La Chapelle benefits from an exceptionally rich plant heritage.
A rare, almost mysterious alchemy born from century-old vines whose roots plunge deep into the ancient soils of Hermitage’s most prestigious terroirs.
This intimate bond between the vine and its soil is built only over time. Only these old vines, in perfect symbiosis with their environment, are capable of expressing with precision and depth the true identity of their origin.
This plant material, whose integrity and diversity we are committed to preserving, lies at the heart of our concerns. It inspires and guides each of our decisions for the future of the vineyard.
It was in this spirit of transmission that we created, in 2015, our Syrah conservatory at the foot of the Hermitage hill. This experimental plot, which we call Les Greffieux, allows us to observe the diversity of our selections in one place, under identical growing conditions.
The selected individuals come from La Chapelle’s oldest Syrah vines — between 70 and 100 years old — located in our emblematic plots of Les Bessards, Le Méal, and Les Rocoules. Each vine is identified and monitored over a three-year period, following a rigorous observation protocol, before a selection is validated.
Today, this conservatory is home to ten massal selections, which we carefully monitor every year through to harvest. We observe significant differences in vine behavior, ripening dates, sugar-acid balance, and the flavor profile of the musts.
To deepen our understanding of this diversity, we have invested in a micro-vinification cellar that allows us to vinify each selection separately. This work provides a valuable foundation for our complantation practices. Nowhere else could we find planting material with this same genetic heritage.
We do everything possible to preserve our old vines for as long as we can. But we also look ahead — with humility and high standards — to ensure the future.
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To preserve the plant heritage of this legendary place is to preserve the soul and complexity of La Chapelle.
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