Jules Métras has emerged as one of the leading voices of the new generation in Beaujolais. Working alongside his father, the legendary Yvon Métras before establishing his own domaine in 2014, Jules farms organically and follows a meticulous low-intervention philosophy that places vineyard expression above all else. Fermentations are carried out with indigenous yeasts, extraction is deliberately gentle, élevage is reductive, and sulphur additions are minimal or omitted depending on the vintage, resulting in wines of remarkable transparency and precision.

The Vieilles Vignes Chiroubles is sourced from parcels of 60 to 70-year-old Gamay planted on decomposed granite and sandy quartz soils characteristic of the cru, at elevations approaching 450 to 500 metres. Chiroubles is the highest appellation in Beaujolais, and its cooler mesoclimate consistently delivers wines of greater aromatic lift, finer tannin profile and higher natural acidity than many of its neighbouring crus. Whole clusters undergo semi-carbonic maceration for approximately four weeks before the wine is transferred by gravity to well-seasoned demi-muids and foudres for élevage, allowing the vineyard character to remain entirely unobscured by oak.

The 2024 vintage captures the finesse that defines great Chiroubles. Highly perfumed aromatics of wild strawberry, red cherry, peony, rose petal and crushed granite are underpinned by subtle savoury and stem-derived complexity. The palate is linear and finely detailed, driven by vibrant acidity, chalky mineral tension and exceptionally refined tannins. Despite its delicacy, there is impressive concentration from the old vines, with a long, saline finish that speaks clearly of site rather than winemaking. While immediately captivating with a light decant, this is a wine that will continue to gain nuance over the next five to eight years, rewarding those who appreciate the most transparent and terroir-driven expressions of Beaujolais.