Domaine Aegerter
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Participating Winemaker: Paul Aegerter
The Aegerters, a father and son team, are creators and developers. They did not inherit an estate; they built it together, each contributing his own knowledge and aspirations.
United by the same passion for nature in general and vines in particular, Jean-Luc the pioneer and Paul the visionary freely chose this profession.
They began a shared story, developed their knowledge and allowed their ideas to mature. Paul, now the sole head of the family company, is continuing this family adventure and starting a new chapter: one about a flourishing business.
The Maison Aegerter, located in Nuit-Saint-Georges, Côte-d’Or, is thriving in a region known for both its traditions and its innovations.
The Aegerters believe that nature cannot be hurried. It must be listened to and pampered. All the vintages, from the most accessible to the most exceptional, have one thing in common: they are the outcome of a resolutely modern vision and dynamic. The best of Burgundy’s terroirs is well worth it. These passionate people are daring enough to leave the beaten track and offer all consumers, beginners and experts alike, carefully picked selections, new blends and different bottles.
This is a production and trading company whose hallmark is creativity. This characteristic, passed on down the generations, is in the Aergerter DNA. Like father, like son.
The Chromatiques range is also available for the Aligoté, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Domaine Marquis d'Angerville
Volnay
Participating Winemaker: Guillaume d'Angerville
This domaine can trace its roots back to 1507 when its holdings were recognized by royal decree. In 1804, the Baron du Mesnil acquired these vines along with the monopole Clos des Ducs. The baron’s son bequeathed the property in 1888 to his then 15-year-old great-nephew, the Marquis d’Angerville, who later became the grandfather of Guillaume d’Angerville. Guillaume’s father Jacques ran the estate from 1952 until 2003 when his sudden passing made way for Guillaume and his brother-in-law Renaud de Villette, an agronomist who had worked alongside Jacques for fifteen years. The estate was reinvigorated with the addition of viticulturist and winemaker François Duvivier. Among its many accomplishments, Domaine Marquis d’Angerville was one of the first to estate bottle its wine. Guillaume is also the head of Climats de Bourgogne, the organization that successfully lobbied for the vineyards of Burgundy to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and which now acts as their steward.
Domaine Bachelet-Monnot
Dezize-lès-Maranges
Participating Winemakers: Marc Bachelet & Alex Bachelet
Brothers Marc & Alex Bachelet founded Domaine Bachelet-Monnot in 2005 with vineyards from their father and uncle, and today farm a mix of family-owned and long-term leased vineyards totaling over 20 hectares in Maranges, Santenay, and Puligny-Montrachet. The brothers are thoughtful viticulturalists, using no herbicide and plowing regularly to remove weeds and aerate the soil. In the cellar, they age their wines for 12 months in around 25% new oak and then rack their whites into stainless steel and reds into concrete for another 6-8 months of lees aging. With a number of prestigious appellations to their name, in addition to very high quality terroirs in lesser-known Santenay and Maranges, the Bachelet brothers are rising stars in the region.
Domaine Ballot-Millot
Meursault
Participating Winemaker: Charles Ballot
Domaine Ballot-Millot has a long history in the village of Meursault - most recently, Charles Ballot took over the estate in 2001 and has proved an able sucessor. Although there are several red appellations in the Domaine’s portfolio, the emphasis remains on the white wines. In style they typify balance, poise and minerality, avoiding the heaviness of lesser Meursaults. Dedicated work in the vineyards helps the wines express their terroir, and strict pruning (rather than green harvesting) ensures low yields, resulting in well concentrated wines. New oak is used sparingly and work in the cellars is unmanipulative, allowing the intricacies of the wines to blossom.
Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet
Fixin
Participating Winemaker: Amélie Berthaut
In a region deeply steeped in tradition, it is exciting to discover a new winemaker who can elevate wines to new heights in quality and pleasure. Amélie Berthaut, the daughter of Denis Berthaut and Marie-Andrée Gerbet, only recently took over from her father, having first studied agro-oenology engineering in Bordeaux and spending time making wine with Agnes Henry at Domaine de la Tour du Bon in Bandol, and Dunn in California, before coming home to her family’s estate in 2013.
Domaine Berthaut is not a new domaine; it has been in the family for seven generations and has always been well-respected. The domaine covers 16 hectares, mostly in Fixin, but also in Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée. Fixin has the reputation of being a rustic wine, but Amélie explained that is perhaps because the winemaking is rustic and not the terroir. Like all great winemakers, Amélie insists that the most important work happens in the vineyards and working the soil. She follows lutte raisonnée farming, with a strong leaning towards organic viticulture: no herbicides or pesticides in the vineyards. The biggest threats are oidium and mildew, but she avoids spraying at all if possible.
In the cellar, the juice goes through a cold maceration for up to five days (up to 10ºC). Indigenous yeasts start fermentations naturally – alcoholic fermentation in concrete and malolactic in barrels or foudres. She pumps over daily and punches down the fruit three to four times after the alcoholic fermentation. Sulfur is added when the wines are initially put into tanks and then once after malolactic is finished, and once before bottling, but always kept to a minimum: total sulfur is 30-50ppm. She uses a combination of or foudres (1500-3000 liters) and barrels for aging and will age the wines for up to 24 months. Most of the wines are bottled without filtration (the Hautes Côtes and Fixin Villages are lightly filtered.)
Berthaut has a magic touch. The wines are alive and vibrant, and offer a truly unique expression of Fixin.
Domaines Albert Bichot
Beaune
Participating Winemaker: Alberic Bichot
The first traces of the Bichot family date back to 1214. They settled in Burgundy in 1350, in their fief of Châteauneuf-en-Auxois. The family’s coat of arms has not changed since nor has its symbol, a doe (biche).
In 1831, Bernard Bichot founded a wine trading business in his name in Monthélie. His son, Hippolyte, succeeded him and bought the first vines in Volnay, already convinced that upstream control was essential. His son, Albert Bichot, the first to bear the name, gave the family business new momentum in the late 19th century and settled in the centre of Beaune once and for all in 1912.
The second Albert Bichot, who was born in 1900, was a pioneer of international commerce. North America, Asia, Oceania… He travelled incessantly in order to introduce our wines, which were already recognized as being among the best, to wine lovers around the world.
In the second half of the 20th century, his four sons, Albert, Bernard, Bénigne and Jean-Marc, inherited this know-how. A new era of expansion began with the construction of a large ageing cellar, a new bottling centre and winery. Our wines were available in all of the world’s continents.
After having gone off to discover the world, (from the Arctic to Adélie Land), Albéric Bichot joined the company in the early 90s and took over its management in 1996. Though he fully respects family traditions, he is completely focused on the future. He compares himself to the "conductor of an orchestra, proud to bring people and their talents together over a common project".
The challenges are numerous: converting to organic viticulture in the Côte-d'Or vineyards, on-going adaptation to new markets, increasing the prestige and exposure of Burgundy wines and much more.
Convinced that the quality of wine depends on the quality of the grapes, he has focused on developing the upstream control that was undertaken in the 1980s. He secured supplies, and began to expand our vinification capacity and the ageing cellars in 2010.
The company’s vineyards now total 6 estates that cover Burgundy from north to south.
Domaine Henri Boillot
Meursault
Participating Winemaker: Guillaume Boillot
Henri Boillot is the fifth generation of a family that has been farming vines in Burgundy since 1855. Today, Henri co-manages his Meursault property alongside his son, Guillaume. Domaine Henri Boillot consists of 15 hectares split between white and red, including several Premier Crus in Meursault and Puligny where he holds a monopole in the four hectares of Clos de la Mouchere, and several Premier Crus in Savigny, Beaune, and Volnay. In the vineyard, Henri uses “lutte raisonnée” avoiding insecticides and herbicides, preferring sustainable farming techniques to preserve the integrity of the soil. Henri harvests his fruit as late as possible to ensure maximum maturity, yielding incredibly rich, pure, and powerful wines.
Domaine Bonneau du Martray
Pernand-Vergelesses
Participating: Mary Margaret McCamic, MW
Domaine Bonneau du Martray has been making wine in Burgundy for almost two centuries. Its single largest holding is one vineyard that lies in a single parcel on the famous hill of Corton, at the heart of the Grand Cru “Charlemagne.” The distinguished steep hillside traces its roots back to Emperor Charlemagne twelve hundred years ago. The domaine exclusively offers two Grand Cru wines - Corton-Charlemagne and Corton.
