Domaine de L'Arlot with Jean Pierre de Smet and Lise Judet
Maison Champy with Pierre Meurgey
Domaine Marc Colin with Pierre Yves Colin
Domaine des Comtes Lafon with Dominique Lafon
Domaine Joseph Drouhin with Veronique Drouhin
David Duband with David Duband
Domaine Dujac with Jeremy Seysses
Domaine Leflaive with Anne-Claude Leflaive
Maison Louis Jadot with Pierre-Henri Gagey
Olivier Merlin with Olivier Merlin
Pierre Morey with Pierre Morey
Domaine Jacques Frédéric Mugnier with "Freddy" Mugnier
Domaine Perrot-Minot with Christophe Perrot-Minot
Domaine Roulot with Jean-Marc Roulot
Domaine G. Roumier with Christophe Roumier
Domaine Jean Trapet with Jean-Louis Trapet
Domaine d'Angerville with Guillaume d'Angerville
The d'Angerville family has been making wines since 1805, but their beautiful hillside estate in the village of Volnay belies its turbulent history. The Marquis d'Angerville, a fervent champion of the appellation laws, found himself at odds with parts of the wine trade in the 1930's and 40's because of his opposition to dishonest practices in wine making and labeling. Burgundy négociants refused to do business with him, and he was forced to bottle his own wine and sell it directly. The prestige of his domaine, which became one of the first estates in Burgundy to practice estate bottling, was thus only strengthened. Today the estate is run by his son, the present Marquis Jacques d'Angerville, and son-in-law Renaud de Villette. Their knowledge and perseverance continue an exacting family tradition.
Marquis d'Angerville wines are made in a delicate, rather understated style. 100% destemming is practiced, along with the use of 25% new oak barrels. Wines are fined and given a light filtration before bottling. The minimalist philosophy here deliberately emphasizes low yields and avoids manipulation of finished wines. The ten acre "Champans" vineyard produces a rich, supple Volnay with a lovely floral, violet nose which matures fairly early. The unusually steep and chalky "Clos des Ducs" monopole vineyard, just over five acres in size, produces Volnay with light color and plenty of ripe cherry fruit. Most vintages age well for 6-10 years, many for much longer.
Domaine de L'Arlot with Jean Pierre de Smet and Lise Judet
L'Arlot is the former site of Domaine Jules Belin in Premeaux, located just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges. The domaine is owned by Jean-Pierre & Lilo de Smet. Jean-Pierre spent 8 years working with Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac before taking over at Arlot in 1986. Jean-Pierre is among an elite group of growers who put a great deal of emphasis on work in the vineyard to improve quality. His ultimate goal is to produce wines of elegance and concentration rather than quantity.
Today, 14 hectares are planted to Pinot Noir for the reds and Chardonnay (and 5% Pinot Gris) for the whites. The average age of the vines is 25 years old; the oldest vines are 50 years old. The domaine owns two Premier Cru monopoles, Clos des Fôrets Saint-Georges (7 hectares) and Clos de l'Arlot (4 hectares).
The wines of Domaine de L'Arlot are aged in one-third new Allier oak and bottled after 16-18 months for the Premier Crus and 14-15 months for the Village wines. The reds are unfiltered.
Maison Champy with Pierre Meurgey
The Maison Champy, founded in 1720, was the first ever Wine House established in Burgundy - documents still exist recording the first exports to Belgium shortly after the creation of the company. Some of the cellars owned by the company in Beaune date from the 15th century.
Champy gained a new dynamism in 1990 when it was acquired by Henri and Pierre Meurgey and Pierre Beuchet. All three men are associate directors of DIVA (a distribution company closely connected with the greatest vineyards and estates in Burgundy) and can rely on the wealth of experience of Henri Meurgey, who has been oenologist winemaker and wine-broker for 35 years.
From 1990, their first vintage, the new owners defined TYPICALITY and BALANCE as the essential criteria for the QUALITY of the wines produced by the Maison Champy:
Typicality enables the specific characteristics of each Burgundy area to be distinguished in the different wines produced. This objective of typicality has lead the Maison Champy not to impose one sole style on all its wines, but rather to present a range of Burgundy wines which reflects all the nuances particular to each label of origin.
