If the Loire is pastoral, Alsace majestic, and Languedoc rugged, then the Mâconnais and Haut Beaujolais are enchanting. This is Hobbit Land, full of hills and dales and little stone villages, and a skyline dominated by the twin cliffs of Vergisson and Solutré.

Thirteen generations of winemakers have cared for these grounds dating back to 1596, when the property was purchased from the monks of the abbey of Tournus. Having always had a reputation for quality production, the most recent generation breaks no tradition. Château De Lavernette has been reconverted to use organic and biodynamic viticulture to deliver the high-class wines expected of it.