The History of Chanson is closely tied to the History of France. It perfectly reflects the evolution of the country through 260 years of existence. Every men and women who proudly beared the colours of Chanson over centuries shared and still share a profound respect for the earth, the vine and the wine.
Roots that stretch over several centuries…
1720-1750 Birth of the first merchant houses specialized in purchasing, ageing and selling wines
1750 Set up of a wine-trading House by Simon Verry
1774 Louis XVI, King of France
1775 Chanson buys Clos de Vougeot wine from the abbot of Citeaux André de Croonembourg supplies Chanson with his casks of Richebourg
1777 Voltaire becomes customer The House settles « rue du collège » in the current premises bought from Marquis de Savigny, Monsieur de Migieu
1788 First order from King Louis XVI’s sister, Madame Elisabeth
1789 French Revolution
1792 First Republic
1794 The Bastion was bought for an amount of 1. 970 gold Francs
1799 Cambacérès and Consul Brunet become regular customers
1800 Triumvirate (Lebrun, Bonaparte, Cambacérès)
1804 First Empire, Napoléon Ier, Emperor of France
1806 Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland and brother of the Emperor orders a famous wine of Chambertin (6 casks of old 1st class Chambertin wine)
1815 Constitutional Monarchy
1826 Two extra levels are added to the Bastion building by Alexis Chanson
1847 Lamartine becomes customer
1850 Power transfer between Verry family and Chanson family
1852 Beginning of the Second Empire
1854 Free trade policy under Napoléon III
1854 Wines from Chanson spread over new markets such as the United Kingdom. Golden Age of the Burgundian vineyard
1870 Growth of Chanson’s activity. Exportations to european countries are bigger than sales in France.
1878 Phylloxera crisis and first appearance of new diseases in the vineyards
1891-1920 The Chanson Estate grows thanks to Paul Auguste Chanson (+11 ha over 30 years)
1893 1.3 ha on Les Champs Pimonts and Avaux, are bought from the Marey-Monge heirs
1900 Universal exhibition in Paris
1900 The Clos des Fèves wins the Gold Medal
1913 2.5 ha on Les Hauts Marconnets in Savigny, are bought from Léonce Bocquet
1914 First World War
1916 Chanson develops its business on a new continent : America
1931 First participation in the International Colonial Exhibition of Paris Concours Général Agricole of Paris
1939 Second World War
1958 5th Republic
1960 Chanson signs an exclusive contract within Germany
1968 Clos des Fèves becomes monopoly of Maison Chanson
1972 A modern winery is built in Savigny-lès-Beaune
1975 The American astronaut General Stafford, who commanded the missions Apollo X and Apollo Soyouz, visits Chanson.
1980 Second phase of construction work. A modern winery is built on the Clos Chameroy. The bottle storage capacity triples to 1.5 million bottles
1987 Chardonnay is planted in the plot of Clos des Mouches
1988 Creation of the appellation «Viré Clessé ». Chanson becomes the pioneer of this terroir. Strict plot selection.
1999 Power transfer between Chanson family and Bollinger group.
2000 250th anniversary of Domaine Chanson
2006 Acquisition of new plots in the Côte de Beaune such as « Puligny Montrachet Folatières », « Chassagne Chevenottes » and « Santenay Beauregard »
2007 Creation of a blending vat in the heart of the Bastion.
2007 « Clos des Mouches » elected « Best Chardonnay in the world »
2009 A new winery is built in Savigny-lès-Beaune. Vineyard are managed plot by plot as well as the vines from our partners
2019 Extensive restauration work of the chanson bastion with the complete restauration of the roof dating 1826
2023 Domaine Chanson expands to 93 ha with the acquisition of 50 ha in the Côte Chalonnaise