La Pousse D'Or

La Pousse d'Or is a domain that honors its origins, focuses on what the terroir brings and practices meticulous winemaking. All these elements come together in wines that satisfy and even exceed the exacting standards one would expect from a fine Burgundian wine estate. 

History

La Pousse d'Or is a well known Burgundy wine maker, especially with enthusiasts of Pinot Noir. This estate is located in the village of Volnay, right at the heart of the Côte de Beaune. Its history stretches back hundreds of years with roots (or vines) that dig deep into the terroir. There are some who claim that the impetus for the formation of the estate as a domaine came with the 16th century. 

The estate changed hands several times over the years; however, each owner upheld the tradition of crafting wines from splendid terroirs in Volnay and its neighboring villages. The Dujac family’s long tenure came to an end in 1964, when Jean-Nicolas Ferte, Gérard Potel and Louis Seyss, the father of Jacques Seyss of ‘Domaine Dujac’, jointly purchased the estate. Potel married a member of the family and took over the management of the vineyards and winery, merging two separate plots in Volnay into a single estate covering 17 hectares, which the domaine continues to run to this day. Over the course of three decades, he transformed ‘La Pousse d’Or’ into one of the benchmark estates of the Côte de Beaune, and continued to manage it until his death in 1997.

In 1997, businessman and Burgundy lover, Patrick Landanger, bought the estate. He invested much of his fortune in the estate's vineyards and in the cellar; his son Benoît has since joined him in this project. Together, they labor over the wines in the cellar and in the vineyards and push the wines of La Pousse d'Or toward bon goût, as past Burgundians did.

The Vineyards

The La Pousse d’Or estate cultivates around 17–18 hectares, which is a fairly substantial holding by Burgundian standards; its land is spread across seven villages rather than being concentrated in a single one.

Volnay remains the heart of the estate. Three of its Premier Cru plots are exclusive holdings, meaning they are wholly owned and not shared with anyone else: ‘Clos de la Bousse d’Or’, which gave the domaine its name, ‘Clos des 60 Ouvrées, and Clos d'Audignac.’ Adjacent to these lies ‘En Caillerets’, on a hillside which connoisseurs of Volnay wines usually mention first. In Burgundy, where a single vineyard is typically divided amongst dozens of owners, the presence of three monopoly plots in a single village is an unusual phenomenon.

From this base, the estate’s holdings extend in both directions. Slightly further south lie the ‘Premier Cru’ Les Jarolières in Pommard and the ‘Premier Cru’ Clos Tavannes in Santenay. Slightly further north, on the Corton hill, lie two ‘Grands Crus’: Les Bressandes and Clos du Roi. The only white wine worthy of note, the ‘Premier Cru’ Le Cailleret from Puligny-Montrachet, was added in 2004.

Next comes the Côte de Nuits, where Patrick Landanger’s acquisitions have truly transformed the estate. The plots in Chambolle-Musigny, acquired from the former Moine-Hudelot estate, include Les Amoureuses, Les Feusselottes and Les Groseilles, as well as part of the Grand Cru Bonnes-Mares. In Morey-Saint-Denis lies Clos de la Roche , another Grand Cru. The first vintage from these northern vineyards was released in 2009.

In total, there are eleven Premier Cru plots and five Grand Cru plots, although one importer counts six. All work in the vineyards, from pruning to harvesting – is carried out by hand, and the vineyards are certified as biodynamic.

The Terroir

At La Pousse d'Or, 'terroir' is given a lot of attention and for good reason. It is, after all, a fundamental aspect of Burgundy and its wine culture. The word 'terroir' conveys much more than one might think when only considering the wines from this region. It means not only the different slopes and soils found in the vineyards Au-dessus de la Rue, [yet another excellently sited vineyard in Volnay], each with its own character that confers its own signature to the wines made from its grapes, but also the climate in Burgundy.

In Pommard, soils are a touch heavier and have more clay, which adds depth and power to the wines. The Corton vineyards lie high and have a mélange of marl and limestone, perfect growing conditions for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The vision here is to let each vineyard’s individuality and unique song come through in the wines, rather than trying to make everything sound the same.

The Grapes Used

Like almost all wine-producing estates in this part of Burgundy, ‘La Pousse d’Or’ specialises in two grape varieties, with the vast majority of its production coming from just one of them.

Pinot Noir accounts for the vast majority of production. It is used to produce all the wines — from the ‘Premier Cru’ Volnay, situated in the very heart of the estate—including the three exclusive plots ‘Clos de la Pousse d’Or’, ‘Clos des 60 Houvray’ and ‘Clos d’Odignac’, through ‘Pommard Le Jarolier’ and ‘Santenay Clos Tavan’, right up to the ‘Grand Cru’ wines: ‘Corton-Bressand’ and ‘Corton-Clos du Roy’ in the Côte de Beaune, as well as ‘Bon-Mar’ and ‘Clos de la Roche’ in the Côte de Nuits. The vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny, including ‘Les Amoureux’, ‘Les Fesselots’ and ‘Les Grozeys’, were acquired from the former ‘Mouan-Yudelo’ estate, and the first vintage from the Côte de Nuits was released in 2009.

Chardonnay plays a much smaller role. The only white wine worthy of special mention is the Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru ‘Les Caillères’, produced in tiny quantities from grapes grown on a plot acquired in 2004.

The winemaking is overseen by Benoît Landange, the son of the owner, Patrick, who inherited the estate from his father.

Way of Winemaking

The mix of tradition and gentle modern tweaks makes the La Pousse d’Or wines. They start with good, hand-picked fruit. It is sorted and almost inspected to make sure no bad or mediocre grapes get near the wine. The fermentation takes place naturally and without fanfare, using the native yeasts from the vineyard. They employ a mix of stainless steel and open wooden vats for their reds.

Post-fermentation, the wines get their aging in barrels of French oak. Of these barrels, a third is new each year. The intent here is to add some complexity and structure, but not so much as to make the fruit or the vineyard's expression unrecognizable. The wines usually go to bottle without fining or filtration, which helps ensure that their character remains intact.

The estate is also attentive to sustainability. They employ organic methods in the vineyard, eschew synthetic chemicals, and promote biodiversity. The goal is to maintain the health of the land for the next generation, as well as the present crop.

3 Fun Facts

- Cellars from History: The cellars of the domaine date from the 16th century and are hollowed deep into the limestone. They maintain a steady cool temperature year-round, which is the ideal condition for wine to mature.

- Clos de la Bousse d'Or: This vineyard is a "monopole," meaning it is completely owned by La Pousse d'Or. In Burgundy, where most vineyards are divided among many owners, this is quite rare.

- Ancient Vines: Some of the estate’s vines are over 60 years old.