Charodon

Located just five minutes from Beaune, Charodon is the project of Louis Vallet, his brother Thibault, and their father, Bernard. The Vallet family is from Gevrey-Chambertin, where Bernard is still part-owner of the successful Pierre Bourrée estate. However, Louis decided to take a different direction. He lived the life of a flying winemaker for many years, producing two vintages each year: one in Burgundy and one in the Southern Hemisphere. He gained experience from Pascal Marchand. Louis made his first vintage at Château de Charodon—1,200 bottles in 2010—and by 2021, he was producing more than ten times that volume.

While Louis stands to inherit several hectares from the family holdings, these are currently rented out on long-term contracts. Production comes from a mix of purchased fruit and farming contracts. This is a hugely exciting project, and we are delighted to be a part of it.

Louis’ production is growing quickly to keep up with demand, and he has made 42,000 bottles this year. The biggest challenge is perhaps renovating the buildings around the château to create more space for tanks and barrels. While always optimistic, Louis is much happier with the 2022 vintage than the 2021s. Last year, he missed several cuvées because he couldn’t secure enough fruit. However, the ’22 vintage has allowed him to produce his full range of wines and add new lines.

Louis has made the kind of wines he loves in both colours: forward, fruit-driven, and generous. Like him, these wines wear their heart on their sleeve.