Underpinned by long-established vineyards, meticulously-selected plants, and controlled yield practices, the domaine’s production results from continuous labor. The care and constant attention to every detail lavished in the vineyard and cellar alike have earned Bonneau du Martray a worldwide reputation.
Bouchard Père & Fils
Beaune
Participating Winemaker: Frédéric Weber
The Bouchard family has been making wine since 1731. They are the largest domaine in Burgundy with approximately 130 hectares throughout Burgundy, fifty of which are located within the Côte de Beaune. Overall, they produce over 70 different appellations. The domaine has been the biggest holder of Beaune Premier Cru for several generations. The wines are vinified under the watchful eye of Frédéric Weber, who strongly believes in each parcel being vinified separately in order to fully express its distinct personality.
Domaine Chandon de Briailles
Pernand-Vergelesses
Participating Winemaker: Claude de Nicolay
This historic estate was established in 1834. Claude de Nicolay took over from her mother as winemaker in 1988 and crafts traditionally styled wines from one of the Côte d'Or's great terroirs, the hill of Corton and its surrounding villages. Corton is just north of Beaune and it's easy to spot, as it's a big hill with a forest on top. It's a limestone outcropping that is set apart from the main "côte" of the Côte de Beaune or Côte de Nuits. It is a bit of an anomaly in the Côte d'Or as the Grand Crus are named after the hill, rather than attached to a specific village. Three villages have vineyards that are a part of Corton: Aloxe, Ladoix, and Pernand-Vergelesses. Corton is the only place with red Grand Cru in the Côte de Beaune.
Already in the early 1980's Nicolay's mother, Nadine, stopped using any herbicides or pesticides in the vineyards and the vineyards have been organic since 1998. Francois de Nicolay, after running a wine shop in Paris for several years, joined his sister at the domaine in 2001. Through his experience of tasting wines from all over France, he became interested in biodynamic farming and by 2005, the vineyard management was fully biodynamic. The brother and sister team are incredibly curious and always making trials to acheive the best soil health and expression from their terroir. They were the first in Burgundy to treat oidium with milk instead of a copper sulfur mix and it's now a permissible treatment for certified organic agriculture. They own 13.7 hectares and "every vine is touched." Since 2014, they have been working with training the vines higher and longer, which gives the vines protection from the sun / shade for the grapes, and also allows for more photosynthesis, giving the plant more energy. They own three horses now and eventually would like to use horses entirely instead of tractors. They are also working with herbal infusions to boost the health of the vines and soil.
In the cellar, no enological products are used (except for sulfur in very small quantities), no tartaric acid, no exogenous yeasts, no tannin powder, no enzymes, etc. The winery itself has also been certified biodynamic since 2012. When most people mention biodynamic, they are referring to the farming. It's a separate certification for the cellar. The Chandon de Briailles wines are quite unique in the fact that there is a negligible amount of new oak for aging and most wines are made with a whole-cluster fermentation. For many years, Chandon de Briailles used 100% whole clusters every year on every wine, but their style has gradually changed and since 2011 they adapt the amount of whole clusters according to the wine and vintage. The Savigny-les-Beaune village is now typically de-stemmed and the premier cru and grand cru will have up to 100% whole cluster in a sunny year with good phenolic maturity. Fermentations start naturally a few days after harvest in open top cement tanks for all of the wines, except the grand cru, which are fermented in wooden open top fermenters. In 2015, the winery used a new stainless steel vertical press, which is incredibly gentle. It's considered the "Rolls Royce" of presses because it simply gives the most perfect and gentle press. Aging is carried out in mostly used barrels (up to eight years-old). The maximum amount of new oak now, even on the grand cru wines is up to 20%, as of the 2017 vintage. All of the wines are bottled without fining or filtration. For more than ten years, they have been working with low sulfur and bottled no sulfur wines to see how they would age and travel. For the first time, for the 2017 vintage, they released a limited amount of wines bottled without any added sulfur.
The Chandon de Briailles wines are truly gems within the Côte d'Or. They are not quite like any other Burgundy. When destemming, extraction, and new oak were the fashion, they were bottling all of their wines with 100% whole clusters and no new oak. Even today, with a max of 20% new oak, it's very low for grand cru Burgundy. Nothing quite stands still here and the only constant is the unending quest to learn more and experiment to achieve the best expression possible of Savigny-les-Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses, and Corton, irrespective of fashion.
Maison Chanterêves
Savigny-lès-Beaune
Participating Winemakers: Tomoko Kuriyama & Guillaume Bott
Chanterêves is a husband and a wife team launched in 2010 by two oenologists, Tomoko Kuriyama and Guillaume Bott. They are so called ‘négociant-vinificateur’ meaning that they buy grapes from winegrowers and vinify them to make their own wines.
Born in Japan, Tomoko has been passionate about food and wine from a young age. Her maternal grandmother was a cooking teacher and had her own cooking show on a national television channel in Japan. Her father was always a fan of good Bordeaux and Burgundy so wine was very much on her radar from an early age. Tomoko's professional career began in Germany. She apprenticed under Paul Fürst, Peter Jakob Kühn, and Hermann Schmoranz of Weingut Georg Breuer, and obtained an engineering degree in oenology & viticulture from the Geisenheim University. Until the launch of Chanterêves she was the production manager at Weingut Altenkirch in Rheingau, specializing in Riesling and Pinot Noir. She moved to Burgundy in 2011.
Guillaume was born in Dijon and grew up in Beaune. Being a Burgundian, the passion for wine came naturally to him. When it came time to choose a path in school he chose the Lycée Viticole of Beaune. Guillaume's first job was as the right hand of Gérard Boudot of Domaine Etienne Sauzet in Puligny-Montrachet. During his seven years at Sauzet, Guillaume gained experienced in vinifying the great Chardonnay terroirs of Burgundy. In 2002, in order to expand his expertise to Pinot Noir, he moved to Domaine Simon Bize et Fils in Savigny-les-Beaune to assist Patrick Bize. Guillaume continues to work as the cellar master of Bize to this day.
Guillaume and Tomoko first met in 2005 when she came to Simon Bize as a harvest intern. Their passion for Burgundy and winemaking philosophies are so aligned that it was only a matter of time till they set out on their own.
Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
Volnay
Participating Winemaker: Mark O’Connell
Domaine Clos de la Chapelle is a new name of a very old domaine. Originally founded by Victor Boillot in 1865 with his purchase of Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Chapelle (a monopole), the domaine added Volnay 1er Cru En Carelle and Pommard 1er Cru Les Chanlins over the course of the next half century. The reputation of the Clos de la Chapelle monopole vineyard dates back to the 19th century, with Louis Pasteur himself writing regularly to Victor Boillot requesting bottles of this exceptional wine. After nearly 150 years in the Boillot family, the domaine was purchased by Mark M. O’Connell, a life-long Burgundy lover. With recent purchases in the Côte de Beaune, the Domaine now farms nearly 4 hectares, all grand cru and premier cru and is certified organic. The goal of the domaine is to make the best possible expression of terroir for each of the wines under its stewardship.
Domaine Bruno Clair
Marsannay-la-Côte
Participating Winemaker: Bruno Clair
Born out of the old Clair-Dau estate, Bruno Clair’s wings are spread widely over the Côte d’Or, covering nine appellations in total. Bruno, first and foremost, is a vigneron and, with the help of winemaker Philippe Brun, produces some of Burgundy’s purest examples, adopting an approach that involves back-breaking vineyard work and minimal intervention winemaking, using a mixture of large old wooden foudres and smaller barriques for the long slow ageing process. The estate is renowned, in particular, for its excellent value Marsannays, stunning Gevreys and old vines Savigny Cuvées.
Domaine Y. Clerget
Volnay
Participating Winemaker: Thibaud Clerget
While the Clerget family traces its history in Burgundy back to 1268, the current story of Domaine Yvon Clerget is one of rebirth. In 2009, Thibaud Clerget’s father Yvon decided to retire from winemaking. Knowing his son had an intense passion to continue the family legacy, Yvon made the decision to sell the grapes from the family holdings in the finest terroirs of Volnay and Pommard to Henri Boillot. During this time, Thibaud began studying the craft of vineyard management and winemaking from two storied names in Burgundy, Henri Boillot and Domaine Hudelot-Noellat. After this three-year apprenticeship, Thibaud returned to take over the family domaine. In 2015, he produced his first wines and announced the re-emergence of Domaine Yvon Clerget.