Balance is the essential characteristic of Burgundy wines, thanks to the natural expression of the Burgundy grape varieties Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on our soils. To preserve and sublimate this balance, Champy is careful never to force the vines or the wines, choosing to favour environmentally friendly means of growing, limiting the yield of our vines, using very gentle and natural winemaking methods and giving the wines the time they need to mature before being bottled (from 10 to 20 months depending on the wines and vintages).
In order regularly to achieve the desired quality levels, Champy converts into wine more than half of its production of the Côte d’Or labels of origin (the grapes and musts bought under contract and the production from the 30 acres of the Champy vineyard).
Under the direction of Dimitri Bazas, the oenologist who joined Champy in 1999, the white wines are fermented and matured in the historic cellars of the Maison Champy in Beaune, and the red wines are made in a new fermenting room to the south of the city.
In addition to the production from its own vineyard, Champy has long-term relations with winegrowers from whom it purchases grapes, musts or wines. This allows us to acquire products from clearly identified plots of vines. When Champy buys wine, the objective is to take over control of the maturing process as soon as possible. To this end, barrels are very often supplied to the winegrowers at the moment of devatting, so that the wine can be obtained with all its sediment and racking can be avoided when the malolactic fermentation is over.
In the vineyard owned and run by Champy, as in those from which grapes, musts or wines are bought, a policy of yield control is exercised. Little or no fertiliser, short pruning and thinning of fruit when necessary all make an effective contribution to the limitation of yields.
Only controlled yields can enable wines to be produced which express with fullness and balance the typicality of Burgundy regions.
The wine-making techniques used by Champy are adapted to suit the vintage, the nature of the grapes and the characteristics of the area of origin. Ideally, red wines should macerate at a cool temperature for four to six days to obtain the colour and the fruit. Then comes the alcoholic fermentation, using natural yeasts. The maximum temperature of 33 °C is maintained as long as possible in open-topped oak vats to extract the best from the grapes. The extraction is done by manual dipping on the one hand and by a few remontages (drawing-off wine from the bottom and reintroducing it at the top) on the other. The vats are covered during the second half of the fermentation, to stabilise the temperature and protect the wine from oxidation.
As for the white wines made by Champy, only some of the Appellations Régionales (Regional Labels) are made in stainless steel vats. All the other wines are fermented in barrels, with a proportion of new barrels varying from 20 % for the appellations villages up to 50 % for the Corton Charlemagne.
Depending on the vintage, the red and white Grands Crus and the best of the Premiers Crus are aged with 50 %, even 100 % of new barrels, the other red and white Premiers Crus with 30 to 50 % of new barrels and the Villages with a maximum of 30 % of new barrels. Champy selects the majority of its barrels from the forest of Allier and from the Vosges. But the method of drying and heating the wood is just as important as its origin. It appears that the ideal is two years of drying in the open air, combined with medium heating of the wood for red wines and medium-strong heating for white wines.
The intrinsic character of the vintage and the growth or cru is decisive in determining the use of bâtonnage for the white wines. Racking is only done twice, once after the malolactic fermentation and once after fining, a few weeks before bottling.
All the wines are bottled after a relatively long time. Whereas bottom of the range white wines are bottled before the next harvest and their red wine equivalents during the autumn following the harvest. The great white wines remain in barrels up to 16 months and most red wines are aged for up to 20 months in the barrel.
All the racking and transfer of wines is done using gravity or the traditional ‘bellows’ method. The bottling itself is done by gravity. All these techniques help considerably in limiting the use of pumps, enable filtration to be light or non-existent, keep SO2 additions very low and minimise the shock of bottling. Consistent with the guarantee of authenticity and typicality of wine origins, the appellation, the vintage and the date of bottling appear on all the corks used by Champy.
Domaine Marc Colin with Pierre Yves Colin
A humble man, Marc Colin sticks close to his vineyards and lives simply in a little-known Côte de Beaune town off the beaten path. But he is the king of St.-Aubin, where he is making some of the most delicious Chardonnays in Burgundy and boosting the reputation of the commune in the process.
