If you have been following along with our journey of getting to know Theo Dancer, one thing we hope you have picked up is his eagerness to learn, grow and think outside the box all while not leaving behind practices from that past that clearly work.
At the Domaine, he hasn't really made many changes. His eponymous Theo Dancer wines have given him the ability to be more playful and use different grape varietals from various regions. Under the Roc Breia label, there lies an opportunity to grow a vineyard from the ground up. The farming philosophy is similar to that of the Domaine. What is unique to this 10.5 ha plot in Macon is that it was farmed conventionally prior; "When seeing the plot there wasn't life - that was a challenge, but an exciting challenge." This sort of blank slate gives Theo the opportunity to use farming techniques he has learned from his father and implement them into a new vineyard, starting from scratch and really seeing it come to life. A challenge that removed the negative connotation that comes along with the word, and simply excited him.
In the Côte d'Or it is traditional to see many different cuvées in a Domaine's range. Theo wanted to pursue something a bit simpler for Roc Breia, using 10ha just to make two wines: a chardonnay coming from vines 60+ years old and a Pinot Noir coming from vines 35+ years old.
Theo's Notes on the 2023 Vintage
"The 2023 vintage in Burgundy is characterized by weather conditions similar to 2022, marked by heat and drought, but with slightly more rainfall, especially during the summer. This allowed for a relatively generous yield across the region. However, managing the harvest dates was crucial to avoid wines that were too alcoholic and lacked freshness and tension, which are key to the balance and expression of our wines philosophy.
The harvest was carried out relatively early, in line with our usual approach, prioritizing an overall balance focused on freshness and low pH, rather than excessive alcohol content.
The 2023 vintage is very satisfactory, personally marking a significant improvement in our understanding of the wines and grapes varieties under the "Theo Dancer" négociant company, allowing us to produce wines that we hope will be more and more precise.
The expectation is that these cuvées will offer both pleasure and drinkability at a young age, as well as elegance and energy after some years of aging."
