Facelie
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled lamb chops, classic French ratatouille, or a selection of cured meats and medium-aged cheeses.
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the Grignan-les-Adhémar appellation in the Southern Rhône Valley, M. Chapoutier's 'La Facélie' is a vibrant red wine that reflects the producer's deep commitment to biodynamic viticulture. The cuvée is named after the Phacelia (Facélie) flower, a purple cover crop planted in the vineyards to naturally enrich the soil and attract bees, symbolizing ecological harmony. Typically crafted from a classic blend of Grenache and Syrah grown on stony, clay-limestone terraces, the wine undergoes traditional fermentation in concrete and stainless steel tanks to preserve its bright, primary fruit character. True to Chapoutier's pioneering spirit, the bottle features a Braille-embossed label, ensuring accessibility for all wine lovers while delivering a classic, terroir-driven Rhône experience.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1808 in Tain-l'Hermitage, Maison M. Chapoutier was transformed into a global benchmark for terroir-driven viticulture after Michel Chapoutier took charge in 1990. Operating on the motto 'Fac & Spera' (Do and Hope), the estate became an early, outspoken pioneer of biodynamic farming in 1991 across its extensive estate vineyards. Rooted along the granite terraces, fluvioglacial alluvial soils, and limestone outcrops of the northern and southern Rhône Valley, Chapoutier crafts transparent, single-vineyard bottlings (sélections parcellaires) alongside international ventures in regions like Portugal's Douro Valley. Winemaking favors indigenous yeasts, gentle extraction, and minimal intervention to preserve purity of origin, often eschewing new wood in favor of neutral oak casks or concrete vats. Benchmark cuvées—famed for their tactile Braille labeling introduced in 1994—include Hermitage icons such as Le Méal Blanc, De l'Orée, Les Greffieux, and Côte-Rôtie's La Mordorée, epitomizing tension, minerality, and structural longevity.
🍇 Grapes
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre