PRESSOIR.WINE DIRECT ACCESS: DOMAINE CLOS DE LA CHAPELLE IN VOLNAY
2/14/2023
Raj Vaidya
The first trip I took to Burgundy with Daniel was, to say the least, a memorable one. We visited the great domaines I’d been following throughout my career; Rousseau, Roumier, Roulot, DRC, and indulged in tasting some of the greatest bottles we could find. It was around the middle of the trip where we found ourselves dining with a friend in the courtyard of the Hotel de Beaune and drinking a fancy bottle of Jayer Cros Parentoux 1990, a very generous gift from said friend. Given that we had such a fancy bottle on the table, it was no surprise that other diners at the restaurant stopped over to say hi (perhaps hoping against reason that our host would share a taste with them?) and amongst the visitors was an American gentleman who introduced himself as Mark O’Connell. Mark knew Daniel and our host well and after a little chit chat to catch up told us he had just signed a deal purchasing a Volnay domaine which he was renaming after the most famed climat amongst the holdings, Clos de la Chapelle. This was back in 2010 and so began Mark’s deep dive into Burgundian culture, along with his business partner and winemaker, Pierre Meurgey.
The wines have soared in quality, and many more appellations have since been acquired since 2010. Today marks the occasion of our fourth offering of the domaine’s wines via our Direct Access program, and I couldn’t be happier to present the stellar 2020 vintage to our club!
Dear friends,
We are pleased to share this exclusive offer of the great 2020 vintage from a superb estate in Volnay, Domaine Clos de la Chapelle.
The domaine is named after its signature monopole vineyard which can trace its history back to 1789 when it was purchased by the négociant Patriarche et Fils. The Boillot family acquired it in the mid 19th century and were the first to ever use the name Clos de la Chapelle. In 2010, Mark O’Connell was approached by his friend Pierre Meurgey who asked him if he had ever considered the life of a vigneron. Mark has had a great love for Burgundy for decades, and had been buying barrels from the Hospice de Beaune auctions since 2005, and so had dipped his toe into the métier, but had never considered it possible to become an owner of a vineyard. With Pierre’s help and partnership, he found that opportunity and bought the domaine in 2010, with 2011 being their first commercial vintage. Since then Pierre and Mark have grown the domaine to 11 appellations and a total of 4 hectares.
Orders must be placed and paid by Monday, February 20. Check or ACH preferred. Credit card payments will add a 3% surcharge.
Thanks, and as always, feel free to reach out directly with any questions.
Raj Vaidya
raj@lapaulee.com
