The Clos de La Chaize: A 17th-Century Architectural Masterpiece! The Clos de La Chaize: A 17th-Century Architectural Masterpiece!

Behind the Château de La Chaize, nestled into the hillside, lies a clos planted with vines, historically reserved for the estate's owner.

As an integral part of the monumental ensemble, the clos was created in 1676, alongside the Château and its gardens, based on designs by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and André Le Nôtre, masters of harmonic composition during the Grand Siècle.

The golden ratio, a mathematical concept aiming to define perfect proportions (approximately 1:1.61), has been used for millennia in art and design by renowned figures like Leonardo da Vinci to craft visually pleasing compositions.

The design of the clos showcases the scholarly contributions of the Château and gardens' 17th-century architects. Its proportions adhere to a golden rectangle, perfectly aligned with the Château and formal garden. Remarkably, the entire estate, including the vegetable garden and outbuildings, is governed by the same golden ratio, as evidenced by the Napoleonic cadastre.

As a testament to this technical brilliance, Clos de La Chaize is one of only four clos in France listed in the Additional Inventory of Historic Monuments.

Thanks to the expertise of Didier Repellin, Chief Architect of Historical Buildings, and the teams at DELUERMOZ, this extraordinary enclosure has regained its former grandeur.

The impressive gateway to Clos de La Chaize, framed by a protective stone wall, is crowned by a depiction of Bacchus, the god of wine, watching over the estate's finest Gamay vines, which continue to thrive across the vineyard. This emblematic figure is also present on the Château's wooden entrance door and sculpted in stone above it.

Raphaël Gruy, a family artist, illustrated this stone representation of Bacchus, an image now featured on materials associated with the exceptional Clos de La Chaize cuvée.