Château de Javernand

Beautiful Château de Javernand is one of the most delightful wine estates in Beaujolais. Arthur Fourneau and his life-long friend Pierre Prost consistently produce benchmark Chiroubles from superior vineyards, situated on what is arguably this cru’s finest terroir. Chiroubles boasts some of the most elevated vineyards in the region, producing wines of impeccable finesse, quite distinct from other crus in the area. Indeed, there probably isn’t any better Chiroubles than that of Château Javernand. Its wines manage to be ripe, intense with rich textures, and yet very refined and elegant.

The Château is also one of Beaujolais’ prettiest, with a fairytale facade that was constructed sometime during the 19th century. Visitors are always in awe of its idyllic location and spectacular views of the surrounding, sloping vineyards of Chiroubles. However, Château de Javernand’s modern history begins in 1917, when the estate was purchased by the owner’s great grandfather, Auguste Faye. A successful wine merchant from the town of Macon, Faye promptly fell in love with the Château during a visit and purchased the buildings, its vineyards, and cellar. Successive generations of the same family have run Javernand ever since the property eventually passing to 5th generation Arthur Fourneau.

Today, Arthur runs the estate with his cousin Mathilde Penicaud and his close friend, Pierre Prost. Arthur met Pierre at university in Lyon – this formidable team was drawn closer together when Prost married Mathilde, a respected artist, and decided to join the estate in 2011. Together with Arthur, he now takes care of all aspects of the winemaking and vineyard management at Château de Javernand. They continue to produce a uniformly excellent range of wines, from the regular cuvee to the white Macon-villages. Les Gatilles is a lovely, supple, smooth wine with raspberry, cherry, and refined floral characters. Better still is the Vielles Vignes, which offers more complexity, refinement, and density. And while Chiroubles lacks the fame of more widely appreciated Beaujolais crus like Fleurie, these can still compete with the best. Simply put, Château de Javernand is light years away from simple, fruity quaffing Beaujolais. We urge you to taste them!