17 editor-picked estates growing Chardonnay in Beaujolais.
Where to taste Chardonnay in Beaujolais: the estates that grow it, how the region expresses the grape, and how to book a visit.
Cote de Brouilly estate operated by the Geoffray family since 1877, sited on the volcanic Mont Brouilly. Produces Cote de Brouilly and Brouilly as well as Beaujolais Blanc.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings available; the estate sits on the volcanic Mont Brouilly slope.
Signature wines: thivin-cote-de-brouilly, thivin-brouilly
Tip: The estate's Cote de Brouilly cuvees reflect the volcanic basalt soils of Mont Brouilly distinctively.
Family estate of the Chermette family at Saint-Vérand, in production since the 17th century. Renamed Domaines Chermette in 2023 when Jean-Etienne Chermette took over from his parents Martine and Pierre-Marie Chermette.
Beaujolais negociant house founded by Georges Duboeuf in 1964 and known for popularising Beaujolais Nouveau globally from the 1970s onward. The Hameau Duboeuf park at Romanèche-Thorins, opened in 1993, is a major wine-tourism draw.
Tasting: The Hameau Duboeuf wine theme park and museum at Romanèche-Thorins is open to visitors; includes cellar tour, flower exhibition and tasting.
Family estate of the Gelin family at Lancié, the only Beaujolais-Villages commune enclosed between the Morgon, Fleurie and Moulin-a-Vent crus.
Sambardier family estate at Denicé in the southern Beaujolais. Dating from 1850 and now covering 34 hectares across multiple appellations (Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, Brouilly, Juliénas, Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie and Beaujolais Blanc) farmed across 50 plots ranging from 50 to 100 years old.
Fourth-generation family domaine at Chénas managed by Franck Bessone, named for the granitic soils that define this part of the Beaujolais. The 12-hectare estate produces Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie, Chénas and Saint-Amour with manual harvests and ageing in oak barrels, casks and cement tanks.
Historic Chiroubles estate established in 1868 by Émile Cheysson, with 26 hectares of vineyards on steep granite slopes and a 17th-century cellar originally built by the monks of Cluny Abbey.
Jean-Paul Brun's 60+ hectare family estate in the southern Beaujolais, started in 1979 with 4 hectares in Charnay. Eschews carbonic maceration in favour of traditional Burgundian vinification with indigenous yeasts and minimal sulphur; produces both classic Gamay cuvees (notably L'Ancien Vieilles Vignes) and unusual old-vine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Family domaine in Fleurie founded by Robert Depardon in 1955 and now in its third generation, working 16 hectares. Produces several Fleurie cuvees plus Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent and Beaujolais Blanc (Chardonnay), with red wines from 100% Gamay.
Historic medieval chateau dating to the 13th century at Belleville-en-Beaujolais (Saint-Jean-d'Ardières), with a 4-star hotel and spa on site and 80 hectares of vineyards producing six appellations: white, rosé and red Beaujolais, Régnié, Morgon and Brouilly under the Château de Saint-Lager label.
Tasting: The chateau and hotel-restaurant operates full cellar tours, tastings and vineyard walks; estate stay available.
Tip: One of the few wine-tourism estates in Beaujolais with a hotel and restaurant on site.
Founded in 1927, this cooperative assembles four generations of vigneron families in Fleurie. Cuvees include Les Garants, La Chapelle des Bois, and Montgenas from distinct vineyard parcels.
Cooperative caveau in the golden-stone village of Val d'Oingt, classified among the most photogenic villages. Pours the full Vignerons des Pierres Dorees range including Terra Iconia, Prestige, and the Fines Bulles sparkling from the southern Beaujolais.
Tip: The ochre village streets are among the most photogenic in the region; combine the tasting with a walk through the village ramparts.
The oenotheque of Beaujolais's largest estate hotel hosts a unique sensory wine course across 8 workshops covering colour, aroma, and flavour. Estate wines from Morgon, Brouilly, and Beaujolais Blanc available at the on-site boutique.
A Mont Brouilly estate in the Geoffray family since 1877 (six generations). The cellar features a blue-stone vault; visitors taste Cote de Brouilly and Brouilly cuvees in a setting that dates to the 15th century.
Tip: Ask to see the chapel on the hilltop above the vines; the view from the summit extends across the entire Beaujolais region.
Organic family estate in the golden-stone Beaujolais Pierres Dorees zone. Offers producer-led cellar visits, barrel tastings, blending workshops, and aperitif evenings with local charcuterie and cheese.
A 15th-century fortified chateau and classified monument open year-round with an audio-guide covering the ancient cellars and remarkable 15th-century timber carpentry.
The tasting cellar of 16 Beaujolais-Villages producers, founded in 1956 in the historic capital of Beaujolais. After a full renovation, the caveau pours the complete arc of appellations from Beaujolais-Villages to the 10 Crus alongside Cremant de Bourgogne.
Tip: Beaujeu hosts the Sarmentelles Nouveau festival each November third Thursday; arrive a week early and the Comptoir stocks unlabelled primeur samples.