Julian Haart, that is - the prodigious German winemaker who somehow already has a decade of vintages under his belt after working beneath two behemoths: the living legends Egon Müller and Klaus-Peter Keller.

Julian Haart

Training in any profession is important. Just like we sommeliers and former hospitality pros were poked and prodded for "star hunting", or shipping around to different Michelin-starred restaurants in lieu of a longstanding career at one of them, the future rockstars of the wine world seem determined to seek out differing beliefs and methods to learn from while they hone their own eventual vinous vision. So it is that Julian Haart spent time with two luminaries of Germany in Egon Müller and KP Keller - producers of many of the most sought-after (and pricy!) wines in the world!

Amaury' farms a single hectare of vines in the Aube, and if you didn't see the final product you would think he were crafting world-class Burgundy.

Amaury Beaufort

You may know the Beaufort name from the family domaine located in Ambonnay. Despite the lineage, Amaury didn't take over the estate, but rather picked up and moved to the Aube. If there is something of note that Amaury has taken with him, it's the dedication to the vineyards. They have been farming the vineyards without any chemicals since 1969.

Amaury has been working in wine since 2003 and his first vintage of his own label was 2018. He farms 1ha in Polisy called "Le Jardinot '' all by himself. This is important to Amaury as he wants to ensure he is doing the entire process from vineyard to bottle. Amaury think's 1ha is enough because he treats it as his own garden. As he's recently begun crafting wines from his friends' vineyards as well, he's ensured they share his continued quest for quality control, and the results show.

Viticulture and Vinification

Higher rolled canopies to allow for ripeness, maturity, and sugar levels. Canopies are dense, with more leaf content as Amaury feels this supports the roots in diving deeper into the soil for nutrients. All the wines are made without sulfur. With his close proximity to Burgundy, Amaury’s vinification techniques are more similar to Burgundy than classic Champagne. Fermentation begins in large 15hl oval casks. The barrels are all treated with light steaming to remove the concentration of toast and oak flavors.He doesn't do batonnage by hand, the shape of his casks allows for natural batonnage. The wine is then transferred to Demi-muids for settling and further aging. Elevage is rather long and changes vintage to vintage.

Guffens-Heynen

Guffens-Heynen wines haven't been in the US for over a decade, however they have remained as one of the most sought after domaines for Burgundy lovers. We had enjoyed various vintages in Europe and Japan, but due to the 10 year gap of not having a US importer, we wanted to seek out the wines and understand them a bit more. William Kelley, being a close friend, introduced us. Arriving at the estate for the initial visit, we spent nearly 9 hours conversing about wine and life.

Interestingly enough, we talk about focusing on young winemakers who are helping to re-define the future of winemaking. Winemakers who are making bold yet smart changes, and practicing healthy viticulture. It may not seem that Jean-Marie fits into this category, but he does in more ways than one! Jean-Marie and his wife Maine settled in Vergisson in 1976. Despite making wine since 1980, the rest aligns pretty closely. We never claim to be an importer of "organic or "biodynamic wines", but try to put a focus on the term healthy viticulture instead. We don't believe you need a certification to achieve something remarkable in the vineyard. Jean-Marie feels just the same wayfrom the appellation system and regulations to the term biodynamics.

After arriving in Vergisson from Belgium, they immediately emerged themselves into learning about winemaking and acquired their first plots of Pierreclos in 1979. Since the early 80s, Jean Marie has been pushing to prove that great chardonnay doesn't solely come from the Côte de Beaune. Nor does it have to have a 1er cru or Grand cru designation on the label. His first official vintage was 1982 with the wines from Vergisson, followed by starting the Negociant label- Verget in 1990. Verget is his project with purchased fruit from Chablis and Côte de Beaune

VITICULURE | GUFFENS-HEYNEN

Guffens believes in making honest wines. We often discuss producers and speak about who they have learned from or have philosophies similar to. Maybe the most controversial view is his dis-belief in the term terroir. This statement is easily misunderstood or questioned, but when you hear him speak about it- it makes more sense. He wants to do what is best for each vineyard in regards to farming and picking. Ultimately it takes a human, not just terroir, to make these decisions. The decision of when to plant, what to plant, how to manage the vineyard and all of the decisions to make at harvest. Although he isn't one for terms- he has created some of his own, non-cultivation. He works the soils only once a year, but only very shallowly. He uses a mower to control growth of grass and weeds with the idea that this limits nitrogen production and soil compaction. He does not deleaf or hedge his vines, as all of these things tend to support more vegetative growth and lower acidity in his grapes. He harvests late with pretty ripe grapes. The berries are typically smaller as are yields. If ripening is varying in the vineyards, it is time to harvest. Usually multiple passes happen each harvest, something not typically practiced in Burgundy. In total, the Domaine wines’ now consist of 5.65 hectares in Vergisson, Pierreclos, and Davaye.

VINIFICATION | GUFFENS-HEYNEN

As important as picking ripe grapes is in the vineyard, pressing may be one of the most crucial parts of winemaking to Jean-Marie. The grapes are lightly crushed before being pressed. In the winery a modified coquard press is used (also uncommon in Burgundy). The first press and free run juice is a crucial part of their pressing. This is the juice that is lower in PH and provides the incredible acidity we find in the Guffens wines. When done correctly, it is quite magical. All of this is what Jean-Marie really thinks makes the major difference. It is different from vintage to vintage and vineyard to vineyard, it’s usually slow and meticulously done. It is more the person working the press than the press itself. The wine is then transferred for fermentation- various size barrels and concrete depending on the vintage.