Chapoutier is one of the oldest wine producers in the Rhone Valley with a history dating back to 1808. A distant ancestor, Polydor Chapoutier, was the first to buy vines here, shifting from being a simple grape grower to making and trading his own wine. For the last two hundred years, the estate has been producing some of the greatest wines in the Rhone Valley. Today, the range also includes wines from some Roussillon appellations as well as projects in Portugal and Australia.

Under Michel Chapoutier’s leadership, quality improved and Chapoutier gained international recognition. The massive negociant and winery produces single-vineyard expressions and classic wines from a range of appellations in the north and south of the valley.

They have adopted biodynamic farming techniques and have included Braille markings on their labels since 1996. This was done from a desire to reach out to and include lovers of good wines with sight-impairments, and as a tribute to Maurice Monier of La Sizeranne, a member of the family that previously owned the vines of the same name and who invented the first abbreviated version of Braille.

Spread out on narrow and steep terraces, the Banyuls Appellation overhangs the Mediterranean Sea.
More than two thousand years old, the vineyard is rooted in a stony schist soil and benefits from exceptional atmospheric conditions. Moreover, the rare stormy showers which water this exceptional land, still hand-worked, are quickly evacuated by a unique and efficient system of winds.

Chapoutier Banyuls is made from 90% Grenache and a blend of other varieties. The color varies from garnet red to mahogany according to the age. The nose is powerful, balancing between black fruits and stewed fruits subtly brought by cocoa aromas. There is sumptuous balance between the solar strength of the wine and the fineness of its tannins. It has a great persistency with sweetness which develops beautifully.