Portraits of winemakers

CHÂTEAU DES BACHELARDS, ALEXANDRA DE VAZEILLES: THE QUEST FOR A GREAT WINE

Alexandra: A Trailblazing Winemaker with a Vision

Breaking the Mold in Winemaking

Alexandra defies expectations in many ways. Not an heiress nor from a family of winemakers, she is an ambitious woman with a long-term vision. While dreaming of owning her own vineyard, she pursued a career in cutting-edge technology internationally, not out of necessity but to build up the funds needed to realize her project. After 20 years in the United States, her deep passion for wine, which began at the age of 18, remains as strong as ever.

When I was in Chicago, I just happened to live right above a very good wine shop in the city. Over the years, I drank a lot and cooked a lot. I had the chance to taste the best wines in the world. At that time, a Château Haut-Brion cost the same as a steak for two. I also spent time in California learning about wine tourism, which is dear to my heart because it symbolizes the sharing and transmission of wine. When I felt my palate was sufficiently refined, I decided to return home to start my venture.

"To Make a Great Wine, You Need an Exceptional Terroir"

Alexandra never lost sight of her dream: acquiring a vineyard in France to produce "great wine." She embarked on a search for the ideal terroir while also undertaking oenology training. She cut her teeth at Château Latour (Pauillac) in Bordeaux, then at Domaine de Montille (Volnay) and Domaine Roulot (Meursault) in Burgundy.

Persistent and ambitious, Alexandra eventually found what she was looking for in 2014 at Château des Bachelards, particularly discovering the virtues of Gamay, the emblematic indigenous grape of the Fleurie terroir. Located on the foothills of the Massif Central, the vineyard of Château des Bachelards was established in 1100 by the Cluny monks and spans 11 hectares of vines, on soils composed of pink granite saprolite and black granite, manganese, and schist.

Château des Bachelards: Dense and Elegant Wines

However, Alexandra does not limit herself to the Fleurie appellation. Owner of two plots of vines in Burgundy, she aims to create delicate, tense, and finely structured white wines, such as the 2014 vintage of her "Pouilly-Fuissé en Vergisson" cuvée. The winemaker, who works closely with renowned oenologists (Stéphane Derenoncourt, Simon Blanchard), also owns two hectares of vines in AOC Saint-Amour and 1.25 hectares in AOC Moulin-à-Vent. Additionally, she produces wines in the Rhône Valley, under IGP and AOC Saint-Joseph.

My wines combine the elegance of Burgundy with the indulgence of the Rhône Valley, summarizes the winemaker.

All the wines at Château des Bachelards benefit from 18 months of aging in oak barrels and large casks and are predominantly from vines over 60 years old. Average yields are 23 hectoliters per hectare.

An Organic & Biodynamic Certified Vineyard

Château des Bachelards is also notable for being the only estate in the region with dual certification in organic farming (Ecocert) and biodynamic farming (Demeter).

Producing wines free from any chemical additives is a priority for me. The terroir must express itself fully, which requires healthy grapes and winemaking without artifices, using indigenous yeasts, believes Alexandra.

Deeply committed to the notion of sharing, transmission, and conviviality that wine fosters, Alexandra has greatly developed the wine tourism aspect since acquiring Château des Bachelards. This wine woman—who considers gastronomy inseparable from oenology—regularly opens her estate to visitors, offering dinners paired with wines organized in collaboration with Lyonnais chefs or local wine schools.

In addition to themed dinners, Alexandra organizes numerous wine tourism events. Tastings in the château’s hall, tasting courses covering the last 40 vintages from all French wine regions… and educational tours in the vineyards dedicated to revealing the workings of organic and biodynamic agriculture.