Domaine Chevrot & Fils
Located in the Maranges region at the southern entrance to the world renowned Côte de Beaune wine region. The Cheverot estate consists of 15 different appellations spread over a total area of 20 hectares. The different appellations are approved by the french national institute (INAO) which strictly control the origin, production and quality of wines in France.
Maranges is located at the southern-most part of the Côte d’Or, producing red wines that Clive Coates describes as “honest, sturdy and rustic in the best sense… (and) with good acidity”. The Chevrot family has been making wine in Maranges since 1830, and Domaine Chevrot was founded in 1936 by the grandparents of the current winemaking brothers, Pablo and Vincent. Their parents started bottling wines under the Domaine Chevrot label in the seventies, and the young Pablo and Vincent have maintained the traditions of their parents with only one exception: they are converting the vineyards to certified organic viticulture. They are using organic compost in the vineyards and a minimum of copper and sulfur treatments as needed to treat oidium and mildew. They are practicing biodynamics as well but are not certified.
The entry-level cuvées are destemmed and some whole clusters are kept on the 1er cru cuvées. Indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation. The average age of the vines is 30 years, but the oldest plots were planted by the current winemakers’ grandfather and are up to 75 years old. After fermentation, the wines are put into barrels for aging. The amount of new oak used depends on the cuvée; Pablo explains that new oak is necessary in Maranges because the region produces very powerful wines like Pommard or Nuits-Saint-Georges.
As the goal is to produce wines that reflect their terroir and the vintage, the Chevrot brothers never add enzymes, acidify or chaptalize. Love for vines and wine, and the awareness of the need to respect the earth and its terroir have led the Domaine to adopt organic horticultural methods, this includes cultivation of some vineyards by horse to ensure minimum compaction of the earth. The elimination of chemicals and the adoption of organic horticultural methods not only preserves the earth but improves the vine health and improves the quality in the resulting wine.
Certified Organic.