2022 Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Burgundy, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Vines planted in 1970 on the plateau above Nuits St Georges and Vosne Romanée, shallow clay and limestone soil. The grapes are 100% de-stemmed, mostly pump-overs with some punch-downs, indigenous yeast fermentation. Aged in older barrels and foudres (no new oak).

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

In a region deeply steeped in tradition, it is exciting to discover a new winemaker who can elevate wines to new heights in quality and pleasure. Amélie Berthaut, the daughter of Denis Berthaut and Marie-Andrée Gerbet, only recently took over from her father, having first studied agro-oenology engineering in Bordeaux and spending time making wine with Agnes Henry at Domaine de la Tour du Bon in Bandol, and Dunn in California, before coming home to her family’s estate in 2013.

Domaine Berthaut is not a new domaine; it has been in the family for seven generations and has always been well-respected. The domaine covers 16 hectares, mostly in Fixin, but also in Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée. Fixin has the reputation of being a rustic wine, but Amélie explained that is perhaps because the winemaking is rustic and not the terroir. Like all great winemakers, Amélie insists that the most important work happens in the vineyards and working the soil. She follows lutte raisonnée farming, with a strong leaning towards organic viticulture: no herbicides or pesticides in the vineyards. The biggest threats are oidium and mildew, but she avoids spraying at all if possible.