The fabled Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet appellations, which are just over the hill to the east, make deeper and longer-lived Chardonnays. But the 50-acre Domaine Colin produces consistently outstanding whites from St.-Aubin and, at $32 to $35 a bottle, they are terrific values. The 1999 St.-Aubin En Remilly (91, $32) is a flavorful and elegant premier cru with lemon, honey and vanilla complexity and a smoky finish.
The Colins have been winemakers for generations, but until the mid-1970s the family sold their wines in bulk to négociants in the region. As Colin's wines met with increasing success, this practice diminished, and three years ago the domaine began to bottle all the wines that it makes from 22 different appellations.
Colin, 57, and his three sons -- winemaker Pierre-Yves, 30, vineyard manager Joseph, 28, and Damien, 24, who handles administration -- treat their St.-Aubins with the same care they do their Montrachet. They also own vines in Puligny-Montrachet, Santenay and four premiers crus in Chassagne-Montrachet, including a small parcel in Les Chenevottes purchased recently.
For over a century the Domaine des Comte Lafon has been an established element of Burgundian history. Jules Lafon originally from the south-west of France married Marie Boch in 1894 whose family were wine merchants and estate owners in Meursault. The Estate as it exists today was largely established by Jules Lafon and the Marie Boch inheritance. Most of the production was rented out to sharecroppers while Jules pursued a career in public sevice. The vineyards from the Boch inheritance include Monthélie Les Duresses, Volnay Clos des Chênes, Meursault Clos de la Barre et En la Barre, Volnay Champans and Volnay Santenots-du-milieu. Later purchases include: le Montrachet (en 1918) Meursault la Goutte d’Or, Meursault- Genevrières-dessus Meursault-Perrières, Volnay Santenots, Volnay Clos des Chênes and part of Meursault-Charmes. Quantities are extremely limited.
In addition to laying the foundation of a great Meursault estate, Jules made an important contribution to Burgundy with the creation of La Paulée de Meursault. In 1923: whilst Mayor of Meursault, Jules Lafon revived the tradition of celebrating the end of the grape harvest with a meal. Although originally for the estate proprietor and his workers he also invited 35 of his friends to a banquet and the famous ‘Paulée de Meursault’ was born. It rapidly evolved to become, after the banquet at Clos Vougeot and the wine auctions at the Hospice of Beaune, the final stage of the ‘Trois Glorieuses’. Nowadays, around 600 people take part each year and during the course of the proceedings, the literary prize of the same name is presented.
The Domaine fell into disrepair after the death of Jules until his son René took over managment in 1956 and set about getting the vineyards back into condition which involved extensive planting. Increasingly a higher proportion of the production was estate bottled until the entire production has been bottled at the Domaine since 1961. René’s son Dominique took over from his father in 1984, initially with his brother Bruno. In 1987, he gradually terminated the existing sharecropping agreements (9 year leases). Since then, the entire Estate of 13.80 hectares has been managed solely by the Domaine des Comtes Lafon.
Domaine Joseph Drouhin with Veronique Drouhin
Véronique Drouhin was born in December 1962 (a great vintage in Burgundy), on the day of the famous annual Hospices de Beaune wine auction.
She studied in Beaune and then went to the University of Dijon. in 1985 she obtained her degree in oenology. After an additional year researching the effects of grape skins on red wine coloration, she received an advanced degree in oenology.
In addition to training at Château de Fieuzal in the Bordeaux' Graves district, Véronique has devoted considerable time to the analysis and study of the unique opportunities and challenges of winemaking in the Pacific Northwest.
Véronique joined Maison Joseph Drouhin in 1987. Through first hand experience in vinification and daily tastings of present and older vintages with her father and Laurence Jobard, she was able to add to her knowledge of modern technology this invaluable treasure of tradition.
1988 : she made the first wine of Domaine Drouhin Oregon.
1989 : as the winery was being built, Véronique took an active part in the planning of the building and made the 1989 vintage in the new facilities.
Since 1988 Véronique is Domaine Drouhin Oregon's oenologist. She spends three months of the year in Oregon, mainly during harvest and fermentation, and at various times of the year for racking, bottling and promotional operations.
