Château des Ravatys

Château des Ravatys is a winery located in the commune of Saint Lager, in the Rhône department of the Auvergne Rhône Alpes region. The estate produces Beaujolais crus and AOC Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly wines.

The history of Château des Ravatys

In the mid-19th century, a polytechnic engineer from Lorraine named Auguste Solet decided to buy a wine estate after making his fortune building viaducts for the Algiers-Constantine railway line.

As passionate about architecture as he was about viticulture, Auguste Solet himself designed the plans for Château des Ravatys and its farm buildings. His aim was to create a modern, perfectly structured estate. He was also deeply involved in the life of his village of Saint Lager, becoming its mayor. He took the opportunity to create the canton's first mutual aid society.

His only direct heir, his only son, having died in the 1870 war, Auguste Solet bequeathed his entire fortune and the Château des Ravatys to his niece Mathilde Courbe, whom he had adopted.

Thanks to Mathilde's talented management of the Château des Ravatys vineyard, the wines won a bronze medal at the agricultural competition at the 1900 Universal Exhibition. The heiress also decided to continue her uncle's social work. She donated a substantial sum to the Belleville hospital, became president of the Beaujolais Red Cross and financed a military hospital during the Second World War.

Having no heirs, Mathilde Courbe bequeathed her entire estate to the Pasteur Institute in Paris in 1937.

In December 2020, Château des Ravatys was purchased by the Lavorel family, originally from Lyon.

The Château des Ravatys vineyard

The Château des Ravatys vineyard covers 29 hectares. The grape varieties for the red and rosé wines are all Gamay. The white wine is made from Chardonnay grapes. The average age of the vines is between 45 and 50 years.

Gamay Noir à jus blanc is grown on east and southeast-facing plots, where it benefits from the region's temperate climate. It also thrives on lean, acidic soils of low fertility, which contribute to the production of elegant, fine wines.

Côte de Brouilly vines grow on the slopes of Mont Brouilly. They benefit from the blue granite that stores heat during the day and releases it at night.

The vines reserved for Brouilly are grown on the plains to take advantage of the deeper, richer soil.

Each parcel is vinified separately, allowing them to express their own specific characteristics. Indeed, Gamay grapes require maceration and prior fermentation, while Chardonnay berries are processed directly by the pneumatic press.

The wines of Château des Ravatys

Red wines

Brouilly - Les Marquisats
Côte de Brouilly - Cuvée Mathilde
Côte de Brouilly - Cuvée Auguste
Côte de Brouilly - Cuvée Réserve

White wine

Beaujolais - Chardonnay

Rosé wine

Beaujolais - Air de rosé