Château de Javernand Winery Guide

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Last updated: November 24, 2023

Winery Overview

Beautiful Château de Javernand is one of Beaujolais’s most delightful wine estates. Arthur Fourneau and his lifelong friend Pierre Prost consistently produce benchmark Chiroubles from superior vineyards on this cru’s finest terroir. Chiroubles boasts some of the most elevated vineyards in the region, making 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 are ripe, intense with rich textures, and yet very refined and elegant.

The Château is also one of Beaujolais’ prettiest, with a fairytale facade 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 Macon, Faye promptly fell in love with the Château during a visit and purchased the buildings, vineyards, and cellar. Successive generations of the same family have run Javernand since, eventually passed 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. Château de Javernand is light years away from simple, fruity quaffing Beaujolais. We urge you to taste them!