When not in the US, Véronique works for Maison Drouhin in Beaune.
She is married to Michel Boss. They have three children : Laurène, Arthur and Louise.
Based at Chevannes, David Duband has recently started making and bottling his own wine from his father’s superbly located vineyards in Nuits St. Georges and the Hautes Côtes in preference to selling it to the local negociant. This unassuming young man has been in charge of vinification since 1991, and is one of most exciting new discoveries. He produces a range of wines from the family vineyards in the Hautes Côtes to wines made from vineyards under contract in Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle Musigny and Echézeaux.
David’s first vintages after taking over the Domaine were fairly oaky. Recently, he is more focused on restraint and purity. His goal is to make elegant wines that are expressive of their origins.
The wines of David Duband are found at the very best restaurants in France. He is a rising star who is gaining recognition on the world market as well.
Domaine Dujac with Jeremy Seysses
“Two things to remember about Jacques Seysses: in good vintages he makes great wine; in lesser vintages, he makes even better wine.” John Farrell Haskell's
"This domaine, owned by the influential, highly praised winemaker Jacques Seysses, has been garnering nothing but accolades for more than a decade. Deservedly so, for the domaine's wines are among the most sublime from Burgundy." Karen MacNeil, The Wine Bible
Jacques Seysses has always loved good food and wine. His father was president of the most prestigious gastronomic society in France for fourteen years, and conveyed the importance of these pleasures so vividly that Jacques was inspired to become a winemaker. After working two harvests at Domaine de Pousse d’Or, and many discussions with his friends Charles Rousseau, the Gouges, and Pierre Ramonet, Jacques decided to go to Burgundy, where the domaine owner is also the winemaker. Jacques Seysses founded Domaine Dujac in 1967 with the aim of producing fine, domaine bottled Burgundy.
In 1972, Dujac wines were discovered by both the press and the best restaurants in France. Dujac wines can now be found in top restaurants throughout the world. Although he was already an experienced winemaker, Jacques obtained a degree in oenology from the university in Dijon in 1980. Production has slowly increased over the years. The Domaine now comprises almost thirteen hectares, having started with just five. 80% of the production is exported to eighteen countries, coordinated by Jacques’ wife, Rosalind Seysses.
To obtain the healthiest and ripest grapes possible, a full-time vineyard manager was hired in 1986. Christophe Morin had worked at Domaine de la Folie in Chagny, Calera Vineyards in California and at the Moueix vineyards in Bordeaux. His abilities were an invaluable contribution to the fine quality of Domaine Dujac. He was in charge of producing the best possible fruit which Jacques then vinifies.
Fine Burgundy was made before oenology and modern equipment, by letting nature do the work. At Domaine Dujac, intervention is kept to a minimum in order to retain the character of the terroir. To ensure the highest quality, Jacques Seysses tastes each of the musts and wines throughout the winemaking process. He finds his own palate more trustworthy than any high-tech analysis. Knowledge and technology are used to only to counter accidents: if everything is going well, then don’t interfere!
Winemaking at Domaine Dujac is summarized in five words: Concentration and Extraction, in the wines, acheived through Observation, Respect, and Adaptation, by Jacques and Christophe. “In my wine-making, tasting is more important than analysis. I make wine the way I enjoy it. I try to make complex, fruity and soft wines. I hate unbalanced wines with hard tannins. There is no reason for a wine to be unpleasant when young if it is to age well. Dujac wines are good when young and still good fifteen or twenty years later.”—Jacques Seysses
Domaine Leflaive with Anne-Claude Leflaive
Domaine Leflaive has become legendary in Burgundy's white wine history. In 1735 the family Leflaive were already vineyard owners in Puligny-Montrachet. In 1905, Joseph Leflaive inherited the vines and began to develop them with his manager Francois Virot, who is one of the men responsible for making Burgundy's reputation. Upon Joseph's death, his son Vincent became involved with the Domaine and charmed the international market with his wines and joie de vivre. Upon Vincent's death in 1994, his daughter Anne-Claude was named sole manager of Domaine Leflaive. Anne-Claude is well-equipped with a degree in oenology, fine wine in her veins and the able assistance of Cellar Master and winemaker Pierre Morey and Head Viticulturist Jean-Claude Bidault.
