, floral and fruit-driven character the cru is known for.
Food pairing: this is the kind of wine that shines with simple, unfussy dishes — think roast chicken with herbs, grilled pork tenderloin, or even a charcuterie board with light pâtés, soft goat cheese or mild salami. It would also pair beautifully with a simple mushroom risotto, or a salt-crusted baked trout with lemon and parsley, where its freshness and floral-fruit profile can lift the dish rather than compete.
The hilly Beaujolais vineyards stretch out from north to south over 55km, bordered to the west by the Massif Central, and to the east by the Saone river.
Beaujolais vineyards are emblematic in the French national landscape, but are still teeming with secrets to be unearthed. The region has a constent sense of welcome and sharing. Sculpted over centuries it is personified by its 12 AOCs.
Gamay is a thin, delicate purple-black skinned grape which is cylindrical and compact, surrounded by flat, fairly even-edged leaves.
Although granite soils seem to be its soil of choice, the variety is good at adapting. Half of the 30,000 hectares of Gamay planted worldwide are in the Beaujolais region of France, where it covers 98% of the areas that produce Beaujolais wine.