Domaine Tortochot

Domaine Tortochot is based in Gevrey-Chambertin. At the family business, the 4th generation is currently at the helm in the person of Chantal Tortochot. Chantal was educated at the University of Dijon and then spent 15 years working for an oil company in the US. Once back on the old nest in Burgundy, she and her sister Brigitte are taking over the family estate from their father Gabriel. Day-to-day management is in the hands of Chantal, who is also an active member of "Femmes et Vins de Bourgogne", the association of women winemakers in Burgundy.

The domaine owns 12 hectares of vineyards at both village and Premier Cru levels in the villages of Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey-Saint-Denis. The Premiers Crus are Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 'Lavaux-Saint-Jacques', Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 'Les Champeaux', Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru 'Aux Charmes', Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru 'Cuvée Renaissance'.

The estate also has plots in the famous Grand Crus Clos de Vougeot, Mazis-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin and Chambertin.

What further stands out is that Tortochot releases 4 different Gevrey-Chambertin village wines; 3 cuvées from different parcels: 'Les Jeunes Rois', 'Les Corvées', 'Champerrier vieilles vignes' and also a separate 'Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes' cuvée.

All grapes for Tortochot's wines are manually harvested and 100% destemmed. During the vinification process, cold soaking takes place for 4 to 5 days with the aim of extracting as much colour, aromas and flavour (but no tannins yet) as possible from the skins. Only natural yeasts are used for the alcoholic transformation. The wines then go into the cellar where they mature in medium-toasted oak barrels. For the Grands Crus this is 100% new French oak, 50% new wood is used for the Premiers Crus and 25% for the village wines.

Chantal is educated in the Burgundian tradition, but shows in everything she is concerned with the future. Her way of working shows great respect for nature. The domaine has been actively engaged in a more environmentally friendly way of vineyard management since 2003 and has been fully organic (ECO) certified since 2013. 'Les Corvées' (0.86 ha) is Tortochot's experimental vineyard.

Chantal: "In Les Corvées, we make a really traditional Gevrey Chambertin, with lots of fruit, hefty tannins and good acidity. These are not pinot noirs that can be drunk early.... For these wines, you need a bit of patience."

Of course, the same can be said about Tortochot's Grand Crus. These are really wines that would benefit from several years in the cellar to show their full potential.