Domaine Leflaive is a 22 hectare property in Puligny-Montrachet with Grand Crus vineyards, Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Batard-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Batard Montrachet. Premier Crus vineyards are Les Pucelles, Le Clavoillon, Les Combettes, Les Folatieres and Blagny (for red). Village appellations include Les Grands Champs, Les Tremblots, Les Brelances, Les Nosroyes and La Rue aux Vaches. Les Houlieres is their Appellation Bourgogne. Vines are planted with the Chardonnay grape and cultivated biodynamically. Hand harvesting is followed by 12 month fermentation in oak barrels, of which 30% are new each year. Batonnage (lees stirring) takes place from Oct-Dec. Wines are cellared in stainless steel tanks for natural clarification and settling, and bottled approximately 18 months after harvest. Anne-Claude recommends opening Domaine Leflaive's wines as follows: "Villages Appellations from 3-4 years and up to 8-10 years; Premier Crus from 5-6 years and up to 15-20 years and wines from the Grand Cru Appellations from 8-10 years, and up to 20-40 years, or, in great vintages, they can keep even longer."
Maison Louis Jadot with Pierre-Henri Gagey
It is from its land that Burgundy gains its richness and diversity. The originality and characters of the wines stem directly from the grapes. At Maison Louis Jadot the choice of the grapes is our number one priority; our philosophy is to respect the origin of the grapes. Therefore the villages and growths of Burgundy are individually expressed in all the wines that carry our name.
Maison Louis Jadot controls a 105 hectare "domaine" in Burgundy with more than 70 hectares in the Côte d'Or, exclusively in Premier and Grand Cru. In fact, this domaine is divided in 4: 1. Domaine Louis Jadot"; comprising 37 hectares in the Côte d'Or and 36 hectares in Beaujolais (Château des Jacques); 2. "Domaine Gagey";comprising 8 hectares in the Côte d'Or; 3. "Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot"; comprising 16 hectares in the Côte d'Or; and 4. "Domaine du Duc de Magenta"; comprising 9 hectares in the Côte d'Or. Moreover, we have established a strong, long term partnership with many wine growers who allow us to vinify their grapes broadening our range of appellations.
The Château des Jacques, bought in 1996, comprises 27 hectares (67.5 acres) of Moulin à Vent and 9 hectares (22.5 acres) of Bourgogne or Beaujolais-Villages Blanc.
The Moulin à Vent vineyard is divided into 5 separate Clos: Grand Carquelin, Champ de Cour, Les Thorins, La Roche et Rochegrès. They are all situated near the famous MOULIN A VENT on the hill sides of the appellation, near Fleurie.
The Bourgogne Blanc or Beaujolais-Villages Blanc vineyard is a "Clos" of 9 hectares (22.5 acres) called the "Clos de Loyse".
Our vines are cultivated with a constant respect for the environment. We believe in restricted yields to practice wines of "terroir". We must also respect the microbic life and soil balance by several techniques (pruning, green harvest...) and by restricting treatments to a maximum. A rational culture, an integrated protection tending to a bio culture are our aims.
Our winemaking facility in Beaune, "la Sablière", is one of the biggest and most advanced in Burgundy and was built to maximise the expression of "terroir" (soil) in the resultant wines. We vinify all the grapes coming from our own vineyards as well as those bought under contracts with other growers.
Our vinification techniques are quite simple and based under a strong principle: to respect the "terroir" expression. The development of a classic Burgundy is a long process that must be followed with considerable care and patience to allow the wine to evolve naturally. Human intervention is kept to a minimum at each stage of the winemaking process. We do not want to impose a common style on all our wines. On the contrary, we encourage each wine to develop its own personality.
To produce little but only the best.
Côte d'Or, Mâconnais, Chalonnais and Chablis wines. All our vines are harvested by hand in order to make a first selection. Grapes arrive at the winery in small baskets to avoid damage and are put on sorting tables for a second selection. Then vinification can start.
