Winemaker: David Moreau
Where: Santenay, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Size: 5 ha
Main Varieties: Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
Viticulture: Utmost care for his historic family vineyards, biodynamic aims, no systemic spray
Quick note: Mainly Pinot Noir planted, conscious agriculture aiming for yields of 35-45 ha/L. The ‘Bourgogne rouge’ is actually a single vineyard the family have farmed for over 5 generations.
In 2009, David took over the family estate established in 1959 by his grandparents Simone and Jean. Following his viticulture and oenology studies at the Dijon University, he worked with prestigious and well-known growers like François Perrin at Chateau de Beaucastel (Chateauneuf du Pape), Olivier Lamy at Domaine Hubert Lamy (St. Aubin), Aubert de Villaine at Domaine de la Romanée Conti (Vosne Romanée), and Tim Finn at Neudorf Vineyard (Nelson, New Zealand). These moments of exchange gave him indispensable experience is his quest for winegrowing excellence.
The family has not increased nor decreased the 5 hectare since early establishment, and thus David’s agricultural practices are very thoughtful and meant to build soil health. There is no use of weedkillers or insecticides, and he avoids soil compaction by working with light tractors on draining (or drier) soils. Overall manual labour is preferred, and indeed it is by these methods David knows his vineyards inside and out.
After a meticulous sorting, the red grapes are de-stemmed, whole berries transported by gravity to concrete vats. Daily tastings dictate how he handles the maceration in order to extract only the best flavours and grape tannins, after fermentation the wines are aged in oak barrels for about 15 to 18 months. The white grapes are whole bunch pressed, and immediately transferred to 350 L oak barrels where they are aged on lees for 12 to 18 months before bottling. All wines are fermented with ambient yeasts as a spontaneous fermentation.
The village of Santanay is renowned for its ideal exposition between east and south, and the gray limestone at the higher elevations, while lower down, limestone, marls and oolite makes up the topsoil. Indeed David’s fields reflect this terroir and one can see the beautiful cliffs or ‘walls’ rising above the village play a huge part in influencing the growth of his vines. Providing wind shields, reflecting sunlight and absorbing heat, additionally allowing the native honey bees to nest within the walls. David has been a pleasure to work with, and each vintage shows his knowledge of his vineyards developing alongside his signature style of making elegant and beautifully structured wines.
