Chapoutier
Encyclopedia
Chapoutier, or Maison M. Chapoutier, is a winery
and négociant
business situated in Tain-l'Hermitage
in the Rhône
region in France
. Chapoutier produces wine from appellations across the Rhône region, but it is typically their top Hermitage
wines, both red and white, that receive the most attention and accolades. Chapoutier's wine labels are distinctive because of their inclusion of Braille
writing on all labels since 1996.
appellations, and from collaborative projects in Portugal
and Australia
. The Chapoutier vineyards are all managed to produce biodynamic wine
s. A further characteristic of Chapoutier is a preference for single-variety wines
, also from those appellations where blends are common. Thus, Chapoutier's Côte-Rôties are Syrah only (with no Viognier
), the white Hermitages are all Marsanne only (with no Roussanne
) and several of the Châteauneuf-du-Papes are Grenache Noir only.
The winery's range of Rhône wines are grouped into four quality levels. The two basic levels are referred to as "Découverte" and "Tradition", the intermediate level "Prestige", and the top level "Fac&Spera". Wines at the Fac&Spera level are produced from the appellations Côte-Rôtie
, Hermitage
, Crozes-Hermitage
, Saint-Joseph
, Cornas
, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape
. Chapoutier is something of a champion of the white wines from those northern Rhône appellations more known for red wines, and produces many ambitious white wines from such appellations. Of the fifteen wines in the "Fac&Spera" range, ten are red and five white, including one sweet white wine, a Hermitage Vin de Paille.
Chapoutier was the first wine producer to introduce braille on its labels, starting in 1994 with the Monier de la Sizeranne Hermitage wine. By 1996 this was expanded to include all wines bottled and sold by the Chapoutier winery. Michel Chapoutier had the idea to include braille on the label after hearing his friend the singer Gilbert Montagné
, who is blind, explaining on TV that he would have to take someone with him into the store in order to identify each bottle of wine. The Monier de la Sizeranne vineyard that Chapoutier now owns and makes wine from, was founded by the Sizeranne family and the first and subsequent braille printing on this wine is a tribute to that family and specifically a blind member of the family, Maurice de La Sizeranne
who was the founder and president of the French Association for the Blind and also developed an abbreviated version of braille.
The information presented in the braille print includes the producer, the vintage, the vineyard and region as well as the colour of the wine.
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
and négociant
Négociant
A négociant is the French term for a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name....
business situated in Tain-l'Hermitage
Tain-l'Hermitage
Tain-l'Hermitage is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Geography:It is located on the left bank of the Rhône River, opposite Tournon-sur-Rhône, which is located in Ardèche.-Population:-Economy:...
in the Rhône
Rhône (wine region)
The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée designations...
region in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Chapoutier produces wine from appellations across the Rhône region, but it is typically their top Hermitage
Hermitage AOC
Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France south of Lyon. It produces mostly red wine from the Syrah grape; however, small quantities of white wine are also produced from Roussane and Marsanne grapes...
wines, both red and white, that receive the most attention and accolades. Chapoutier's wine labels are distinctive because of their inclusion of Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
writing on all labels since 1996.
History
The Chapoutier family can trace their history in the Rhône region back to 1808, but it was in 1879 that Polydor Chapoutier bought his first vineyards and started the actual business. In the mid-20th century Max Chapoutier led the business, until his retirement in 1977, after which his sons Michel Chapoutier and Marc Chapoutier took over. Some years later, during the 1980s, quality improved, under Michel Chapoutier's leadership over the vineyards and winemaking facilities. By the late 1980s, Chapoutier had started to receive considerable international attention for the wines' quality.Vineyards and wines
Chapoutier produces wines from a range of appellations in northern and southern Rhône, as well as from some RoussillonRoussillon
Roussillon is one of the historical counties of the former Principality of Catalonia, corresponding roughly to the present-day southern French département of Pyrénées-Orientales...
appellations, and from collaborative projects in Portugal
Portuguese wine
Portuguese wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. Portugal started to export its wines to Rome during the Roman Empire. Modern exports developed with trade to England after the...
and Australia
Australian wine
The Australian Wine Industry is the fourth largest exporter of wine around the world, with 760 million litres a year to a large international export market and contributes $5.5 billion per annum to the nation's economy...
