REGION: Burgundy

Denis Mortet was an iconic figure in Burgundy who died tragically in 2006. After taking over, Denis’ son Arnaud has continued his father’s legacy while also evolving the style of the wines with less extraction and less new wood, becoming one of the ongoing leaders of the Jayer school in Burgundy.

There are 20 ha of vineyards, all within Mercurey. Ninety percent of the plantings are Pinot Noir; the remainder is Chardonnay. The vineyards are managed in as natural a manner as possible. Vines are pruned short, no herbicides are used, and natural compost fertilizer is rarely applied.

“This domaine ranks as the finest winery in the Côte Chalonnaise. Organic farming, cultivated soils and virtuosic winemaking combine to striking effect, yielding textural but incisive whites and perfumed, supple reds that number among my favorite wines in Burgundy." -William Kelley, Wine Advocate

This small but outstanding domaine was created in 1840 by the great-grandfather of Régis Forey, the current proprietaire. The primary family holdings are in Nuits Saint Georges, Vosne-Romanée, and Flagey-Echezeaux, and more recent additions to the domaine reach into Vougeot & Morey St. Denis.

Propriétaire of 60 to 100-year-old vines in some of Gevrey-Chambertin’s most fabled sites, it was not until Jean-Marie Fourrier took charge in 1994 that the domaine once again fulfilled its potential— making it today one of the Côte d’Or’s greatest sources for wines that purely express site.

François’ Mikulski’s father was Lieutenant Mieczyslaw Mikulski who escaped from occupied Poland in 1939, eventually finding his way to Burgundy. Francois inherited his first plots of Meursault in 1992 and ever since has relentlessly pursued purity and elegance with his world-class wines.

Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau is a tiny estate run by Frantz and his wife Caroline Gon (winemaker at Héritiers du Comte Lafon). As with Lafon, this dynamic duo believes in organic farming and minimal intervention as the best way to express their great terroir and make world-class Chardonnay.

Georges Lignier wields some of the greatest vineyards in and around Morey-Saint-Denis. The delicate, subtle and seductive qualities of Domaine Georges Lignier are a fascinating contrast to the more intense and structured wines of cousin Hubert Lignier.

Small but mighty, the 5.5-hectare domaine includes some of the most profound terroirs of Vosne Romanée and northern Nuits St Georges. Maxime inherited a large proportion of old vines that he intends to preserve, requiring special attention and care.

Gerard Harmand and his son, Philippe, now lead this family-run estate that was established in the late nineteenth century. The domaine encompasses nine hectares of vineyards, all planted to Pinot Noir and situated exclusively within the boundaries of the village of Gevrey Chambertin.