For the PINOT NOIR grape, which is the only grape variety used for the production of red wines from Burgundy (the Gamay grape is blended with the Pinot Noir for the Bourgogne Passe tout Grains only) : de-stemming of the grapes (separating berries from the bunch) followed by a long maceration in open wooden or stainless steel tanks, or auto-vinification vats for about 30 days. The alcoholic fermentation takes place during this period and is done as naturally as possible without the addition of cultured yeasts. It usually lasts for a minimum of 25 days and highish temperatures are encouraged for maximum extraction. During this period, each vat is punched down (mixing the grapes skins massed at the top) twice a day.
Then, the malo-lactic degradation is made in 228 liter French "Barriques". It takes 10 to 20 months of ageing in barrels to permit a natural clarification of the wines. We use an average of 30% of new oak barrels.
There won't be any fining prior to the bottling and only a very light filtration will be done if absolutely necessary.
For the CHARDONNAY grape, the only grape variety used for the production of white wines (the Aligoté grape variety is used only for the Bourgogne Aligoté): Grapes are pressed and the juice is put into stainless steel tanks and allowed to settle for a few days.
As soon as the alcoholic fermentation starts, the must is put into 228 liter French Barriques to complete fermentation and partial malo-lactic degradation. The ageing time (10 to 20 months) will permit a natural clarification of the wines (30% of new oak). A light fining will be done prior to bottling.
Château des Jacques wines. We vinify the Moulin à Vent wines just as we do the red Grands Crus of Côte d'Or: no semi carbonic maceration but a long maceration in tanks with punching down of the caps and pumping over.
Then the ageing is done in oak barrels for 12 months. Each "Clos" is vinified separately for a perfect expression of the "terroir".
The Bourgogne Blanc 'Clos de Loyse' is vinified in oak barrels on the lees with stirring just like a white Grand Cru of the Côte d'Or. Beaujolais Villages
Blanc 'Grand Clos de Loyse' is the only wine to be vinified in stainless steel tanks. This helps to retain the maximum freshness in the wine.
Olivier Merlin with Olivier Merlin
The passionate and brilliant Olivier Merlin is part of a new generation in the Maconnais demonstrating the potential of this beautiful region. After spending two years in California at Costello Vineyards he purchased his own vineyards in the commune of La Roche Vineuse just north of the renowned vineyards of Pouilly-Fuissé. Olivier produces wine from 7.5 hectares of low yielding vines of which he owns three and rents the other 4.5. He uses no chemical fertilizer, pesticides or insecticides. All the grapes are hand harvested and most of the wines are fermented in new and used oak barrels of different sizes. This last technique is rather unusual for the region, where stainless steel is less expensive and easier to use.
With his sights set on turning out wines of concentration, balance and terroir, Olivier has risen to the forefront of great Macon producers.
Pierre Morey with Pierre Morey
Considered one of Burgundy’s most highly regarded winemakers, Pierre Morey’s small domaine of nine hectares produces stunning, long-lived wines. He is winemaker/cellar master at Domaine Leflaive, a position he has held since 1990. And his négociant firm, Morey-Blanc, complements his estate production with an enviable selection of premier and grand cru vineyards.
Pierre Morey is one of the most respected – indeed, renowned – winemakers in all of Burgundy. His small domaine of nine hectares produces stunning, long-lived wines. He is winemaker/cellar master at Domaine Leflaive, a position he has held since 1990. And his négociant firm, Morey Blanc, complements his estate production with an enviable selection of premier and grand cru vineyards. He has been described as serene, kind, patient, diligent, and passionate – and a genius.
The Morey family has owned exceptional vineyards in Meursault for the past 200 years, and in Chassagne-Montrachet, even longer. Unfortunately, frequent subdivisions under the Napoleonic inheritance laws left very little (just eight hectares) to Pierre’s father, Auguste. In the 1930’s it was common practice to sharecrop vineyards (métayage), and Auguste arranged to farm four superb hectares including Meursault Premier Cru Perrières, Charmes, and Genevrières, and Grand Cru Montrachet belonging to Domaine des Comtes Lafon. This lease agreement continued until the late 1980’s.
