DOMAINE JOSEPH COLIN

This is one of our most thrilling discoveries in recent years and we are absolutely delighted and excited to have been chosen to represent this wonderful, newly-formed domaine in the UK. Following the route taken by his elder brother, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Joseph left the family domaine in 2016 to forge his own path. With only 6 hectares presently under vine, based in the hamlet of Gamay near Saint-Aubin, he is able to work in a way that was previously not possible.

Everything is carried out manually in the vines, with ploughing between the rows and no herbicides or chemical fertilizers. On the steep slopes of Chatenieres and Sentier du Clou, he grows grasses to combat erosion. He uses organic products whenever possible to control pests and diseases. For his white wines, the grapes are gently whole-cluster pressed, the must run-off straight into barrel, and is neither settled, chilled nor are sulphites added. Only indigenous yeasts are used. The wines spend 12 months in barrel, without bâtonnage and the barrels are topped twice a week. Racking is after 12 months, without SO2, when the moon is descending, on either “fruit” or “flower” days. Everything is done by gravity. After racking, the wines are lightly fined and sulfited and then spend 2 months in tank, prior to being bottled without filtration. He uses between 15% and 20% new oak barrels.

Saint-Aubin Blanc “Compendium” is from 20 to 45-year-old vines on clay/limestone soils from the lieux dits of Champs Tirant, En l’Ebaupin, Tope Bataille, Le Banc and Au Bas de Jorcul. Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sous Roche Dumay – 20-year-old vines on white clay/limestone soils. This is one of the warmest sites in Saint-Aubin. Saint-Aubin 1er Cru La Chatenière – 30 to 60-year-old vines on a steep, limestone slope. Chassagne-Montrachet Blanc – 1.32 hectares of 15 to 70-year-old, exceptionnely well-situated vines in the lieux-dits of Les Meix Goudard (just below 1er Cru Les Macherelles), Blanchot Dessous and En Journoblot (both next to Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet). Puligny-Montrachet “Le Trezin” – East-south-east facing 55 to 60-year-old vines on predominantly limestone soils. This is one of the highest vineyards in Puligny, above the hamlet of Blagny.

These are stunning wines – Exquisite, generous and full of intense flavours, whilst retaining great tension, poise, energy, minerality, and salinity.