Chandon de Briailles

About Chandon de Briailles

The Domaine Chandon de Briailles in Savigny-lès-Beaune has been family-owned since 1834 and is now run by siblings Claude and François de Nicolay. The division of responsibilities leaves François to work the 14-hectare vineyards, while Claude oversees vinification in the cellar. The parcels include Premier and Grand Cru sites such as Aloxe-Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, and Île de Vergelesses. François has been cultivating the domaine's vineyards using purely organic methods since 1998, and the entire operation has been certified organic since 2011.

For the de Nicolay siblings, interpreting terroir means consistently minimizing external influences and focusing entirely on naturalness and ancient traditions. The soil is loosened with hoe and plow, and plant protection is carried out exclusively with non-synthetic agents and is always reactive, never preventative. The Chardonnay and Pinot grapes are rarely destemmed, meaning they are mostly fermented with the stems. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in old wooden barrels, using only 15% new wood. Racking and bottling is done solely by gravity, naturally without filtration and with minimal sulfurization. What might sound like "backward" methods actually requires cutting-edge knowledge and sensitivity. Claude constantly monitors temperature, volatile acidity, and other parameters to guarantee clean vinification. While the Chardonnays remain untouched on the fine lees for 12-16 months until bottling, the Pinots are aged in open wooden barrels for 16-18 months after fermentation and are finally bottled unfiltered.

We experience this "neoclassicism," as Francois calls the style, in wines of supreme concentration and uncompromising quality, which nevertheless often surprise with their outstanding accessibility. Undoubtedly, the Savigny-Les-Beaune Blanc "Les Saucours" doesn't need to be challenged in its youth. The Chardonnay's acidity is too impetuous and razor-sharp, while at the same time it displays an enormously pronounced chalky dustiness, even stoniness. Will this wine be enjoyed in ten years and beyond? In our estimation, a firework that will surely bring a tear or two to the eyes of Chardonnay lovers.

The situation is quite different with the youthful versions of Savigny-Les-Beaune "Aux Fourneaux" or Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru "Les Lavières ." In perfect celebration of their fruity phase, both wines are bursting with energy, density, and focus, yet surprisingly easy to drink for a Pinot that has barely been destemmed. They are completely in their prime and deliver an incomparable Pinot cinema. Undoubtedly, a few years of aging will contribute to even greater complexity and refinement. Finally, the Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru also benefits from a few years of bottle aging, revealing a feast of spicy-herbal elements in perfect harmony with the elegant fruit. For us, Chandon de Briailles represents exactly what we expect from Burgundy: Pinot and Chardonnay masterpieces in their purest and absolutely perfected form.