Louis de Jolimont Castelbeaux, Chardonnay

A Budget-Friendly French Chardonnay

I thought this was a pretty good Chardonnay for the value. That said, for the exact same price, I actually found the Pinot Noir from the same line to be even better — a stronger value overall. I also have to admit I’ve had better Chardonnays for just a little more than this price. However, for a French Chardonnay, especially from Beaujolais, it’s not bad at all.

Both the Pinot Noir and the Chardonnay remain solid value wines from Robert Debuisson, a winery in Beaujolais, France. In some parts of Europe, you can find these bottles for as low as around 5 euros—which truly is great for what you’re getting.

Vin de France Ready for Display

Also… look at this photo I took last year! At the time, I placed both bottles side by side to get the pictures ready so the shop could display them beautifully, and still today seeing them together really shows how well they complement each other. The labels, colors, and overall presentation make them the perfect eye-candy as a pair.

The Pinot Noir bottle features a “Grand Réserve” label with a Vin de France designation, while the Chardonnay carries the Louis de Jolimont branding. Both from Castelbeaux, these details signal that the line is not from Burgundy, even though the bottle shapes and classic grape choices (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) could easily lead someone to assume otherwise. The Vin de France classification instead points to production in regions like Languedoc, where many value-driven French wines are made.