After marrying Julien Prelat and helping to grow his vineyard and name within Champagne, Karine inherited land from her family in Riceys, some small plots from which she has created three still wines that will serve as a counterbalance to Julien's own label. The thought is much the same - feel the Aube, and to feel the varietals, which in this case showcases the one blended wine from both labels, in addition to two still Pinot Noirs - one of which is the special Rosé des Riceys.

Karine Prelat

Be sure to check out Julien Prelat's bottlings as well!

In 2019, Karine inherited 2 plots of vines from her parents, from which wine had never been produced by the family. The oldest vines dating back to 1971, the grapes had been sold to a Maison previously, but the vineyards, though small, were immediately put to work by Karine.

In the vineyard, the vines are green-harvested, limiting the number of clusters to 5-7 per plant; only in the warmest, sunniest vintages will wine be made from these vineyards, which are cool and planted to hard, kimmeridgian soils. South-facing plots provide decent exposure and good ripeness in the warmer years.

The Rosé will undergo a light carbonic maceration with whole clusters, fully vinified in stainless for maximum freshness. The Coteaux Rouge, entirely Pinot Noir as well, will be de-stemmed and pressed into neutral oak barrels for fermentation. The Coteaux Blanc, which is equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc & Petit Meslier is fermented in stone eggs, which provide a natural suspension of the lees.

"As many of the top winemakers in the world, it was natural to spend time in Burgundy and Valentin did so working alongside some of the top white winemakers we know and love, Raphael Coche and Paul Pillot after which he returned to the Loire and started his own Domaine, Domaine des Quatre Piliers"

Les Quatre Piliers

Valentin Desloges comes from a long lineage of wine growing. After receiving his bachelors in Amboise and a BTS viti-oeno in Bordeaux, Valentin went to work for Chateau Mangot in Saint-Emilion. Following that, he went on to work in New Zealand in 2015, with a strong focus on the varietal Sauvignon Blanc. Returning back to France, it was natural to spend time in Burgundy and he did so working alongside some of the top white winemakers we know and love, Raphael Coche and Paul Pillot. Additionally he spent time elsewhere, such as Alsace with Vincent Sipp. These mentors with roots in diverse territories have brought a wide array of experience in both the vineyard and cellar. He returned to the Loire and started his own Domaine, Domaine des Quatre Piliers. Ten hectares between Noyers and Saint-Aignan. He converted the estate to organic, focusing all of his energy into the vines while still focusing on details in the cellar such as creating his own barrels in collaboration with Francois Freres. Produced with wood from the estate that he drys and prepares himself. His first vintage was 2020.

Viticulture and Vinification

Just under 10ha, located in Touraine and split into about 15 different small parcels. Upon acquiring the vineyards-the vines have been converted to organic cultivation. About half of the vineyards are planted to Sauvignon Blanc on clay and limestone soils. With Chenin, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Cot/Malbec making up the rest. The Cher river acts as a large temperature regulator with close proximity to the vines. There is a large area of tuffeau that has been dug out, creating mineral equilibrium and serving as a natural ventilation system for the vineyard.

This panel of different soils is divided into 4 parcels: Les Puits aux Chiens, totalizing 3.5ha Sauvignon Blanc between 15 and 50 years of age, as well as Chenin vines about 30 years old; at the top of Noyer, there is high white clay with limestone borders with a cooler climate, preserving freshness, high aromatics, and acidity to the wines; To the north is Bernardières, one of the warmer parcels with 45 year-old Cot vines planted in sulphate rich soil close to the Cher river; the Bel Air parcel consists of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc and the Quatre Piliers parcel has 25 year-old Pinot Noir and 50 year-old Cabernet Franc vines planted to a cooler climate at the top of the hill with warmer micro climates at the bottom of the slopes with high red clay content. This complementary mix between warm and cold lands is fostering the subtle equilibrium sought after by Valentin in winemaking, associating robustness from the clay and delicacy from limestone.

In the cellar, there is great focus on controlled pressing - the amount of pressure used, the length of time the grapes are pressed and which juices are used. All the work is done by the moon calendar. Fermentations occur with indigenous yeast, and there is no fining or filtration of the finished wines. The wines are aged at a natural and constant temperature of 13°C in tuffeau caves at 75% humidity. Cabernet Franc and Cot grapes are carefully de-stemmed before fermenting in tanks for 20 to 30 days. Pinot Noir is cooled down with 20% of entire grapes and ferments for 9 days. Alcoholic fermentation takes places in stainless steel before being transferred to various barrels for malolactic fermentation. White wines only ferment in wood casks, with a varying proportion of new wood depending on the cuvée: 20% for the Grande Cuvée of white Sauvignon, and 30% for the Chenin.

Domaine de la Cras was formerly a winery that had fallen into the hands of the city of Dijon; Marc Soyard was chosen from among many applicants to fill the winemaking void, primarily based on his vision for sustainable, organic winemaking, and his incredible experience with the legendary Jean-Yves Bizot.

Domaine de la Cras

"This is not your typical Napa Chardonnay. This is not your usual Chablis. This is something different, new, unique; something for the thoughtful drinkers. " -David

After his winemaking studies, Marc Soyard first experienced winemaking at the Vins de Viennes projact under Rhone legends Pierre Gaillard, Francois Villard & Yves Cuilleron. The Jura native then made his way to Burgundy where he became the vineyard manager for Jean-Yves Bizot, following his tutelage in the cellar as well.

Now, Bizot's hallmark was forever strong viticulture, trying to be as hands-off as possible, but this of course mandates a sharp eye in the vineyard to create the healthiest fruit possible, and thus allow the winemaking process to essentially guide itself. Around this time, the city of Dijon sought an up-and-coming vigneron to take on the Domaine de la Cras, a monopole of great potential within the city. Soyard was elected based strongly on his resume and potential, all for the small price of gifting a number of bottles back to the city each year.

Marc has elevated the land primarily, which can be called either Bourgogne or also Coteaux du Dijon, the only Domaine in Burgundy allowed to do so. The practices in the vineyard and the cellar are largely hands-off, serving to create a vibrant, biodiverse vineyard that will create pure, healthy fruit that in turn will largely need nothing added during the fermentations.

Some new wood is used, depending on the vintage and cuvée; oak is preferred from local forests, and some chestnut and acacia barrels have been utilized. Coteaux is sourced from the lower-elevation vineyards while Cras is from the steeper slopes; Cras will undergo a longer elevage as it is more intensely structured.

Soyard's Coteaux du Dijon Chardonnay "Cras" is no joke; the Cras comes from the steeper part of the slope, adding a brilliant snap to the wines which provides a beautiful verve to his longer elevage in oak, the freshness and breadth playing together perfectly. The clay-based soil with limestone underneath would normally be favored for Pinot Noir, but Soyard's ability to adapt each varietal to his land is adroit.

"Soyard's ability to squeeze in so much flavor will have you admiring his craft, and leaave you engulfed with enjoyment in every sip. " -David

Marc also owns two plots of his own in the Cote d'Or, one parcel of Bourgogne near Ladoix, and another in the Hautes-Cotes de Nuits.