Conservatoire des Vignes Anciennes

The Conservatoire des Vignes Anciennes is the fascinating agricultural project of Cyril and Karine Alonso situated in the commune of Marchampt in Beaujolais. The vineyard here is home to over 140 varieties of vitis vinifera as well as a number of wild non-vinifera varieties, all of which are used to create wonderfully distinctive, expressive and stable wines.

The beautiful, elevated and relatively cool village of Marchampt lies in the south west of Beaujolais, at a point where the vast stretches of vineyards begin to give way to a wilder landscape of rolling hills covered in woodland. Split across 3 plots, most of the 1.7 hectares of vines were planted by the previous owner, who established the farm before selling it to Karine and Cyril. The pair have since converted the property into their own eco-lieu, which, in addition to the conservatory of vines, is home to an incredibly diverse biome of plants, animals and insects.

The cuvees differ from year to year, but usually involve blends of different varieties. The 2022 Premiere Presse du Yeti, for example, is made from 31 different varieties of gamay, while the 2021 Art Brut comprises all of the 140+ varieties on the property. Many of the wines are made in amphora. Absolutely everything is done by hand.

Remarkably stable, pure and correct, the wines have incredibly concentrated primary fruit, reflective of both the wild vines’ very low yields and the cool, sunny and overall very favourable conditions in which they grow. The wines are amongst the most elegant and silken we’ve experienced, and speak not just of exquisite fruit but also very sensitive handling in the winery.

Beaujolais, France

 

Information on previous wines

  • 2022 Pinot noir, pinot gris and picotin, grown on granite. Medium bodied, round and plump, with concentrated red fruit and a very fine, silken structure.

    2021 - Pinot noir and viognier, grown on granite.

  • 2022 - 31 varieties of gamay, grown on granite. Concentrated and primary.

    2021 31 varieties of gamay.

  • 2022 Chardonnay and gamay gloriod, grown on granite. Direct press with elevage in tank. Round, plump and concentrated, with fruit in the realm of apples and quince and some more mealy lees influence.

    2021 Chardonnay and gamay gloriod. Concentrated and primary.

    2020 Gamay gloriod grown on granite. Resembling in many ways the northern Rhone, with medium acidity, a textural and plump mid-palate and a wild expression of fruit. Precise and very stable.

  • 2022 Chardonnay musqué. Direct press with elevage in sandstone vats. Round, plump, primary and concentrated, with some impression of lees.

    2021 Chardonnay musqué. Direct press with elevage in sandstone vats. Round, plump, primary and concentrated, with some impression of lees.

  • 2022 Chardonnay giboudot and villard blanc, macerated throughout fermentation.

  • 2022 Gamay and hybrid varieties, grown on granite.

    2021 A blend of 140 varieties grown on granite.

    2020 109 varieties grown on granite. Elements of old-vine gamay, grolleau and cabernet franc style-wise, with a very broad spectrum of shades of fruit. Structured and mineral with a brisk acidic framework.

  • 2021 Sparkling sauvignon blanc, sauvignon gris and gamay geoffray, grown on granite. Fruit is lightly macerated, resulting in a hazy, chalky wine with great clarity of fruit.

  • 2022 Chardonnay rosé, chardonnay blanc and chardonnay giboudot, grown on granite and macerated. Primary, textural and concentrated.

  • 2022 A blend of vitis silvestris and gamay, grown on granite. Concentrated, primary and slightly sappy, with very light body as a result of low alcohol (below 10%).

  • 2022 - Gewurztraminer, muscat bleu and gamay vialla. Resting.

  • 2021 3 teinturier gamay varieties, vinified in tank.

  • 2021 Pinot noir and pinot fin grown on granite.

    2020 5 varieties of pinot, grown on granite.

  • 2020 Pinot fin, pinot noir, pinot blanc, pinot gris and pinot beurot, grown on granite. 14% ABV but with the freshness of something much less ripe. Shades of dark red fruit mingling with more crisp and snappy expressions. Structured and mineral.

  • 2020 Gamay grafted over vitis riparia in 1890, grown on granite. Medium bodied, sleek, blue fruited and perfumed, with a plush velvet texture and unbridled aroma that speaks of old vines.

  • 2020 Wild vines grown from seed, of no named variety or clone. Dark, tense and invigorating, with a good amount of malic acid.

  • 2020 Sauvignon rosé, sauvignon gris and sauvignon blanc from 5-year-old vines, grown on granite. Restrained and mineral fruit profile with a whisper of malic acid giving the nose and palate notes of green apple and oysters. Textural, with elastic tension and lots of freshness.