Chablis
Domaine Eleni & Edouard Vocoret
After finishing his studies Edouard went to New Zealand to work. It was there he met his wife, Eleni, who was working at the same winery. They then continued travelling together through New Zealand and Australia before returning to France to work the vintage at the family domaine. Eleni continued working in Chablis for legendary winemaker Vincent Dauvissat who became one of her mentors.
In 2012 Edouard’s father offered the young couple a few parcels to create their own domaine and Domaine Eleni & Edouard Vocoret was born. Farming is close to organic with no herbicides or pesticides being used. The 3 different plots they own in AOC Chablis are bottled separately to allow the different terroirs to express themselves.
In the winery the hand-picked grapes are pressed as whole bunches and then fermented in stainless steel tank. Malolactic fermentation also takes place in tank. After 6 months the wines then move into used barrels where they remain for one year before bottling.
The result is wines that are straight, precise and mineral. The very definition of great Chablis.
The 2019 vintage will be available in spring 2021.
Gevrey-Chambertin
Domaine Harmand-Geoffroy
Chambolle-Musigny
Domaine Amiot-Servelle
Christian’s father-in-law had never used herbicides and since the vineyards had already been long farmed close to organically, he became 100% organic in 2003 and has been certified organic since 2008. They are the only organic domaine in Chambolle-Musigny. They own a range of exemplary Chambolle 1er Crus including Les Fuées, Les Charmes & the legendary Les Amoureuses.
Christian’s children, Prune & Antoine are now running the domaine day to day, though their father still works with them. The current generation has made subtle changes such as increasing the percentage of whole bunches used in vinification, as well as changing to a more gently extracted, finer style. The wines combine lovely density of old vine Chambolle fruit with the tension and floral character that comes from whole bunch vinification.
Chambolle-Musigny
Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
Chambolle-Musigny
Domaine François Bertheau
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Moron-Garcia
The vineyards are farmed organically and ploughed by horse. Old vines give naturally low yields which give the wines concentration. The attention to detail lavished on these vineyards is more likely to be seen on top 1er and Grand Cru vineyards, but it pays off with wines that deliver much more than their humble appellations might suggest.
This obsessive attention to detail carries over into the winery where they practice a unique technique that they have named ‘baie par baie,’ or ‘berry by berry.’ Single berries are cut from the stems then mixed with whole bunches and, sometimes, also with traditionally destemmed grapes. The ratio of each component changes according to vintage and cuvée.
The first vintage was 2016 and the domaine already has a cult following. The future for Moron-Garcia is very bright.
Comblanchien
Maison MC Thiriet
Pernand-Vergelesses
Domaine Jean-Baptiste Boudier
The parcels are worked organically and are regularly ploughed to turn the wild herbs growing between the rows back into the soils and also to encourage the roots to delve deeper. In the cuvérie the wines are made with a very light touch. The must is fermented by indigenous yeasts in stainless steel with gentle extraction of tannin and colour. Sulphur additions are kept to an absolute minimum. The input of new oak is modest to allow the cool terroirs he works to express their fruit with clarity and precision. This exciting domaine shows that genuine greatness can be achieved in humble terroirs when ambition is combined with compassionate intelligence, hard work and perseverance.
Savigny-lès-Beaune
Domaine Chandon de Briailles
Savigny-lès-Beaune
Pascal Clément
Savigny-lès-Beaune
Domaine Pierre Guillemot
Beaune
Arnaud Baillot
Beaune
Joseph Drouhin
Beaune
Domaine Nicolas Rossignol
Pommard
Domaine Rebourgeon-Mure
Pommard
Thierry Violot-Guillemard
Bligny-lès-Beaune
Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
Volnay
Domaine Yvon (Thibaud) Clerget
Volnay
Domaine Henri Delagrange
Volnay
Domaine Joseph Voillot
Auxey-Duresses
Domaine (Jean & Gilles) Lafouge
Meursault
Domaine Pierre Girardin
Meursault
Domaine Matrot
Meursault
Domaine Tessier
Chassagne-Montrachet
Domaine Lamy-Caillat
Chassagne-Montrachet
Domaine Sylvain Morey
The reds are made with a gentle extraction with daily pumping over rather than punching down. For the 1er Crus 50% of whole bunches are retained during fermentation. New oak is around 30% for the reds.
The whites are directly pressed and fermented in barrel with indigenous yeasts. New oak never exceeds 25%. During the élevage on fine lees no battonage is done to keep precision and tension. After one year in barrel the wines are blended and kept for a further 6 months in tank to ‘come together.’