The domaine’s holdings include a number of top Volnay Premier Crus, including Santenots, Carelle Sous La Chapelle, Champans, and Taillepieds. The jewel of the Clerget family is the Premier Cru monopole of Clos du Verseuil, a tiny 0.68 hectare parcel tucked between Taillepieds and Bousse d’Or. Rounding out the lineup are one hectare of Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens and a 0.40 hectare slice of Clos Vougeot in the “Grand Maupertui” section, just below Grands Echezeaux.
Domaine Vincent Dauvissat
Chablis
Participating Winemakers: Vincent Dauvissat & Etiennette Dauvissat
Domaine Vincent Dauvissat is arguably the finest Domaine in Chablis. Established in the 1970s by Robert Dauvissat, the Domaine has passed down from father to son for three generations. Robert’s son René is to thank for establishing the reputation of the Domaine. Vincent began working with his father, René, in the 1970s.
When René retired in 1989, Vincent took over the responsibility of running the family-owned Domaine, and has been at the helm ever since. In 2002, Vincent oversaw the implementation of biodynamic farming methods. Today, Vincent is joined by the fourth generation of Dauvissats, his son, Ghislain, and daughter, Etiennette. While both Ghislain and Etienette assist Vincent with vinification, Etiennette focuses on administrative duties and Ghislain maintains the vineyards.
A loyal following among France’s most esteemed restaurateurs sharply limits the availability of Dauvissat wines for export. Despite limited quantities, the wines have attracted the praise and attention of critics worldwide.
Maison Joseph Drouhin
Beaune
Participating Winemaker: Véronique Drouhin
This domaine was founded by Joseph Drouhin in 1880 and is now run by his grandchildren; Frédéric, Véronique, Philippe and Laurent. The domaine consists of 73 hectares spread throughout Burgundy in the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, Beaujolais and Chablis. All of the domaine’s vineyards are cultivated biodynamically, lending to the Drouhin signature of crafting elegant, refined and complex wines. The philosophy of the estate can be defined in five points: dedication to the diversity of Burgundy, family heritage, their total awareness of nature, the ideal of perfection and elegance, and the desire to share its great wines with the world.
Domaine Duroché
Gevrey-Chambertin
Participating Winemaker: Pierre Duroché
Philippe Duroché started his domaine with 3 hectares in 1954 and slowly built it up to its current size, a little over eight hectares. From 2005 to 2008 Philippe’s grandson, Pierre, jointly ran the domaine alongside his father Gilles. Today, Pierre manages the vineyards and winemaking on his own, hoping to continue the family tradition of creating elegant, delicious wines. Starting with the 2014 vintage, Pierre introduced a special new cuvée, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques Vignes 23, made exclusively from vines planted before 1923. Most of the grapes come from a parcel adjacent to Clos St Jacques that is plowed exclusively by horse. His Gevrey-Chambertin holdings also include three village wines, 3 additional Premier Crus (Champeaux, Cazetieres, and Estournelles St-Jacques), and four Grand Crus (Charmes Chambertin, Latricières Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Griotte Chambertin). Only natural yeasts are used during the fermentation, and ageing is done in 10-20% new oak barrels for the village wines, 30-50% for the Premier Cru, and 50-75% for the Grand Crus.
Domaine Sylvie Esmonin
Gevrey-Chambertin
Participating Winemaker: Sylvie Esmonin
Prior to Sylvie Esmonin heading her eponymous estate, it was known as Domaine Michel Esmonin et Fille. After studying in Dijon, Sylvie worked in various capacities as a consulting oenologist. She says that she needed several years of independent work to weigh her decision and commitment to come back to Gevrey-Chambertin and succeed her father at the family estate. She came back to vinify the 1990 vintage, and from then on the whole production became estate bottled. Otherwise, all decisions were made by father and daughter together, until progressively Sylvie assumed all responsibilities (with the possible exception of plowing, Michel Esmonin’s favorite vineyard chore).
The estate consists of 7.8 hectares, half owned, half rented: 80 ares of Bourgogne Rouge, 60 ares in Côtes-de-Nuits, 10 ares of Bourgogne Aligoté, 20 ares of Bourgogne Blanc, 20 ares in Volnay-Santenots, 1.7 hectares of the 1er cru Clos-Saint-Jacques and 4.4 hectares in Gevrey-Chambertin. The average age of the vines is high, most were planted by Sylvie’s grandfather and some by her father. The Clos-Saint-Jacques, considered a Grand Cru in everything but name, is planted right behind Sylvie's house and is essentially her backyard.
The winery is a large facility, with a beautiful stone cellar underneath. All grapes are destemmed, crushed and fermented in open wood vats, then put in barrels for the secondary fermentation and aging. The barrels are of various ages to accommodate each different cuvée, with only Clos St-Jacques using a high proportion of new wood, usually 75%.
The first cuvée is a Bourgogne rouge, from vineyards outside Gevrey-Chambertin; it is light, fruity and lively. The Côte de Nuits-Villages comes from vineyards in Brochon, a small village between and Fixin, from the lieux-dits La Croix Viollette and Les Vignois; it is smoky and peppery, with ripe tannins and sweet fruit. The Gevrey-Chambertin comes from 30-year-old vines in the lieu-dit Les Crais; it is quite rich and structured, with good ripeness and dark fruit aromas. The largest cuvée, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, comes from various plots of 60-year-old vines; it ages in 50% new wood and has toasty oak notes, is very ripe, round and chewy, with intense berry fruit. The Clos St-Jacques, as a young wine, often tastes drier and lighter than the VV cuvée; with some bottle age, though, it shows great finesse and complexity. It is a wine of elegance more than obvious power, and it gracefully integrates subtle fruit and pleasant oaky notes.
Domaine d'Eugénie
Vosne-Romanée
Participating Winemaker: Frédéric Engerer
Situated in Vosne-Romanée in the heart of the Côte de Nuits, the Domaine d’Eugenie was born after the purchase of the René Engel estate by François Pinault in 2006. The domaine owns six and a half hectares in five appellations extending through Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot and Flagey-Echezeaux. Frédéric Engerer, manager of the domaine, began the switch over to biodynamic winemaking in 2009 with the Clos d’Eugenie and Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, and foresees the entire vineyard converting to organic and biodynamic practices in the near future. The wines are kept in climate-controlled wooden vats which control their precise, complex and diverse outcomes.
Domaine Faiveley
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Participating Winemaker: Erwan Faiveley
Since the domaine was founded in 1825, the Faiveley family has dedicated the major part of their resources to buying vineyards situated on the best slopes in Burgundy. Today Faiveley owns approximately 120 hectares in, among others, the following appellations: Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Musigny, Clos de Vougeot, Echezeaux, Corton, Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Mercurey. Domaine Faiveley believes in strictly limited yields and carefully controlled production. These meticulous methods allow for wines that mature well. The wines’ complexity and longevity are ensured by the high average age of the domaine’s vines. These wines are outstandingly clean, rich, balanced and concentrated.
Domaine William Fèvre
Chablis
Participating Winemaker: Didier Séguier
Founded in 1959, this Domaine is at the forefront of Chablis production in Burgundy. It is comprised of 78 hectares within the following appellations: Saint-Bris, Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru (of which they produce - Les Clos, Les Preuses, Vaudésir, Valmur, Bougros). The unique mineral character of these Chablis comes from a soil that mixes marl and clay-rich lime, as well as a Kimmeridgian subsoil rich in minerals and oyster fossils. Since the 1998 vintage, the proportion of new casks was reduced so as to not dampen the subtle variations of Chablis terroir. These methods have allowed the Domaine to produce wines faithful to their origins with high aromatic purity, and whose principle characteristics are minerality and freshness.
Domaine Didier Fornerol
Corgoloin
Participating Winemaker: Didier Fornerol
Didier Fornerol was the vineyard manager at Domaine de L’Arlot. Fornerol learned his winemaking skills by his father’s side, and took over his family’s domaine in 1996. Today, Fornerol carries out all the vineyard tasks with passion: pruning, trellising, treatments, and manual harvest. He controls operations from winemaking to bottling with the utmost care. The domaine is made up of 6 hectares in the village of Corgoloin (3.70 hectares of Côtes de Nuits-Villages red and 0.60 hectares of Côtes de Nuits-Villages white) and very small amounts of Passetoutgrain, Aligoté and Bourgogne Regionale. The vineyard is managed using minimal amounts of synthetic treatment products (lutte raisonnée) and the young vines are strictly pruned to limit their yields. Jean-Pierre de Smet joined the winemaking team upon his retirement from Domaine de l’Arlot and works closely with Didier on all aspects of the winemaking. An avid believer in whole cluster fermentation, Didier makes wines that are a prime example of old school Burgundy at its best!
