Alléno & Chapoutier Guer-Van

Two innate creators. Two passions. Two “strong characters” in the search for true perfection.

We could say it louder, but it wouldn’t be any clearer than that. We could continue with introductions. And they would all lead to the same point when it comes to Yannick Alléno and Michel Chapoutier. The first is a Michelin-starred chef. The second is one of the most promising French winemakers. Together they have been creating spectacular wines for more than ten years, including Alléno & Chapoutier Guer-Van.

The partnership of these two people, who began collaborating in 2010 with the launch of Corona de Chabot (their first wine), started in the southeast of France, in the Rhone Valley, an area they are both in love with. This pair’s main objective is to reflect the terroir, with steep granite soils and a cool, humid climate, in each of their wines. In fact, if there is one thing Michel Chapoutier is known for, it’s for doing things differently, forgetting about tradition. In 1990, this winemaker was one of the first to implement biodynamic viticulture. So, on the left bank of the river, in the A.O.C. Crozes-Hermitage, Alléno & Chapoutier Guer-Van, a single-variety Syrah, was born. And that’s exactly how it was meant to be! Here, (about 320 metres above sea level) Syrah reigns supreme. This is an area where this native takes on unique and inimitable touches. Sometimes, given the humid climate, this variety is at risk of fungal diseases; however, Mistral solves this problem with its dryness, achieving the most sublime expression of the variety.

To make Alléno & Chapoutier Guer-Van all the clusters are picked by hand, right when they reach optimum ripeness (neither before nor after), and are scrupulously selected. All of them are completely destemmed and left to macerate for four weeks in a concrete tank, with a corresponding pumping over. From here, Alléno & Chapoutier Guer-Van is racked to used oak barrels, where the macerated must ferments with native yeasts. Alléno & Chapoutier Guer-Van is the result of an unbreakable bond, which has been maintained over ten years. Respect and passion for the land are the key ingredients. Based on these principles, Alléno & Chapoutier can look forward to another decade.