Domaine de la Chevalerie

Domaine de la Chevalerie has been in the Caslot family since 1640, with multi-generational continuity across more than three centuries that places the estate among the oldest continuously family-owned operations in the Bourgueil appellation. The troglodyte tuffeau cellars beneath the estate were carved from the limestone rock between the 11th and 13th centuries, originally for stone quarrying and later repurposed as wine cellars. The cellars remain in continuous use today, with the constant 12°C temperature and high humidity providing ideal conditions for the long élevage that defines the estate's house style. Stéphanie and Emmanuel Caslot represent the current generation directing the estate, continuing the family tradition of low-yield viticulture and parcel-specific bottlings that has been the estate's defining methodology for decades.

• In the Caslot family since 1640; multi-generational continuity across more than three centuries
• Troglodyte tuffeau cellars carved from limestone rock between the 11th and 13th centuries, originally for stone quarrying
• Cellars remain in continuous use with constant 12°C temperature and high humidity ideal for long élevage
• Stéphanie and Emmanuel Caslot represent the current generation directing the estate

The estate covers approximately thirty-three hectares of Cabernet Franc spread across the upper-terrace clay-limestone parcels of Bourgueil, the soils widely regarded as the appellation's most age-worthy. These upper terraces sit above the alluvial flats close to the Loire River and benefit from the tuffeau (Turonian limestone) bedrock that defines Bourgueil's structured house style. The named parcels include Galichets, the source of the volume cuvée; Peu Muleau, a steeper hillside site; and parcels around the Diptyque and Bretêche named cuvées. The vineyard work emphasizes low yields, with the named cuvées consistently harvested below 40 hl/ha (well under the 55 hl/ha appellation maximum). Sustainable rather than certified-organic farming is the working approach, with the Caslot family's multi-generational knowledge of the parcels driving the canopy and harvest decisions.

• Approximately thirty-three hectares of Cabernet Franc on upper-terrace clay-limestone parcels (Bourgueil's most age-worthy soils)
• Tuffeau (Turonian limestone) bedrock defines the structured house style
• Named parcels: Galichets (volume cuvée), Peu Muleau (steeper hillside site), Diptyque, Bretêche
• Low yields consistently below 40 hl/ha on the named cuvées (well under the 55 hl/ha appellation maximum)

The estate practices sustainable vineyard work without organic or biodynamic certification, with the focus on low yields, manual canopy management, and minimal soil disturbance. Manual harvest is standard across the named cuvées, with sorting at the cellar before vinification. In the cellar, fermentations are conducted with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats and used Burgundy barrels depending on the cuvée. The Cabernet Franc is partially or fully whole-cluster on the structured tuffeau cuvées, adding aromatic complexity and structural depth that the long élevage in the troglodyte cellars then resolves into the savory, mineral character that defines the estate's house style. Élevage typically runs eighteen to twenty-four months on the named cuvées, with the flagship Peu Muleau and Galichets bottlings receiving extended aging in the constant 12°C cellars.

• Sustainable vineyard work without organic or biodynamic certification; focus on low yields and parcel-specific knowledge
• Manual harvest with sorting at the cellar; indigenous yeast fermentations in concrete vats and used Burgundy barrels
• Cabernet Franc partially or fully whole-cluster on structured tuffeau cuvées for aromatic complexity and structural depth
• Long élevage in troglodyte tuffeau cellars at constant 12°C resolves whole-cluster structure into savory, mineral character

The estate's range is built around the named parcel cuvées that map the Caslot family's parcellary discipline. Galichets is the volume cuvée from upper-terrace clay-limestone parcels and is the most widely distributed of the named bottlings internationally; it shows the estate's signature structured Cabernet Franc with savory minerality and 10-plus year aging trajectory. Peu Muleau is a steeper-hillside cuvée from a single parcel, bottled in some vintages with extended élevage. Diptyque is a special-cuvée bottling typically named for the historical figure or place tied to the parcel. Bretêche is another named-parcel cuvée from the upper terraces. Across the range, the wines reflect the consistent low-yield discipline (below 40 hl/ha) and the long élevage in the historic tuffeau cellars that distinguish the Caslot family approach from estates with shorter aging protocols.

• Galichets: volume cuvée from upper-terrace clay-limestone parcels; most widely distributed internationally
• Peu Muleau: steeper-hillside single-parcel cuvée bottled in some vintages with extended élevage
• Diptyque: special-cuvée bottling from named parcels
• Bretêche: named-parcel cuvée from upper terraces; consistent low-yield discipline (below 40 hl/ha) across the range

Domaine de la Chevalerie occupies a distinctive position in modern Bourgueil as the appellation's longest continuously family-owned estate (Caslot family since 1640) and one of its most critically followed quality producers. The estate has been cited by sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier and author Rajat Parr among the world's finest Cabernet Franc producers, placing it in the international top tier of references for the variety alongside the Loire's Domaine Yannick Amirault and Domaine Bernard Baudry. The historic troglodyte cellars, the multi-generational Caslot continuity, and the consistent low-yield parcellary discipline give the estate a coherent identity within the appellation that few competing producers achieve. Widely distributed in specialist circuits in North America, Northern Europe, and Japan, the estate is a frequent inclusion on serious by-the-glass programs and in critical Cabernet Franc writing.

• Longest continuously family-owned estate in Bourgueil (Caslot family since 1640)
• Cited by sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier and author Rajat Parr among the world's finest Cabernet Franc producers
• Historic troglodyte cellars, multi-generational Caslot continuity, and low-yield parcellary discipline give a coherent estate identity
• Widely distributed in specialist circuits in North America, Northern Europe, and Japan; frequent inclusion on serious by-the-glass programs