Domaine Fourrier
Gevrey-Chambertin
Participating Winemaker: Jean-Marie Fourrier
Domaine Fourrier (previously known as Pernot-Fourrier) has a long history in Gevrey-Chambertin extending over four generations. One of the first domaines to export its wine to the US, it is also one of the most prodigious estates in the village with holdings throughout the most heralded appellations. Having weathered a period of eclipse through the latter part of the 1980s, the domaine has been re-energized by the arrival of Jean-Marie Fourrier. Taking the reins in 1994, Jean-Marie burst onto the Burgundian scene by wisely combining the traditions of his father and uncle (using, for example, vines of a minimum 30 years of age for the estate bottlings), his experience gained while working with Henri Jayer and Domaine Drouhin (in Oregon), and his own clear sense of style. Ever since his ascension, the wines of Domaine Fourrier have garnered critical acclaim. Domaine Fourrier owns 9 hectares of vineyards in the communes of Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis and Chambolle-Musigny with holdings that are scattered up and down the slopes and range from village to Grand Cru level. Included among their holdings are important parts of Clos St. Jacques and Combes Aux Moines as well as a small but valuable slice of Griotte-Chambertin.
Domaine Génot-Boulanger
Meursault
Participating Winemaker: Guillaume Lavollée
Guillaume and Aude Lavollée represent the fourth generation of vignerons at Génot-Boulanger. Their wines are produced exclusively from estate-owned vineyards, located along all three Burgundy côtes, from Chambolle Musigny, down to the domaine in Meursault, and on to Mercurey. With 22 hectares, Génot-Boulanger is one of only a few family-owned Burgundian domaines to produce such a diverse range of over 30 appellations, including three Grand Crus and thirteen Premier Crus. Since 2008, Guillaume and Aude have worked painstakingly to improve quality, converting to organic farming practices and experimenting with biodynamics. The domaine philosophy is “maximum work in the vineyards for minimum intervention in the cuverie,” which has translated into practices such as higher trellising for photosynthetic optimization, the use of tisanes to increase soil health, and the elimination of the use of batonnage in the winery. The wines of Génot-Boulanger are classical examples of Burgundy terroir - structured vins de garde and nonetheless inviting to enjoy when young.
Domaine Emmanuel Giboulot
Beaune
Participating Winemaker: Emmanuel Giboulot
Emmanuel Giboulot is an exceptional winemaker with the true pedigree of a farmer. Domaine Giboulot's Pinot Beurot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards cover 10 hectares across 12 parcels in Beaune, Côtes de Beaune, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Rully and other appellations. Giboulot also produces two IGP from Sainte Marie la Blanche where his father began farming organically by 1975. As a founding charter member of Renaissance des Appellations/Return to Terroir, he is devoted to making wines that are true to their place while respecting a most rigorous ethics of viticulture and vinification.
Domaine Heitz-Lochardet
Chassagne-Montrachet
Attending Winemaker: Armand Heitz
Domaine Heitz-Lochardet started in 1857 with the Nie-Vantey family, owners of many vineyards from Santenay to Clos Vougeot. Post-phylloxera, many of the vineyards were sold, but the best Côte de Beaune vineyards were kept in the family by Georges Lochardet. Two generations later, Brigitte Lochardet married Christian Heitz and her five hectare share of the family vineyards became Heitz-Lochardet, which Brigitte farmed organically. For 25 years, Brigitte sold the totality of her crop to Joseph Drouhin.
In 2011, Armand Heitz, the next generation, finished his oenological studies and started taking over his mother’s vineyards, converting them to full biodynamic practices in the process.
The wines are aromatic, extremely balanced and expressive of their terroir - classic nods to old-school Burgundy winemaking practices. All Armand’s wines are whole cluster fermentations because he firmly believes that a wine’s essence is derived from the totality of the vine. Each component of the vine, from roots to leaves to stems, skins and pulp, plays an important role in a living wine.
Domaine Hudelot-Baillet
Chambolle-Musigny
Participating Winemaker: Dominique Le Guen
Domaine Hudelot-Baillet is a true Chambolle-Musigny producer with cellars in the town and holdings entirely within the appellation. The domaine was created in 1981 by Joël Hudelot (inherited largely from his father Paul) and his wife Chantal Baillet. Joël retired in 2004 and passed along the reins to his son-in-law Dominique Le Guen who had been working with him at the domaine since 1998. Dominique has elevated the quality at this domaine and has been described by illustrious neighbors in Chambolle as a ‘vigneron to watch’. The wines demonstrate an uncommon purity of Chambolle-Musigny fruit from the Bourgogne Rouge to the Bonnes Mares.
Maison Louis Jadot
Beaune
Participating Winemaker: Thibault Gagey
Louis Henry Denis Jadot founded the Maison Louis Jadot in 1859. The vineyards of Jadot are now scattered across 154 hectares of Burgundy, from the Côte d'Or to the Mâconnais and down into Beaujolais. All of Maison Louis Jadot’s vineyards are cultivated with the utmost care. The Maison believes that the terroir of Burgundy is what lends their wines their richness and diversity. With an uncompromising dedication to quality, Louis Jadot produces some of the most age-worthy and classically structured wines. Their aim is to express the true nature of Burgundy through their wines – a nature and terroir, they say, that can be both proud of its past and optimistic about its future.
Domaine Antoine Jobard
Meursault
Participating Winemaker: Antoine Jobard
Domaine Jobard is one of the great Meursault estates, with Antoine Jobard continuing the fine work of his father François since inheriting the domaine, whose history of five family generations began in 1860. Today, the domaine farms around seven hectares of Chardonnay vines, mostly in Meursault. The high quality Meursaults that still dominate the production today are made in a classic style, with long time spent on the lees, and are known to have excellent bottle-aging potential.
Domaine Gérard Julien & Fils
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Participating Winemaker: Etienne Julien
This domaine’s story began at the turn of the 19th century when François-Xavier Julien purchased vines in the village of Comblanchien, just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges. The first 50 years of its existence were hard, with the two world wars and an influx of sub-par wines from the south and Algeria into the market not helping things. The domaine’s fortunes turned, however, once it started estate-bottling in the 50’s and that success has been passed down to the current family member in charge, Étienne Julien, François-Xavier’s great-grandson.
Étienne’s first vintage was only 2012 but he is already making a real name for himself. Like close friend Maxime Cheurlin of Domaine George Noëllat, Étienne has a confidence beyond his years. The wines have poise and purity, which give them a degree of accessibility without compromising their sense of place or structural make up.
Domaine Michel Lafarge
Volnay
Attending Winemakers: Frédéric, Chantal & Clothilde Lafarge
Michel worked with his father from 1949, with Frédéric starting in 1978. As of 2018, they have been joined by the next generation, Clothilde Lafarge, daughter of Frédéric and Chantal. The domaine traces its history back to the early 19th century, the iconic Clos du Château des Ducs having been bought in 1900 by Michel Lafarge’s father. The first wines bottled at the domaine in 1934 included Clos des Chênes, the domaine’s largest Volnay premier cru holding and one of the village’s flagships.
Red wines are 100% destemmed. Michel and Frédéric converted to biodynamic viticulture in 1996 and the domaine is now at the forefront of the movement. There is nothing showy here, as a visit to the mould-covered cellars will confirm. The wines are pure, age-worthy and yet quite beautifully delicate.
Domaine des Comtes Lafon
Meursault
Attending Winemakers: Dominique Lafon, Léa Lafon, & Pierre Lafon
Domaine des Comtes Lafon has been in the Lafon family since 1865. Dominique Lafon took over the domaine in 1983. It is comprised of approximately 14 hectares situated in the communes of Volnay, Monthélie, Chassagne-Montrachet, and of course, Meursault, where the domaine and its monopole vineyard Clos de la Barre are located. In 1923, Dominique’s great-grandfather, Jules Lafon, revived the idea of the traditional Burgundian post-harvest meal and held the first Paulée de Meursault at Domaine des Comtes Lafon. 90 years later, the tradition is still going strong!
