Our Story
We are a family Domaine which was just passed on to the second generation, Antoine & Olivier Chastel (twin brothers) & Lucrèce Bruyant, Olivier’s wife. The three of us are now in charge of Domaine Romanesca, following the steps of Guy & Ferréole Chastel, the twins’ parents. We now have the pleasure to take care of 7 hectares of some of the best plots in the cru Moulin-à-Vent, guided by the principles of sustainable farming.
After quitting our non wine-related jobs in Lyon, we decided to bring new ideas to the family Domaine in the heart of the Beaujolais region. Starting with the cru Moulin-à-Vent, we have expanded our wine range with the cru Fleurie, cru Juliénas and Beaujolais Villages cuvées (red, rosé & soon white) . We wish to keep the momentum and we hope to produce a lovely cru Morgon very soon.
Our Philosophy
In our early 30s, we wish to maintain ancient work techniques while bringing a fresh air to Domaine Romanesca. We are in the process of converting the Domaine into a certified organic estate. This goal is a very obvious one to us: we want to take care of people’s health (including ours) & of Mother Nature.
Our philosophy is to work at a plot (single vineyard) level in order to reveal the specific characteristics of each climat. We want to promote single vineyard cuvées aged in oak-barrels in order to produce fine wines with great aging potential.
We hope to sell our wines directly to customers, to welcome many visitors to our Domaine for memorable tastings and to take part in wine exhibitions all along the year to make people discover our wines.
A Unique Terroir... An Ancient Tradition
Wine growing started a long time ago in the Beaujolais. Julius Caesar and his legions introduced the cultivation of vitis vinifera to our beautiful region. Along the strategic Roman road linking Lugdunum (Lyon, then the capital of Gaul) to the North Sea, the first vineyards were planted around the gallo-roman villas built in Romanesca (Romanèche). Later on, in the third century, wine amphoras from Romanesca - already famous for its wine - were transported by boat to Lyon on the Saône river.
Throughout the centuries, vineyards cultivation was maintained in Romanèche-Thorins.
Picking up the Roman torch passed to us on this historical & exceptional terroir in 2019, we have the desire to valorize this heritage by bringing in our own breath of modernity.
Our Conversion to Organic Farming
Following Guy Chastel, who already practiced sustainable farming, we are in the processing of having our entire Domaine organic-certified. It is an obvious choice to protect human beings’ health and the local environment (water, soil, air and biodiversity).
We are jacks of all trade and we are not afraid of using new equipments and techniques in order to make our estate green. We want to be proud to produce organic wines & feel that wine lovers appreciate our work and products.
Our philosophy is to work with single vineyards plots in order to reveal the special characteristics of each climat, to deliver the full potential of ours vines - some of which are more than 50 years old. We work with high density vineyards and use an ancestral pruning technique called taille en gobelet. With strong competition between each vine, we get low yield but high quality grapes. Le palissage (a canopy management technique) enables vines to dry faster. It also helps them to gain greater sun exposure and aeration.
We are using typical Beaujolais wine-making & fermentation techniques with individualized attention for each tank to ensure the singularity of each cuvée. Some of our cuvées are aged in oak-barrels.
Currently in our second year of organic conversion (2019), the domaine Romanesca will have to wait until the 2022 harvest in order to be able to use the organic certified label.
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