Domaine Dominique Cornin

Domaine Dominique Cornin is a small, family-operated winery in the Mâconnais. The Cornins focus on Chardonnay, organic farming, and use a combination of modern and traditional methods. Their wines come from old vines and are produced with minimal intervention.

History
Domaine Dominique Cornin is a family-run winery in Chaintré, a village at the southern edge of Burgundy’s Mâconnais area. The Cornin family has grown grapes here for several generations. Dominique Cornin started bottling wine under the family name in 1993. Before that, grapes from these vineyards went to the local cooperative. In the early 2000s, Dominique’s son Romain joined the domaine after working in vineyards in the United States and New Zealand. Since then, the two have managed the estate together.

The Vineyards
The domaine works about 12.5 hectares of vineyards. Most of the vines are in Chaintré, with other plots in Fuissé and Chanes. Some of their oldest vines, such as those in Clos Reyssié, were planted in 1938. Les Serreudières, another parcel, includes vines that are over a century old. The vineyards are divided into small plots with different soils and exposures. This allows the Cornins to produce several wines from separate parcels.

The Terroir
The soils in these vineyards are mostly clay and limestone. Elevation ranges from 200 to 300 meters above sea level. The climate is continental, with typical hot to warm summers and cool nights. Rainfall is moderate. The Cornins farm organically and have been certified since 2003.

Way of Winemaking
Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts. Most wines ferment and age in stainless steel tanks. For some single-vineyard wines, the Cornins use one to several years old French oak barrels or large wooden vats. The wines rest on their lees for about 10 to 12 months. The domaine does not fine or filter its wines. They use gravity, not pumps, to move the wine.