In addition to the family holdings, Dominique also owns land in Mâcon under the domaine name Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon. More recently, he has been purchasing vineyards throughout the Côte de Beaune and bottling wines under his own name. All of his vineyards are cultivated biodynamically and he is proud to own every Premier Cru in Meursault. As part of the fourth generation of winemakers in the Lafon family, Dominique and his wines are superstars not only in Burgundy but throughout the world. As of the 2019 vintage, Dominique has been joined by his daughter Léa and nephew Pierre.
Domaine Leflaive
Puligny-Montrachet
Attending Winemaker: Brice de la Morandière
The roots of the Leflaive family go back to 1717 when Claude Leflaive took up residence in Puligny-Montrachet, intent upon cultivating several acres of vineyards. The domaine, in its present form, was created by Joseph Leflaive between the years of 1910 and 1930, as a result of his successive purchases of vineyards and houses.
Today, the domaine extends over 24 hectares (59.3 acres) in Puligny-Montrachet, of which 4.8 hectares (11.9 acres) are grands crus and 10.8 hectares (26.7 acres) are premiers crus, all growing one varietal: Chardonnay. Since 2004 the domaine has expanded into the Mâconnais and cultivates some 20 hectares 49.4 acres) in Mâcon-Verzé and Solutré-Pouilly.
Domaine Leflaive is one of the pioneers of biodynamic viticulture in Burgundy. After increasing trials at the beginning of the 1990s, conversion has been total since 1996. Biodynamics is a method of cultivation based upon a sensitive understanding of natural phenomenon, taking into account terrestrial and lunar rhythms. It strictly excludes the use of all chemical products. It seeks first to promote the life of the soil and the development of a number of important species. The preparations used in biodynamics allow the vine to reinforce its own immunity by respecting the natural balance of fauna and flora. It provides the organic matter — vegetable, animal and mineral — transformed (horn of manure, horn of silica and other preparations based on wild herbs such as yarrow, chamomile and nettles).
Thus the wines can better express the qualities and particularities of their terroirs. The soils in Puligny-Montrachet are calcareous clay with different percentages of clay and limestone, according to the locations. The soil also includes trace elements: traces of iron, magnesium, boron that assure nourishment to the roots that make a difference to each vine.
In the cellars, the same philosophy of respect presides over the entire vinification process and follows the purest Burgundian tradition: long and natural fermentations in oak barrels in the first year and in stainless steel the second winter. Fermentations are solely from indigenous yeasts. A light bâtonnage (stirring of the lees) is practiced between the end of alcoholic fermentation and beginning of malolactic fermentation. Bottling takes place in the springtime of the second year.
Domaine Leflaive has been entirely a family domaine since its creation. Brice de La Morandière, great grandson of the founder, Joseph Leflaive, represents the fourth generation at the head of the domaine. In 2015, after an international career in industry, he succeeded Anne-Claude, pioneer in biodynamics. It is with the same philosophy of respect for the great terroirs, humility toward the forces of nature, and relentless pursuit of excellence in viticulture and in winemaking that the domaine will continue to grow in the future.
Profile courtesy of Wilson Daniels
Domaine Benjamin Leroux
Beaune
Participating Winemaker: Benjamin Leroux
Known as a winemaking prodigy, Benjamin Leroux established a small négociant business based in Beaune in 2007 after having created a name for himself as régisseur (general manager) of Domaine du Comte Armand in Pommard.
The possibilities are very exciting for this exceptionally talented vigneron. Benjamin is a master at delivering purity of fruit alongside a seamless texture in his wines which have only the subtlest influence of oak.
Domaine Hubert Lignier
Morey-Saint-Denis
Participating Winemaker: Laurent Lignier
The Hubert-Lignier estate has been in Lignier family for five generations. In 1880, Jacques Lignier purchased plots of vines in Morey-St-Denis in the heart of the Côte de Nuits. The estate named after Hubert Lignier, born in 1936, was taken over by his son Romaine in 1991. Before Romaine’s untimely passing in 2004, he helped make enormous improvements within the family estate, leaving his brother and current manager, Laurent, in good hands. Laurent, along with help from his father, Hubert, manages 9 hectares that produce 24 wines (and include Bourgogne, village, premier cru and grand cru appellations). They do not use weed killer or insecticides to avoid hindering microorganisms that are essential for the growth of the vines. Instead, they have been using organic protective treatments since 2011. The result is authentic, concentrated, and delicious wines that express their respective terroir.
Domaine Louis Michel & Fils
Chablis
Participating Winemaker: Guillaume Gicqueau-Michel
The Louis Michel domaine was founded in 1850 and is currently sixth-generation family owned. The winery is situated in the heart of Chablis, with the 25 hectare vineyard spread over the first wine-producing slopes, discovered by Cistercian monks in the 11th Century. A top winery in the appellation, the wines can age remarkably well. Vinification takes place at low temperature, and there is no batonnage. No oak has been used for the past forty years.
Domaine Matrot
Meursault
Participating Winemakers: Adèle Matrot & Elsa Matrot
Joseph Matrot (1881-1963), the grandson of owners of a family wine estate in Puligny-Montrachet and Blagny, lived with his wife, Marguerite Amoignon, and their three children at Château d’Evelle. Marguerite also owned a beautiful wine estate in Meursault. In 1914, they took up residence in Marguerite’s family home, which is today the seat of Domaine Matrot, and decided to develop and extend the estate. Their son, Pierre, began working as a wine grower in 1937. He also bought vineyards, modernized the estate and, together with his wife Simone Bonin, had five children. Having obtained a degree in wine growing and oenology in Beaune, Thierry, Pierre’s son born in 1955, continued with business studies in Mâcon Davayé. He joined the estate in 1976 and took over the vinification starting in 1983. Together with his father, Thierry continued to establish the reputation of Domaine Matrot and its wines. In January 2000, Thierry and his wife, Pascale, established and developed a limited liability company allowing them to buy and sell the harvest of the vineyards of Héritiers du Domaine Joseph Matrot. Thierry has been running the estates SCE Pierre Matrot and Héritiers du Domaine Joseph Matrot for many years. He ensures constantly high quality regarding all stages of the winemaking process: cultivation of the vines, vinification, maturing the wines, and selling them. He and Pascale have been joined by their daughters, Adèle and Elsa, in the management and wine making of Domaine Matrot, ensuring that the family-run domaine will be in good hands for many years to come.
Domaine Olivier Merlin
Mâcon (La Roche Vineuse)
Participating Winemakers: Olivier & Corinne Merlin
Olivier Merlin is an old-school wine maker who prides himself on crafting non-manipulated wines with low yields in the Mâconnais. He’s also really fun to hang out with. (What else could you ask for?)
Olivier’s wines are proof that wine from the Maconnais can be serious, long-lived, and delicious. Since starting his domaine in 1987 he has worked tirelessly to promote the wines of the region and now as trends have come and gone, Olivier can be considered as one of the region’s benchmark producers.
Pierre Meurgey / Meurgey-Croses
Davayé (Mâconnais)
Participating Winemaker: Pierre Meurgey
Since 1959 Pierre Meurgey has been completely immersed in the world of Burgundy. His great grandfather, Joseph-Ernest Meurgey-Perron founded his wine trading company at the end of the 19th century in Beaune. His grandfather Ernest and then father Henri, worked as estate managers, enologists, winemakers, and brokers of Burgundy wines.
His mother, Marie-Thérèse Croses was born in Mâcon, the capital of southern Burgundy. The family house is located in the wine village of Uchizy near Mâcon.
Since 1990, Pierre was exclusively devoted to the production and sales of Burgundy wines. The qualitative potential of Mâcon is now strongly enhanced by some renowned producers. Pierre's family attachment to South Burgundy and belief in the great assets of this area encouraged him to launch his own production of white wines in the Mâcon region with the 2013 harvest. The grapes are purchased from family friends and neighbors and the project is named after both of his parents: Meurgey-Croses.
Pierre produces wines that simply reflect the terroirs from which they come. His family roots from Mâcon help him to find quality grapes from independent growers. He works with a single winegrower by appellation and climate which enables him to control the timing and conditions of harvest as well as the transport to the winery situated in Davayé, in the heart of Mâcon region. Working in a modern winery allows him to respect the grapes by limiting manipulation and intervention. With efficiency and organization he can vinify precisely and thus enhance the purity and freshness of the wines.
Alcoholic fermentation and ageing take place in tank or 228/400/600L barrel depending on the appellation.