As a lad, Pierre could hardly wait to help with the harvest. In 1966 he finished school and began working full-time alongside his father; six years later his father retired, and Pierre took over complete responsibility. “Brought up surrounded by vineyards and wine, his art is second nature,” writes Remington Norman in “The Great Domaines of Burgundy”. A quiet, thoughtful man with an open mind, Morey carefully considers all the options, yet admits he has changed little from the traditions of his forefathers. He says that in many ways he has returned to the viticultural methods of fifty years ago to undo the effects of the systemic use of chemicals. In a progressive move, Pierre adopted biodynamic viticulture practices for all his vineyards in 1997.
From 1988 to early 1990, Pierre Morey worked alongside Jean Virot, the longtime winemaker at Domaine Leflaive. When Virot retired, Pierre was awarded “the ultimate accolade” (Remington Norman, Ibid.). As winemaker for Anne-Claude Leflaive, Pierre has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt his talent for making the world’s finest white Burgundies. His work and observations at Domaine Leflaive convinced Morey that biodynamic farming improves the health, disease resistance, and longevity of the vines. Fruit attains higher sugar levels without losing acidity. Increased microflora deep in the soils markedly enhance the terroir character of the wines. The overall quality of the wines confirmed the overall benefits from this painstaking practice.
As his family’s metayage contracts gradually expired, Pierre Morey formed a small négociant company, Morey-Blanc (“Blanc” being his wife’s maiden name) to compensate for the loss. The law requires that domaine and négociant wines cannot occupy the same caves, so Pierre had to find separate premises. Over the past ten years, the range of Morey-Blanc wines has expanded, so that now Morey- Blanc represents many of the most renowned vineyards of the Côte d’Or, including Montrachet, Corton- Charlemagne, Aloxe Corton, Meursault Charmes, Saint- Aubin and numerous others. Production remains small, highly selective, and reasonably priced.
Domaine Jacques Frédéric Mugnier with "Freddy" Mugnier
Created in 1863, this a family estate, run from the Château of Chambolle-Musigny in Burgundy. The vineyards consiste of 4 hectares (10 acres) of vines owned by the Mugnier family. The winery produces 15,000 botlles of red Chambolle-Musigny produced annually, consisting mostly of Premiers Crus and Grands Crus.
Jocelyne and Frédéric Mugnier work together as a team, in charge of the viticulture, the wine-making, the cellaring and much more…
Wine is the product of life itself…
A great wine is, above all, the creation of the soil and the climate; it is helped and cared for by the wine grower. The Mugniers' craft is therefore to respect the living equilibrium in the soil and in the grape. This basic concept guides them in their work. With this in mind, they try to harness the best of traditional ideas combined with technical progress.
In the vineyard, in the cellar
The Mugnier' are not dogmatic in their methods; they try to evaluate the effect of any action in the vineyard while monitoring any environmental side effects that may occur. They have therefore been able to eliminate weed-killers and industrial fertilizers – neither of these have been used for 10 years. They have also been able to considerably reduce sprays used in the vineyards. A positive result of this policy is that the Domaine now has healthy biological activity in the soil.
The Mugniers apply the same approach in the cellar; processes that traumatize the wine - overextraction, for example, or excessive woodiness - are limited to a minimum.
Sincerity
In this way the Mugniers hope to achieve their goal of producing wines that are each representative of their respective terroir and vintage, while at the same time having their individual character that is harmonious and sincere.
Domaine Perrot Minot with Christope Perrot-Minot
Domaine Perrot-Minot has come a long way since 1973, when Henri Perrot-Minot’s wife inherited it. Henri Perrot-Minot focused his activity on selling his wine in bulk as a négociant and broker. When his son, Christophe, left his job as a “courtier” (brokers who serve as middlemen between growers and négociants) to join him at the domaine, everything changed.
Prior to 1993, 30%-40% of the domaine’s wines were sold to négociants. After his arrival in 1990, Christophe Perrot-Minot began shifting the winery’s focus. Everything, except 15 casks of Passetoutgrains, is now estate-bottled.
