Joie de Vivre Fiesta with Christophe Chapillon

Last week I had the great pleasure of attending an event that will last for a long time in my mind. I had the opportunity of tasting for the first time a series of Spanish wines in a most extraordinary setting, a downtown restaurant-pub People (definitely a place you must visit). It was a unique experience. I expected it to be an exciting event but to be honest I did not expect to be so impressed by the location and the people there. The wines were presented by Cristophe Chapillon, the owner and winemaker of Chapillon, who, through Vlad Bibolar from HappyWines launched its range of Spanish wines in Romania.

We tasted 6 types of wine, which were accompanied, of course, by the special dishes prepared by skilled hands in the kitchen of this wonderful pub. I must tell you that it has immediately become my favorite place where I will definitely return, because I had the opportunity to taste absolutely great preparations. I will tell you more about it in a future post. Among the dishes that were served at this event was an absolutely extraordinary Paella, perfect for an early evening start with good wines, followed by a Tapas Mix and then a pork neck served next to a pumpkin puree. I think I’ve already got your taste buds up and I have not told you yet about the wine.

About Christophe Chapillon and his wines

Christophe originates from France, right on the Loire Valley, and comes from a family with oenological tradition. He decided to take this tradition forward exactly to Spain, where he was already established. He was helped by the oenologist Cesar Langa of the oldest family wine cellar in Catalayud, with a 150-year tradition in this field. Christophe chose to launch his own brand – suggestively named Chapillon, a name with a distinctive sound. „I started and learned step by step, I had the opportunity and took advantage of it. Cesar Langa helped me. I bought the grapes and started to make wine. I am the salesman know what I want from a wine and what expectations I have. It’s good that we were both on the same line”, says Cristophe.

I really liked Christophe’s approach to this tasting, perhaps a more atypical approach, but with guaranteed success. He told us a little about each of the wines, after which he set out for a ‘talk- tour’ to every table to socialize with the people and establish a connection. This shows a more personal formula, but he prefers this approach which offers much more to those present.

Chapillon wines have an asset. They are fine, and they’re provoking you to discover their secrets.

The first tasting was the Chapillon – Cava Secret Reserve NV Brut, which was, of course, accompanied by Paella. It is a blend of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Macabeo, vinified using the Champenoise method and matured for 16 months in glass. There were some known flavors of Cava with a freshness and a fine pearl.

One of my favorites was Chapillon – Paul Rémy 2015, the first red wine of the evening. 100% Tempranillo from the Aragon region, which spends 6 months in American oak. It is a very aromatic wine, very much to my taste, it is fruity, I clearly felt the black fruits, but also a subtle vanilla taste (to be honest, I felt some sort of vanilla-forest fruit ice cream J )

Chapillon – Paul Cuvette 2015 was the next wine on the list. 100% Garnacha from over 70 years old vineyards in the Calatayud region, which spends 12 months in American oak. I was surprised by the strong and dark color, but it was also very clear and I was impressed by the taste of cherry and blackberries. The whole ensemble was completed by the spice notes.

Chapillon – Siendra 2015 was accompanied by a Tapas Mix. The wine, a red blend from the Aragon region with 80% Garnacha, 7% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Merlot which spends 12 months in American oak, is very interesting and fits absolutely tremendous to tapas. With a strong black cherry color, the taste is complemented by fresh berries and sweet spices.

The second to last wine on the list was Chapillon – Cuvee Harmonie 2015, a very good wine that was accompanied by the main course, the pork neck with pumpkin puree, an absolutely sensational combination. The wine is a unique blend of 90% Petit Verdot and 10% Tannate from the Aragon region which spends 12 months in oak barrels. With a dense color of intense redness, the wine is distinguished by blackberries with smoky notes. It is a strong and dominant wine. We were curious about the blend and the percentage. „I made the blend for my taste. Tannat is very strong, so I chose this percentage because I did not want Tannat to be predominant, ” said Cristophe.

The last wine of the evening, Chapillon – Cuvee Remy 2014 was accompanied by homemade chocolate with chili. It has become a pure and sensory experience by combining the two elements, wine and chocolate. The wine itself is a blend of 35% Garnacha, 35% Carinena and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Priorat region and spent 16 months in oak barrels. The flavor of black cherries, with notes of spices have successfully completed an absolutely extraordinary evening.

Wine has its qualities. It challenges you to know him, to discover his secrets, to taste him with friends, because it is a noble drink that pushes us to socialization. I met beautiful, great people whom I really want to meet again. We had a tasteful event, I want to mention again the location, the restaurant-pub People, a place that manages to bring the culinary experience to the highest level, and of course the atmosphere filled with good wines presented by Christophe Chapillon.

Text and pics by: Yle Bocu

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