Domaine de Montille
Puligny-Montrachet
Participating Winemaker: Etienne de Montille
Domaine de Montille is not only one of the greatest domaines in Burgundy, but one of the greatest domaines in France. With a family heritage that can be traced back to the 17th century and a winemaking heritage rooted in Burgundy since 1750, the de Montilles have become synonymous with their hometown of Volnay. Over the centuries the domaine has seen its fair share of feast and famine. While the original property boasted 12 hectares of vines along the famed Côte d’Or, years of selling off parcels had reduced the family holdings to a mere three hectares. It wasn’t until Hubert de Montille took over in 1947 that the estate started its decades-long path back to glory. Although a trained lawyer like his father, Hubert could not deny his love of wine, so he practiced both professions for almost 50 years. In an era when 90 percent of the region’s crop was being sold off to négociants, Hubert took a stand against the commercially styled wines that were in vogue to make terroir-driven wines instead.
Hubert’s son, Étienne, joined the domaine in 1983, took control of the cellars in 1990, and by 1995, he was co-managing alongside his father. It was that same year that the de Montilles started the slow conversion of the estate to organic farming—a choice which took their old-school “terroirisme” to a whole new level. In 2005, they began implementing biodynamic principles, and in 2012, they earned their official organic certification. In 2006, Hubert’s equally accomplished daughter Alix joined as the winemaker for whites. Gifted businesspeople and vignerons like their father, Étienne and Alix ventured into parallel pastures: in 2003, they also launched DEux Montilles Sœur & Frère, a small négociant, and in 2012, they bought the Château de Puligny-Montrachet which Étienne had been directing since 2001. Throughout their tenure, Hubert and his children have worked hard to expand the family holdings parcel by parcel. Thanks to their efforts, Domaine de Montille now consists of 20 hectares of land in 20 appellations—with a staggering 75% in premier cru and grand cru vineyards throughout the Côte d’Or.
Stylistically, their wines tend to be different than those of the other well-known names of Volnay and Pommard, as the vinifications are very traditional. While the goal now is to vinify 100% of the harvest by whole-cluster fermentation, it depends entirely on the vintage, because in certain years the stems are not deemed ripe enough to be included in the cuvaison. The de Montilles are purists, so they tend to avoid recipes and prefer to adapt from year to year. This said, they do try to stick to a few general philosophic guidelines. For example, they seek long macerations, anywhere from 12 to 16 days, and they emphasize the importance of punch-downs at the peak of fermentation. Barrel aging is paramount, but they believe the oak should not mask the wine, so they keep the percentage of new oak to 25 percent maximum. The de Montilles have always kept chaptalization to the absolute minimum, with the potential alcohol never raised above 12 percent. This philosophy came about from a miscalculation with the 1959 Volnay “Taillepieds.” When Hubert tasted the wine 25 years later, he realized that the wines that had received less sugar aged more gracefully. Since then, the de Montilles have learned that less is more, and now the wines show more finesse and greater purity of fruit. While they tend to be shy on the nose and firm on the palate during their first couple of years in the bottle, they flesh out over time, providing an abundance of layered aromas and flavors which make these Burgundies as pure as they are legendary.
Domaine Christian Moreau & Fils
Chablis
Participating Winemaker: Christian Moreau
Domaine Christian Moreau dates back to 1814, when cooper Jean Joseph Moreau began a négociant business in Chablis. In 1975 and 1984 pieces of the domaine were sold off to a Canadian company and the family lost its majority stake. In 2002, Christian Moreau fully re-bought the domaine and is now working this 12 hectare property with his son, Fabien. The Domaine believes in meticulous care in the vineyards, reducing the use of harmful products and highlighting the unique terroir of Chablis. Their winemaking techniques strive to honor the high quality of their terroir, vines, and grapes, bringing out the very best in every harvest.
Domaine Moreau-Naudet
Chablis
Participating Winemakers: Virginie Moreau-Naudet
Stéphane Moreau-Naudet, who was influenced by Vincent Dauvissat, was a consummate vigneron, and craftsman in the cellar, using barrel-élevage, but not in such a way that oakiness can readily be detected in the wines (all the barrels are steamed rather than charred and they use no new oak except for in the straight Chablis, and then only one barrel per 100hl in order to age it prior to using for the Premiers Crus). He produced wines full of racy character and complexity. Sadly, Stéphane passed away suddenly in September 2016, but the domaine's great work continues under Stéphane's wife Virginie.
Domaine Pierre Morey / Maison Morey-Blanc
Meursault
Participating Winemakers: Pierre Morey & Anne Morey
The name Morey-Blanc is derived from two family names: the first is in honor of Pierre Morey’s family, followed by his wife’s maiden name, Blanc. For generations, the Morey family worked parcels of land en méteyage at the Domaine des Comtes Lafon. In the 1990s, under Pierre Morey, the Morey contracts expired, forcing the family to lose three valuable appellations for their winemaking. To compensate for their loss, Pierre created Morey-Blanc, a négociant operation including 10 hectares distributed in different parcels located in Monthélie, Pommard, Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Additionally, between 1988 and 2008, Pierre became manager and cellar master at Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet. The Pierre Morey domaine has been organic since 1992, and biodynamic since 1997, and is today run by Pierre and his daughter Anne.
Domaine Thomas Morey
Chassagne-Montrachet
Participating Winemakers: Thomas Morey
The history of the Morey family in Chassagne-Montrachet dates back to the middle of the 17th century. Claude Morey, a native of Paris l’Hôpital, a small commune of Saône-et-Loire lying some six miles from Chassagne-Montrachet, arrived in the village in 1643. He and his numerous descendants worked in the vineyards or as coopers. It wasn’t until the end of the 19th century that vine growing became their principal activity. Since then, generation has followed generation, acquiring by inheritance or purchase, plots of vineyards or fallow land and passing these on to their descendants. Today, the domaine has evolved considerably from what it was in the days of Thomas Morey’s grandparents. Thomas Morey belongs to the 10th generation of the Morey family. He grew up familiar with his grandparents’ holdings and then worked for 12 years on that of his parents. In 2006, he and his wife Sylvie decided to set up their own domaine together. Thus the Thomas Morey domaine put its name to its first vintage in 2007, crafting elegant, lively, mineral, rich, silky and appealing wines ever since.
Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg
Vosne-Romanée
Participating Winemakers: Marie-Andrée Mugneret, Marie-Christine Mugneret, Fanny Nauleau, Marion Nauleau, & Lucie Teillaud
Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg was the creation of a newly married couple, Jeanne Gibourg and André Mugneret, in 1933. Their only son, Georges Mugneret, pursued a career in ophthalmology, while simultaneously working the family profession by enlarging and enhancing the estate and purchasing some of his own vines whose wines were bottled under the label Domaine Georges Mugneret.
Dr. Mugneret met his future wife Jacqueline in 1958 while serving in Algeria. Upon their return to France they had two daughters, Marie-Christine and Marie-Andrée. In 1988, following a long illness, Georges Mugneret died, and Jacqueline bravely began managing the domaine alongside Marie-Christine, who resigned her position as a chemist to specialize in oenology. Marie-Andrée joined them several years later, after she obtained her diploma in oenology. In 2009, the two domaine names were merged into the current Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg. Today, the domaine is jointly headed by the two sisters, who continue to produce the same elegant and exquisite Burgundies as the previous generations did before them.
Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
Chambolle-Musigny
Participating Winemaker: Frédéric Mugnier
At the beginning of the 20th century, the estate founded in 1863 by Frédéric Mugnier, a liquor-maker in Dijon, included nearly twenty hectares of the best vineyards spread over Chambolle-Musigny and Nuits-Saint-Georges.
In 1950, following the economic crisis of the 1930s and the world war, Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier, great-grandson of the first Frédéric, chose to sell the liquor business, and lease the vineyard out to a negociant in Nuits-saint-Georges.
The contract on the Chambolle vineyard ended in 1978 and 6 years later Frédéric Mugnier, son of Jacques-Frédéric, assumed full responsibility for the family estate.
The most recent addition to the estate was the return of Clos de la Marechale to the domaine in 2004, changing dramatically its size and allowing a new and better organization.
Today, around Jocelyne and Frédéric Mugnier, the permanent team of the Domaine: Adeline, Audrey, Damien, Fabien, Guillaume, Patrick and Philippe, is attentive to every detail in order to bring from the vineyard to the cellar and to your glass the best Nature can give.
Their approach to both viticulture and wine-making is aimed at preserving in the wines the purest expression of Nature with minimal interference from technological practices.