Passionate & Serious
Like many of his colleagues who originally attracted attention to their wines by using extractive techniques in search of color and power, Christophe says he is using less manipulation and less new oak today, relying instead on vineyard practices like green harvesting to get riper grapes earlier and to preserve terroir character. Christophe is clearly passionate & serious about his wines, and, if early results are any indication, is
making a more than respectable shift of things. A tasting room wallpapered with gold medal certificates suggests that something is going right. As Christophe crystallizes his approach: “With all the competition, you must show the difference either with price or with quality: we go for quality.”
The Domaine
Domaine Henri Perrot-Minot is on the famous "route des Grands Crus" in the very heart of Côte de Nuits. In February 2000, Christophe purchased Domaine Pernin-Rossin. With vineyards in the most reputable villages of the Côte de Nuits: Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru and Villages, Morey St. Denis, Vosne Romanée “Les Beaux-Monts,” and Nuits St. Georges “La Richemone,” Christophe has a total of 14 hectares (22 acres) of vines and can offer an impressive range of wines.
Future Superstar
Like many other rejuvenated family estates in the Côte de Nuits, Christophe is making fine wine and shows every sign of turning a good Domaine into a truly great one. Robert Parker writes: “Christophe Perrot-Minot (Henri’s son) is a name that may become as famous as Lignier, Dugat, Lafon, Roumier, and the like…What this young man has achieved in such a short time is truly remarkable.”
Domaine Roulot with Jean-Marc Roulot
An illustrious name in Meursault for many generations, Domaine Roulot currently owns a total of 10.74 hectares of vineyards in Meursault, Auxey-Duresses and Monthélie. Three-quarters of their production is white wine and one-quarter is red. For more than 170 years Domaine Roulot has been an important presence in Meursault. It was only in the 1920's and 30's, however, that the family, led by Paul Roulot, became grape growers as well as winemakers and distillers. Paul's son Guy was one of the first winegrowers in Meursault to vinify his vineyard parcels separately. Today, Guy's sons Michel and Jean-Marc are responsible for business activities and viticulture/winemaking, respectively.
The average age of the vines is 25-35 years. Fermentation and vinification of the white wines is entirely in barrels; aging ranges from 10-12 months for Bourgogne Blanc and up to 18 months for Meursault Villages and Premier Cru. Twenty to thirty percent new wood is used, depending on the wine and the vintage. The wines undergo aging on the lees, racking after malolactic fermentation and estate-bottling.
In 1924 Georges Roumier settled in Chambolle Musigny taking over the Domain which belonged to his wife's family.
At that time, most of the production was sold to local merchants. In 1945, however, Georges Roumier initiated the practice of domain bottling. Ever since, the name "George Roumier" has enjoyed an increasing reputation.
In 1953, he proceeded to expand the Domain with "Le Clos de la Bussière" in Morey St Denis. In 1953, his son Jean-Marie Roumier took over the Domain Georges Roumier. Following in his father's footsteps, Jean-Marie Roumier expanded the range of appellations, aquiring the vineyards of "Corton Charlemagne" (1968) and "Musigny" (1978).
In 1982, Christophe Roumier and his father Jean-Marie became partners to jointly manage the Domain Georges Roumier. Today, the domain covers 11.8 hectares (including 0.276 ha of Charmes-Chambertin and 0.5436 ha of Ruchottes-Chambertin in sharecropping) and is sread out over 9 different appellations. All of the wines produced are marketed in bottles.
Domaine Jean Trapet with Jean-Louis Trapet
Domaine Louis Trapet was actually established by Louis’s son Arthur, back in 1870, where he began acquiring vineyards and layering the foundations for the present Domaine. The Trapets now have 12 hectares of vines including 1.9 hectares of the hallowed Chambertin.
Since 1990, Jean-Louis, son of the ebullient Jean, has been in charge. Some 15 to 20 per cent of the fruit is destemmed. There is a five to eight days’ cold maceration, and then a long cuvaison at a maximum temperature of 32 degrees centigrade. These are wines that tend more towards elegance and finesse rather than power and extract – the exception being Le Chambertin which displays concentrates fruit and great intensity
