The history of Domaine Les Hauts-Châssis
The story of a dream come true
Franck FaugierFranck took over the family estate in 1998, the year his father retired. The estate produced cereals, grapes, and fruit, and was managed by Franck's father, uncle, and cousin. Franck Faugier studied oenology in Bordeaux and worked in import-export and sales for several years with one goal in mind: to be able to produce and sell his own wine from the estate's grapes. He returned to the DomaineThe High Chassiswhen his father bought out the shares of the other family members to realize his dream. In the 1950s, Franck Faugier's grandfather was already selling the estate's wine locally to Paul Jaboulet Aîné, before the estate joined the agricultural cooperative system in 1969. He wanted to take up his grandfather's mantle and produce the estate's wine himself. To do so, he had to wait until the end of the contract with the cooperative, as the majority of his production had to be sold to the Tain winery. With the remainder of the harvest, he produced 40 hectoliters of experimental wines for the family. In 2003, having left the cooperative system, Franck Faugier built his own winery and then produced and bottled the first vintage of Domaine Les Hauts-Châssis.
Respect for the terroir of Domaine Les Hauts-Châssis
Old vines and quality grapes
The 17 hectares of vineyards of the Domaine desHigh ChassisThe vineyard is situated on a terroir of fluvio-glacial alluvium, with a 30-40 cm layer of red clay-sand. Thanks to the large pebbles that make up the soil, heat is accumulated throughout the day and then released at night. The oldest vines in the vineyard were planted in the 1930s and are therefore over 80 years old. Around 1950, another 4 hectares were added, and the rest of the estate consists of younger vines. The dominant grape variety at Domaine des Hauts-Châssis is Syrah. It is cultivated on 14 hectares of vines to produce theCrozes-Hermitagesreds.Franck FaugierHe also owns one hectare dedicated to Crozes-Hermitage white wine, where he cultivates Roussanne and Marsanne grapes. Finally, a few hectares are devoted to the production of Saint-Joseph red and Saint-Péray wines. Franck Faugier knows this terroir well and pays close attention to it. He practices aorganic viticultureSince 2017, the estate has adopted a more respectful approach to the soil and vines. Vineyard work is carried out manually. With 15 hectares of fruit trees on the property, the winemaker understands quality fruit, and this knowledge is reflected in his wine with its exceptional aromatic precision.
The expertise of Domaine Les Hauts-Châssis
Franck Faugier's simple and rigorous technique
The Domaine desHigh Chassisproduces three vintages ofCrozes-HermitageThe red wines are Esquisse, Les Galets, and Les Châssis; as well as a white Crozes-Hermitage cuvée called L'Essentiel. During the harvest, the grapes are sorted in the vineyard. The winery is modern, with temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The identity of each cuvée comes from the nuances of the winemaking process. The Esquisse cuvée is quickly transferred to the vats and cooled to between 10 and 13°C. A cold maceration is carried out for 4 to 6 days to extract maximum fruit flavor. Fermentation takes place between 28 and 30°C, with two pump-overs per day. Then, for 4 to 8 days, a post-fermentation maceration is performed to extract the softest tannins. Aging takes place in tanks until March. The result of this work is a very fruity wine with aromas of blackcurrant, cherry, and a hint of spice. The Les Galets cuvée is distinguished by a shorter pre-fermentation maceration and a longer post-fermentation maceration of 10 to 20 days. The wine is then aged for one year. This cuvée offers numerous red fruit aromas and a tighter structure. Finally, Les Châssis is the most prestigious cuvée of Domaine les Hauts-Châssis, coming from the estate's oldest vineyard plots. Racked warm into new demi-muids and aged for one year, this wine expresses all the...authenticity of its terroir.The L'Essentiel cuvée is a warm and fresh white wine with aromas of peaches, violets and exotic fruits.