They have a pragmatic approach to viticulture and favor hand work and preventive protection methods in the vineyard. The purpose is not to eradicate pests and diseases but to preserve or restore a rich and active ecosystem.
With healthy and ripe grapes grown on the greatest terroirs, wine-making only has to be kept simple and respectful.
Domaine Philippe Pacalet
Beaune
Participating Winemaker: Philippe Pacalet
Philippe began making his own wines in 2001 after 10 years of working for a distinguished estate in Côte de Nuits. He does not possess his own vineyards but is cautious to contract with growers who work organically and sustainably, following his own rigid set of beliefs. Philippe is an advocate for organic farming, as it allows for good fertility and high quality wild yeasts as well as the growth of microorganisms in the soil which helps to nourish the vines. He firmly feels that grape variety is also vital and having rootstock with good genetics that stem deeply in the soil makes a difference. Philippe produces wines from some of the most renowned appellations of Côte d’Or. Pommard, Gevrey-Chambertin, Meursault, Chambolle Musigny, Puligny-Montrachet, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges include some of the villages where he strategically chose vineyard parcels that parallel with the principles of his work.
Philippe personally supervises farming of these vineyards throughout each phase and ensures harvest is performed manually by his team. Being that terroir is of utmost importance to him, Philippe removes anything from the vinification process that can obscure the purity of the land, allowing each wine’s specific characteristics to shine through. His goal is to keep these factors as constant as possible so that the origin is expressed which he carries out by utilizing wild yeasts (of which one may find 30 different species in a vineyard creating diversity and consequently, complexity) to aid in fermentation and only using sulfur at bottling. All grapes are handpicked and undergo a strict selection while still in the vinyeards before being transported to Philippe’s winery in Beaune where they are whole bunch fermented, undergo a lengthy maceration and the traditional foot stomping, which is known as pigeage in France. Aging always takes place on fine lees in used oak. Philippe’s overall philosophy is “Authenticity, Non-Interventionism and Cultural Experience.” All of his care and attention to detail results in unrivaled top quality wines of stunning clarity.
Domaine Sylvain Pataille
Marsannay
Participating Winemaker: Sylvain Pataille
Sylvain Pataille is one of the new breed of winemakers who first achieved the highest level of technical training before beginning to craft his own wines. A highly-regarded consulting oenologist, who still advises over 15 Burgundy domaines, Pataille has in very short order built up (mostly en fermage) a domaine of some 15 hectares, all in Marsannay, the northernmost, and most recent (1987) AOC of the Côte de Nuits.
Domaine Pataille currently produces 12 cuvées, including not only red, white and rosé Marsannay (Marsannay being the only appellation in the Côte d’Or permitted AC rosé), but also Aligoté, Passetoutgrain and Bourgogne Blanc and Rouge.
Domaine Pataille is farmed organically — in transition to completely biodynamic wine production. Accordingly, there are no chemical herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers; and only natural yeasts, no enzymes, are used. The fermentation, partially in fiberglass and partially in stainless steel, is relatively short — usually only 10-12 days — with temperatures held to a maximum of around 32°C. The wines are then racked into oak barriques (1/3 new) and then aged for up to 24 months (18 on average) before bottling.
Domaine de la Pousse d'Or
Volnay
Participating Winemaker: Patrick Landanger
Established in Volnay in 1954, Domaine de la Pousse d’Or has maintained a stellar reputation as one of the finest estates in the Côte d’Or. Pousse d’Or’s vineyards are anything but ordinary, consisting mainly of premiers and grands crus in the villages of Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Corton, Pommard, Volnay, Puligny-Montrachet, and Santenay. The domaine's 18 hectares are managed in a spirit of respect for terroir. Since 1997, its new owner Patrick Landanger has invested considerable resources both in the vineyards themselves and in the winery and cellars. In pursuit of ever-higher quality, he is animated by profound respect for his terroirs and this guides his ambition to share his passion for the great wines of Burgundy with the world at large.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Vosne-Romanée
Participating Winemaker: Aubert de Villaine
Aubert de Villaine with Daniel Johnnes in front of the Romanée-Conti vineyard
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s history dates back to 1232 and has an unparalleled pedigree. This domaine is regarded as the most prestigious of Burgundy – its vineyards are located in prime sections of the Côte de Nuits, and its Montrachet is one of the most celebrated and distinguished white wines across the globe. Aubert de Villaine, an impressively humble manager for such a sought-after domaine, believes that Burgundy represents the ideal model for viticulture and terroir across the world. His passion for the region encouraged his push for Burgundy’s recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Domaine Nicolas Rossignol
Volnay
Participating Winemaker: Nicolas Rossignol
Nicolas Rossignol is one of the best examples of a new generation of Burgundy winemakers. Born in 1974, he represents the 5th generation of vine growers on the soils of Volnay. After completing his technical studies at oenology school in Beaune, Nicolas put his knowledge into practice, interning at Domaine Joseph Voillot in Volnay, Domaine Louis Latour in the Ardèche and Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Anxious to learn other farming and winemaking techniques, he went to work in South Africa at Domaine Boschendal Stellenbosch in 1995, followed by Château Cardonne, owned by Château Lafite-Rothchild in Bordeaux. Upon his return home to his family’s Domaine (Rossignol-Jeanniard) Nicolas began vinifying in 1994. However, it was not long before he started his own estate. In 1997, he acquired approximately 3 hectares spread over the communes of Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, Aloxe-Corton and Pernand- Vergelesses. In 1998, he increased his vineyard holdings by about 1.4 hectares. The Domaine is located in Volnay, between Meursault and Pommard. Today, Nicolas makes wine from his own 4.5 estate, as well as from his fathers's vineyards (4.9 hectares). Nicolas is now buying all the fruit from his family’s domaine, which he also farms - thus everything is bottled under the name Nicolas Rossignol.
Domaine Rougeot
Meursault
Participating Winemaker: Pierre-Henri Rougeot
In the center of Meursault village, Pierre-Henri Rougeot has been quietly producing impeccable minimal intervention, low-sulfur wines since he returned to the family domaine in 2010. The 18th century stone cellar was originally built for the Hospices de Beaune to press the fruit from the adjacent orchards, and was purchased Pierre-Henri’s great-great-grandfather in the 19th century. Today the orchards have been transformed into an elegant garden and stamp-sized monopole vineyard, and the cellar has been renovated to comfortably hold two vintages from Rougeot’s 13 hectares of vines in and around Meursault.
Pierre-Henri’s experience travelling throughout France gives him a unique vision that hews strongly to Burgundian tradition with a soft touch inspired by the vins natures made by his friends in Saumur, Cahors, and beyond. Today, the Rougeot vineyards are farmed organically, and Pierre-Henri’s no sulfur vinification effortlessly balances a natural wine approach with traditional Burgundian technique to create wines with energy and balance. Each terroir from Aligoté and Passetoutgrain through Premier Crus is bottled as a single-vineyard designate. The wines are energetic, precise, and delicious. It’s simply astounding that the domaine has maintained a quiet profile while producing such compelling wines. It will be even more astounding if that continues.
Domaine Roulot
Meursault
Participating Winemaker: Jean-Marc Roulot
Guy Roulot, a legendary producer of some of the finest Meursaults, if not some of the world’s finest white wines, took his family’s small production domaine to stardom. Guy’s marriage to Geneviève Coche and his own hard work added more prime parcels to the family’s holdings, which he vinified and bottled separately – a novelty for a domaine which had been distilling, rather than vinifying, their grapes just a generation before. As a result, Domaine Roulot has become the master of the lieu-dit, not to mention the five premier cru parcels they farm in Meursault and Monthelie. Guy’s sudden death in 1982 left the family in transition, as his son, Jean-Marc was in Paris pursuing a career in acting. A series of three winemakers aided in the changeover until 1989, when Jean-Marc was at last ready to take on the direction of the estate.
Since then, Jean-Marc’s progress has brought even more notice to a domaine that had already enjoyed a great reputation. The wines of Domaine Roulot are now among the most sought after wines in all of Burgundy. Jean-Marc has been successful in fine-tuning the domaine’s particular, stand-out style. While Domaine Roulot had once pioneered the single-vineyard bottlings of Meursault, they were now influencing other domaines to follow suit, thereby raising the stakes in this exalted appellation. What sets the domaine even further apart is Jean-Marc’s commitment to a bright, chiseled, thoroughbred style of Meursault, while many other wines of this village tend towards richness and concentration. Jean-Marc’s wines certainly express a certain depth and sumptuousness thanks to the appellation’s terroir, however his wines also show focus and restraint. Their elegance and amazing precision lend themselves to long aging in the cellars. Jean-Marc loves cooking believes the strong mineral backbone of his wines and their fresh acidity marry well with food. This is why one is more likely to find their wines in restaurants rather than in wine shops.
