Domaine Tournon revolves around the figure of Michel Chapoutier, one of the most important personalities in the French wine scene.
Currently, the M. Chapoutier winery owns vineyards in some of the most important appellations of the Rhône Valley. It also boasts numerous properties in some of France's most iconic appellations (Ermitage, Saint Joseph, Côte-Rôtie, Banyuls, Coteaux d’Aix…). An essential name that produces wines from vineyards located in France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Australia.
Since 1990, Michel Chapoutier has presided over this family-run French firm. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to cultivate Rhône grapes in Australia in 1997. In this very special terroir, he planted ungrafted vines from 19th-century clonal selections. He was also drawn to the high quality of shiraz grapes cultivated in this faraway land from his native France.
Chapoutier decided to establish himself in the Victorian Pyrenees region, thus creating Domaine Tournon (a subsidiary of M. Chapoutier) with two very interesting vineyards: Shays Flat Estate (18 ha planted with syrah, sangiovese, grenache, and cabernet sauvignon, with an average age of 15 years) and Landsborough Valley Estate (16 ha planted with syrah, chardonnay, grenache, riesling, touriga, and viognier, also with an average age of 15 years).
Australia is a country Michel has always loved for its nature, its Aboriginal culture, and its incredible geological diversity.
At Domaine Tournon, Michel Chapoutier is committed to biodynamic farming and strongly advocates for the free expression of the terroir, which includes minimal intervention in the winemaking process of small batches and fermentation with native yeasts in concrete tanks. The combination of these techniques and his savoir-faire results in the creation of elegant wines with great mineral purity.
Respect for the land and winegrowers, the originality of his projects