. The Chapoutier vineyards are all managed to produce biodynamic wine
Biodynamic wine
Biodynamic wines are wines made using the principles of biodynamic agriculture. Biodynamic refers to both the agricultural methods and the handling and processing of the fruit post-harvest.-Biodynamic viticulture:...
s. A further characteristic of Chapoutier is a preference for single-variety wines
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
, also from those appellations where blends are common. Thus, Chapoutier's Côte-Rôties are Syrah only (with no Viognier
Viognier
Viognier is a white wine grape. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.-History:The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend...
), the white Hermitages are all Marsanne only (with no Roussanne
Roussanne
Roussanne is a white wine grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne. It is the only other white variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in the northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage AOC, Hermitage AOC and Saint-Joseph AOC...
) and several of the Châteauneuf-du-Papes are Grenache Noir only.
The winery's range of Rhône wines are grouped into four quality levels. The two basic levels are referred to as "Découverte" and "Tradition", the intermediate level "Prestige", and the top level "Fac&Spera". Wines at the Fac&Spera level are produced from the appellations Côte-Rôtie
Côte-Rôtie AOC
Côte-Rôtie is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France. The vineyards are located just south of Vienne in the communes of Saint-Cyr-sur-le-Rhône, Ampuis, and Tupin-et-Semons. The vineyards are unique because of their vertical slopes and their stone...
, Hermitage
Hermitage AOC
Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France south of Lyon. It produces mostly red wine from the Syrah grape; however, small quantities of white wine are also produced from Roussane and Marsanne grapes...
, Crozes-Hermitage
Crozes-Hermitage AOC
Crozes-Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France. The appellation is the largest in the northern Rhone, and its wines are less highly regarded than those from the nearby appellations of Côte-Rôtie or its near-namesake Hermitage...
, Saint-Joseph
Saint-Joseph AOC
Saint-Joseph or St.-Joseph is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France. Though the appellation covers the largest amount of land, it is second in actual size under vine to Crozes-Hermitage, an appellation with which it shares much regarding style...
, Cornas
Cornas AOC
Cornas is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France south of Lyon. It is one of the smallest appellations in the Rhône valley and produces only red wine, from the Syrah grape.-History:...
, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France. It is the most renowned appellation of the southern part of the Rhône Valley...
. Chapoutier is something of a champion of the white wines from those northern Rhône appellations more known for red wines, and produces many ambitious white wines from such appellations. Of the fifteen wines in the "Fac&Spera" range, ten are red and five white, including one sweet white wine, a Hermitage Vin de Paille.
Braille labeling
Gilbert Montagné
Gilbert Montagné is a French musician, both a pianist and organist, as well as a singer. Blind from birth, he is best remembered for his international hit "The Fool", which was a number 1 single across Europe in 1971...
, who is blind, explaining on TV that he would have to take someone with him into the store in order to identify each bottle of wine. The Monier de la Sizeranne vineyard that Chapoutier now owns and makes wine from, was founded by the Sizeranne family and the first and subsequent braille printing on this wine is a tribute to that family and specifically a blind member of the family, Maurice de La Sizeranne
Maurice de la Sizeranne
Maurice de La Sizeranne was born in Tain, a small village in la Drôme, on the left bank of the River Rhône, on the 30th July 1857.He was nine when he lost his sight in an accident whilst playing....
who was the founder and president of the French Association for the Blind and also developed an abbreviated version of braille.
The information presented in the braille print includes the producer, the vintage, the vineyard and region as well as the colour of the wine.