Domaine Georges Roumier
Chambolle-Musigny
Participating Winemaker: Christophe Roumier
Domaine Georges Roumier was created in 1924. At that time, most of the production was sold to local merchants. In 1945, however, Georges Roumier initiated the practice of domaine bottling. Ever since, the reputation of the Roumier name has soared ever higher. In 1982, Christophe Roumier and his father Jean-Marie became partners to jointly manage Domaine Georges Roumier. Today, the domaine covers 11.8 hectares in Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis and makes wines that are earthy, rustic, profound, elegant and consistently delicious.
Domaine Armand Rousseau
Gevrey-Chambertin
Attending Winemaker: Eric Rousseau
Domaine Armand Rousseau was created at the beginning of the 20th century by Armand Rousseau who, at the age of 18, inherited several plots of vineyards in Gevrey Chambertin. Armand Rousseau comes from a family of small landowners: vine growers, coopers and local wine merchants. As years went by, Armand Rousseau continued to enlarge his domaine with the purchase of more Grands Crus. Charles Rousseau joined his father Armand in 1945 after studying law and oenology at the University of Dijon. In 1982, Charles was joined by his son Eric. Eric has since passed both the vineyards and the vinification to his daughter Cyrielle, although he remains very active in the management of the domaine which is without a doubt one of the most hallowed in Burgundy today.
A selection of signature appellations:
Gevrey-Chambertin
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaut St-Jacques
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers
Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques
Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Le Chambertin Grand Cru
Domaine Etienne Sauzet
Puligny-Montrachet
Participating Winemakers: Emilie Boudot & Benoît Riffault
The white wines of Puligny-Montrachet are probably the most famous and most widely acclaimed in the world. The domaine of Etienne Sauzet is made up of 26 acres, much of it in the heart of the premier crus vineyards of this famed village. Gérard Boudot, owner and winemaker of Domaine Sauzet, is seeking "maximum finesse and an individual expression of the climate." M. Boudot, who married the granddaughter of the late Etienne Sauzet, runs the domaine and has modernized and improved the vinification, making the wines of this domaine among the most sought-after white wines of Burgundy. The estate has been bottling 100% of its production since the early 1950' and, since 1975, the domaine has been selling the entirety of its production in bottle.
Clos de Tart
Morey-Saint-Denis
The history of the legendary Clos de Tart estate, located in the Morey-Saint-Denis appellation of Burgundy, dates back to 1141, when it was first acquired by the Cistercian nuns of the Notre Dame de Tart chapter. Having founded the estate, the nuns took care of the vines before the property was seized by the state during the French Revolution and sold at auction in 1791 to Charles Dumand and the Marey-Monge family. In 1932, Clos de Tart was purchased by the Mommessin family of negociants from the Maconais region. The estate was under their control when, in 1939, it was given its own AOC and declared a Grand Cru, the highest qualitative appellation level of the Burgundy region. Clos de Tart is currently the largest Grand Cru monopole in the Burgundy region.
The 18.5-hectare property is surrounded by a 3/4 mile long stone wall, as referenced by the word "clos" in the estate's name. The vineyard can be divided into 27 individual plots and 6 major sections, each with its own unique microterroir. The soil of the estate is made up of mostly well-drained marl and limestone scree, and the vines are planted north to south to prevent erosion. The vines of Pinot Noir, which are around 60 years old on average, are replanted using cuttings from only the very sturdiest vines of the property, a way of ensuring the best possible breeding. The team at Clos de Tart is usually one of the last in the region to harvest, so that only perfectly ripe fruit may enter the blend. Since 2015, the vineyard has been completely organic, with the plan to convert to biodynamic viticulture within the next few years. In order to limit yields to the desired 23-30 hectoliteres per hectare, methods of green pruning and debudding are carried out in the field. The fruit is manually harvested and sorted with great care paid to quality. The winemaking is done on a parcel-by-parcel basis and the wines are blended just before they are bottled, without filtration. The wines of Clos de Tart spend 18-24 months in new oak barrels, with part of the aging process taking place in the estate's underground cellar, built in the 19th century.
Clos de Tart produces two beautiful red Burgundy wines: their Clos de Tart Grand Cru Monopole and their second wine, La Forge de Tart Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru from slightly younger vines.
Camille Thiriet
Comblanchien
Attending Winemaker: Camille Thiriet
Camille THIRIET is a new micro-négoce based out of Chateau de Comblanchien, in the Côte-d'Or.
After years of experience in both the production and sales side, Canadian-born winemaker Matt Chittick and Burgundian wine industry professional Camille Thiriet have thrown caution and better judgement to the wind in order to realize a long term dream of producing Burgundy under their own label. Camille and Matt met while working for Nicolas Potel at the Domaine de Bellene. Matt was the winemaker from 2011 to 2014 and Camille was the head of sales.
Maison Roche de Bellene produces wine from over 75 different appellations so the experience gave Matt and Camille access to a great deal of reputable growers and producers across the Cote D’or. This insight and network of relationships allows them to source only the best fruit for their own label from great winemakers and growers who they know and admire.
A selection of signature appellations:
Bourgogne Chardonnay “Cuvée Confidentielle”
Bourgogne Rouge “Les Blanches”
Côte de Nuits Villages Vieilles Vignes
Domaine Tollot-Beaut
Chorey-lès-Beaune
Participating Winemakers: Nathalie Tollot
The Tollot family represents a long lineage of winegrowers dating back to the late 1880s when François Tollot began planting vineyards in Chorey-lès-Beaune. His son, Alexandre Tollot, continued in his father’s footsteps and married Aurélie Beaut. In 1921, Tollot-Beaut became one of the first to bottle their wines under the domaine and started exporting their wines to the U.S. shortly thereafter. Today, cousins Nathalie, Jean-Paul, and Olivier Tollot are in charge. The wines of Tollot-Beaut are well-known for their serious but pleasing style across a range of appellations from Bourgogne to Grand Cru.
Chorey-lès-Beaune lies on the plains below the Côte d'Or escarpment with 136 hectares almost exclusively planted with Pinot Noir. Nearly half of Chorey-lès-Beaune is sold as Côte de Beaune-Villages. Initially, the Tollot family owned vines only in Chorey, but successive generations made small acquisitions in Savigny, Aloxe, and Beaune for a current total of 60 acres. They are the proud owners of two monopoles, Savigny-lès-Beaune Champs-Chevrey and the more recently acquired Chorey-lès-Beaune Pièce du Chapitre. Tollot-Beaut farms lutte raisonée (“reasoned struggle”) and maintains a high proportion of old vines from the highly prized Pinot Fin strain.
The Tollot-Beaut cellar is in the center of Chorey-lès-Beaune on the rue Alexandre Tollot, named after Nathalie’s great grandfather who was once the Mayor of Chorey. Parts of the meticulously kept cellar are over 250 years old. Chardonnay is pressed pneumatically and starts fermentation in stainless-steel tanks before finishing alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrel. Pinot Noir is almost entirely de-stemmed. The wines of Tollot-Beaut were once made with more new oak but in recent years the oak influence has become subtler. Village and regional wines receive about 20% new oak while the Grand Crus receive about 60% new oak.
Domaine Eleni & Edouard Vocoret
Chablis
Attending Winemakers: Eleni & Edouard Vocoret
Eleni and Edouard met while working the 2010 harvest in New Zealand but returned to Chablis to take over a small piece of Edouard's family domaine. Edouard's family owns Domaine Vocoret & Fils, a large and established domaine, with over 50 hectares planted. Their primary focus with their first 4.9 hectares was farming. The first couple of vintages were sold off in bulk shortly after harvest as they converted the farming to lutte raisonnée and committed to hand harvesting. They are currently producing two wines: Chablis "Bas de Chapelot" and Chablis 1er Cru "Butteaux." Bas de Chapelot comes from a 3.2 hectare parcel just beneath Montée de Tonnerre while the Butteaux parcel is 0.3 hectares.
A selection of signature appellations:
Chablis “Bas de Chapelot”
Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux