Domaine Dupre - Winery in Burgundy

THE DOMAINE

The family farm was created in the 50's and at the time it was more focused on mixed farming, raising livestock, and working a few parcels of vines (approximately 3 hectares).  By the late 80's, it had gradually switched to viticulture. Jean-Christophe joined the business in 1990, followed by Vincent in 1994. By then, the estate had grown to around a dozen hectares. They subsequently gave up the livestock farming, took over several small vineyards in the villages of Royer and Mancey, and the domaine expanded to the size it has today, around 26 hectares.

"I plant my vines according to the soil", Jean Christophe likes to say. The 10 hectares of Chardonnay ripen on the white marl of Mancey on a south/ southwest-facing slope.  The Pinot Noir prefers the red earth of "Sous Borreau" on the slope, east of Royer.  The Gamay is mainly planted on the deep clay-limestone soil of the Royer valley.

The Domaine's red wines show a beautiful complexity and a distinct character. The low-yielding vines create wines "that must be left to come", according to Hervé Guichard, the cellar master. All the wine is aged in barrels, of which 20% are new.

The Burgundy Chardonnays are robust and appetizing. The Macon whites, produced in cooler soils, show a lovely freshness on the palate, along with notes of citrus and white flowers on the nose.

 Grass cover

Jean-Christophe Dupré is a great believer in grass cover, and he mows his twice a year. Grass cover offers several benefits:

- Sustainability of the parcels by reducing erosion,

- Improved soil structure because of the grass - the nutrients needed by the vine are more readily available,

- Reduction in the use of herbicides,

- Reduction in yields.

Grass cover is therefore a means of improving the quality of our grapes.