Producer: Yann Durieux

Where?

In the Hautes Côtes de Nuits appellation, in the canton of Nuits-Saint-Georges, Villers-la-Faye is a village where Balzac stayed several times and which he described in his novel The Peasants under the name Ville-aux-Fayes. It was here, precisely in the hamlet of Messanges, that Yann Durieux's parents cultivated three hectares of vines. Their son Yann learned his trade as a winemaker not far from there, at Prieuré-Roch, in the Gevrey-Chambertin and Nuits-Saint-Georges appellations—an estate where the wines are made without any synthetic products, both in the vineyard and in the winery, without added sulfur, and according to the principles of biodynamics. For ten years, Yann honed his talent and immersed himself in this winemaking philosophy. It was only natural that he applied them to the family vineyard when he took it over in 2010, creating his own estate, which he named "Recrue des Sens."

From the outset, this terroir and biodiversity enthusiast wanted to make natural wines: once the estate was established, he immediately set about converting it to organic and biodynamic farming.

Terroir and Soils

Although classified in the "Vin de France" category, Yann Durieux's wines come from exceptional Burgundy terroirs, clay-limestone soils from the Middle Jurassic period characterized by cherty limestone (i.e., including siliceous concretions such as quartz, chalcedony, or calcite). These lands are the source of all the finesse of this region's wines, and biodynamic farming is an excellent way to reveal their power.

Plots and Grape Varieties

In addition to the estate's three hectares of vines, Yann owns a few plots north of the Côte de Nuits and in the Hautes Côtes, purchasing some grapes to supplement the small volume of the estate. The grape varieties are typically Burgundian: Pinot Noir for the reds and, for the whites, Aligoté—the original white grape variety of Burgundy—and Chardonnay. The average age of the vines is around thirty years.

Growing Methods

The estate is certified organic (Ecocert) and managed biodynamically (Terra Dynamis). The vines are trained semi-high and not clipped, but braided. The yield is very low (less than 10 hectoliters per hectare). The harvest is entirely manual.

Vinification

Vinification is carried out without added sulfur, the reds are vatted with whole bunches, and no chaptalization is practiced.

The Wines

Yann Durieux's solid winemaking experience, his perfectionism, his respectful attention to nature, and, quite simply, his talent allow him to take liberties without ever slipping. Thus, he is renewing a somewhat rigid Burgundian viticulture without ever denying the authenticity of the terroir. His precise, fresh, and easy-to-drink wines are already considered by some to be grands crus. Fruit and freshness characterize them. The reds offer an airy palate and chiseled tannins (cuvée Les 1er Ponts), and can be full-bodied and powerful (Les Grands Ponts). As for the whites, slightly sparkling, they highlight the aligoté in a surprising and seductive way: Love and Pif, with a straight and pure mouth after an iodized and lemony nose; Les Ponts white, macerated aligoté with an orange color, a nose of peat and acacia and a gourmet finish.