As the vines grow, let yourself be guided by the living.
Terroir is the only compass,
finesse and purity the essential destinations.
The Domaine Jean-Baptiste Boudier is made up of 23 parcels, all located within the golden triangle of the great appellations of the northern Côte de Beaune: Aloxe-Corton – Pernand-Vergelesses – Savigny-lès-Beaune. The vineyards are planted for the most part with very old vines, the oldest dating back to 1942. The soils are representative of the many facets of Burgundy: sand, limestone, clay and some more marly soils.
From taking over the domain in 2015, Jean-Baptiste wanted to work with the finest terroirs and climats in Burgundy, through a carefully considered selection process. Today, the domain’s 6.5 hectares comprise 11 appellations, including 5 Village appellations, 3 Premiers Crus and 2 Grands Crus. The two Grands Crus represent a significant proportion of the domain's production, a source of pride and responsibility for the family.
The domain's location on the edge of the famous Hill of Corton, next to the village of Aloxe-Coton, allows it to manage some legendary terroirs. Corton “Les Renardes” is the most prestigious of the Côte de Beaune's red Grands Crus, and Corton-Charlemagne is considered one of the greatest white wines in the world.
No clichés, no dogma.
Far from what is expected, we bring terroirs to life.
Attention to detail, the passage of time, self-effacement.
This is how alchemy works.
"No great wine without great grapes": an adage that is all the more true in Burgundy - a single-grape variety region - because without blending, each wine is the pure product of its specific parcel and the winemaker has no room for error. Studying the soil is essential to better understanding the needs of the vine in each parcel.
Choosing the right date for harvesting is vital and requires a great deal of analysis and tasting in the weeks leading up to the harvest.
According to Jean-Baptiste Boudier, "the essence of our work is to observe, understand and then let our intuition guide us".
The clay-limestone terroirs of the domain’s parcels require a great deal of care and attention before they reveal themselves in the bottle. That is why work in the vineyard and during vinification must be rigorous and respectful.
The first steps have already been taken: all the vines are cultivated using balanced-approach viticultural methods; thanks to the domain’s weather station, treatments are controlled to minimize the use of inputs. At the winery, rather than using traditional extractions, vinification is made gently, by infusion, for 10 to 14 days, with some of the grapes in whole bunches. Fermentation takes place with the indigenous yeasts of the terroir.
Since the 2023 vintage, all the whites have been vinified without sulphur.
The wines are aged with total respect for their integrity, with a small proportion of new barrels (French oak), from 15% to 25%, for 12 to 20 months. To bring out the full potential of the wines when they are bottled, Jean-Baptiste has elected to follow the lunar calendar.
"Respecting living things, through the work of a craftsman,
to the rhythm of time and the seasons"
Aware of respecting the environment and ecology, Jean-Baptiste Boudier has an objective: taking his quest for excellence even further, with a new system entirely designed and adapted to the domain, respecting the integrity of the grapes and wines.
"At the domain, we pay particular attention to the needs of the soil, so that it can give of its best," he explains. "I try to work in harmony with the soil and plants to respect natural balances and encourage life in the soil, but also to preserve biodiversity and ensure the longevity of the terroirs".
The domain uses environmental levers at every stage of the vineyard and wine-making process: respecting the soil, reducing inputs to a minimum, saving resources.
The men and women who make up the life of the domain are central to this balance - a real relationship of trust has been created with the teams who work in the vineyards and take part in the harvest every year.