the Chai Saint-Olive in Lyon
In our series, we discover the trend of urban cellars, we met Franck and Grégoire, the two brothers at the origin of Chai Saint Olive in Lyon 6.
We had never passed by when we are neighbors (and yes, our offices are now in the 6th ;)).
From the outside, you can see the imposing stainless steel tanks. No doubt, here we make wine!
Passionate about wine, Franck and Grégoire discovered urban cellars in 2015 and set themselves the challenge of being the first to develop one in Lyon. After the search for the perfect place and many works, Le Chai Saint Olive opened its doors in September 2020 in the heart of Lyon.
It is Franck who welcomes us and immediately takes us to discover the place.
Our gaze and our steps guide us directly towards the majestic stainless steel tanks. No less than 10 vats stand before us. Marie, cellar mistress, lovingly watches over it.
Like a child, a wine is aged for a more or less long period in stainless steel vats or barrels (in particular) until it reaches its full potential. The container makes all the difference. Basically, wines in vats are wines that will express fruit aromas and offer a pleasant feeling of freshness. Aging in barrels (generally longer) will bring more complexity and structure to the wines.
At this time of year, everything seems to be calm, the wines are shaping up and will be bottled between March and April for the wines in vats and in July-August for the wines in barrels.
A story of men and women
Franck then wishes to introduce us to the winegrowers with whom he works. A small space is dedicated to them with a photo and the sale of some of their cuvées.
4 winegrowers have accompanied Franck and Grégoire since the start of the project and 3 joined them last year to cope with the low yields.
All are at less than 70km from Le Chai in Beaujolais or in the Northern Rhône valley because the idea is favor the local. A real relationship of trust has developed between the Saint Olive brothers and the winegrowers who take care of the vines on a daily basis.
In total, these are 4 grape varieties which are worked in the cellar: Gamay and Syrah in red, Chardonnay and Viognier in white.
Everything, everything you will know everything about the art of making wine
We continue the visit with the basement where we discover the bottling workshop and especially the barrel cellar.
Personally, I’m always a bit impressed when I visit a winery, I feel like I’m attending an exclusive preview. Few people have the chance to discover how a wine is made.
What class during a tasting to be able to say: “This wine? Yes, I know him well, I even saw him grow up!
If you also want to discover how wine is made, Franck and Grégoire organize many workshops :
- A workshop visit, followed by a tasting where you can like us discover the place and all the stages of transformation of a wine.
- An assembly workshop to learn all about grape varieties, what they bring to a wine and the art of blending them. You can even leave with your own creation.
What are we drinking?
Franck and Grégoire offer two ranges available in the 4 grape varieties: vintages 480 and vintages 812.
The 480 cuvées are the cuvées aged in stainless steel vats. So if you have remembered everything, for these wines, the brothers are looking for a style based on freshness and fruit.
The 812 cuvées are the cuvées aged in barrels for a longer period. Aging gives them structure, concentration and more character.
Min culture:
You are probably wondering why 480 and 812. Well it is respectively the length of the Saône and the Rhône. The idea was to wink at two essential elements of the City of Lyon.
😍 On a loved one:
- The possibility of discovering behind the scenes of the creation of a wine
- Cuvées with a cool design and a great story behind them
- The possibility of making your own cuvée during a workshop or by ordering a series of bottles with a personalized label
😩 On a less liked one:
- The clean side of the place makes it a bit cold.
Chai Saint Olive
🏠 34 rue Malesherbes – 69006 Lyon
🚇 Metro Foch
⏰ Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday)
💻 More informations ☝️ Book a workshop