Domaine de Chantemerle

Francis Boudin runs the Domaine de Chantemerle, based in La Chapelle Vaupelteigne in succession to his late father Adhémar (1921-2017) at this exemplary property which is also known as Domaine Boudin & Filles. One daughter, Angélique works full time with her father. It was Adhémar who rescued the name l’Homme Mort from obscurity after hearing of a geologist’s report from 1933 which singled out this sector.

The vineyards are managed by lutte raisonnée with ploughing. The grapes are picked by machine (since 2006) and vinified in tank using neutral champagne yeasts, but Francis Boudin is careful to keep the temperature at or above 24°c, below which wines start to lose their flesh, he thinks. The wines are usually bottled after nine months. There is nothing remarkable in any of this but the wines are excellent.