Derain
St. Aubin, Burgundy
Totally authentic, totally minimalist, totally biodynamic. Catherine & Dominique Derain are vignerons with passion and vitality encouraged by the ebbs and flows of the moon!
Catherine & Dominique Derain are biodynamic producers in Burgundy with vines in a number of different Burgundian appellations. Dominique Derain started his career making wine barrels but decided, instead, to study winemaking in Beaune where he met Catherine, his wife. In 1988 he and Catherine purchased 5.5 hectares of vineyards in Saint Aubin just south of Beaune and began tending the vines biodynamically and making their wines in a very non-interventionist way.
The Saint Aubin appellation is one of the hidden secrets of Burgundy because the vineyards border those of the premier crus of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet but do not command anywhere near their price. The estate is situated in the center of the village in the old presbytery. Derain’s wines are certified organic by Ecocert. Low yields, old vines, hand-harvested, low intervention methods, low sulfites, choice property representing extremely high quality-price ratio wines!
Red grapes are 90% de-stemmed and then crushed, no sulfites are added. The grapes are fermented in wooden vats while punching down and pumping over for between 7 and 21 days. The wine is then aged in oak barrels for 12 and 18 months and racked before bottling.
Domaine Derain, Bourgogne Blanc, La Combe
- Vines situated in the Village of Puligny-Montrachet
- Deep brown and clay soil
- low yielding of35 hl/ha
- Vineyard produces fruity, rich and fleshy Chardonnay
Domaine Derain, St Aubin 1er Cru, En Remilly
- En Remilly is an exceptionally luminous, pebble-strewn vineyard at the top of the cool, sunny slopes of Montrachet.
- The yield is relatively low at 38 hectoliters per hectare.
- wine is both powerful and elegant making it perfect for aging. It also tastes great now!
Domaine Derain, Mercurey, La Plante Chasses
- Old vine in the Village of Mercurey
- south-east exposed, at the bottom of the slopes, steep with fine clay.
- A small percentage of Pinot Beurrot (former Burgundy grape variety) makes this plot’s distinctive feature, providing fruit and fineness with a delicate color to this wine.
- Yield of 36 hl / ha.
Domaine Derain, Pommard, Les Petits Noisons
- Half are young and old vines
- limestone rock covered with a light red topsoil. T
- South facing in the village of Pommard.
- The wine possesses finesse and a darker than usual red color for this appellation.
- Yield of 38 hl/ha.
Domaine Derain, Gevrey-Chambertin, En Vosne
- 95-year-old vines, this vineyard has reached the “Edge of Reason.”
- Its deep clay soil brings us a good structure to vinify.
- Yield of 35 ha/hl gives a delicate Gevrey, rich in aromas, and persist in fleshy mouth.
