Domaine Julien Brocard
The seven vineyards - Chablis "naturally"
Julien Brocard's domaine is located in Préhy, just a few kilometres from the town of Chablis in northern Burgundy. The aim of the domaine is to bring out the true character of the wines without any distortion, and for this purpose the vines have been cultivated biodynamically since 2011.
In 1973 Jean-Marc Brocard planted his first vines in the Chablis winegrowing region. In 1995 Julien Brocard followed in his father's footsteps and took on his first responsibilities in the family business. Together they created ecological niches by planting new fruit trees typical of the region, such as hazelnut, pear and vineyard peach. These promote biodiversity and the balance between animals and plants. In 1997 Julien Brocard discovered the vineyard of La Boissonneuse, where he ventured on his first biodynamic experiments. This vineyard received biodynamic certification as early as 2002. All the other vineyards and plots were also gradually converted to biodynamics.
White wines from Domaine Julien Brocard
from Domaine Julien Brocard
Biodynamic agriculture requires constant monitoring and care by humans and the use of traditional methods and tools, such as the horse-drawn plough, in order to create a natural connection between humans, the soil and plants. The soil of limestone and clay with fossil oyster shells, also known as Kimmeridgian, and the region's temperate continental climate with warm summers, long winters and the threat of frost are factors to consider. A compressed air press is used to extract the juice from the hand-picked Chardonnay grapes, which is then fermented in one of 22 large oak barrels with a capacity of 15 to 100 hectolitres. This allows for slow oxygenation and preserves the unique flavour of each vineyard plot.
Julien Brocard now creates seven wines from the seven different vineyards which make up his domaine. The bottles are sealed with wax, stamped by hand, wrapped in tissue paper and packed in a box that holds seven bottles and was specially designed for this range. The wines all captivate with their individual character, starting with La Boissonneuse, with its ripe fruity notes, creamy structure and clearly defined minerality, and ending with the Grand Cru Les Preuses, powerful and rich with pronounced minerality and exceptional ageing potential. All these wines have one thing in common: they are very well defined and come to life on the palate. Santé!
Producer
Weingut Ratzenberger / Fam. Ratzenberger
The most beautiful way of traveling to Bacharach on the Rhine is by boat, passing the famous Loreley cliff. To the left and right of the Middle Rhine, medieval castles and picturesque villages follow in quick succession. Bacharach is one of the most beautiful towns in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once there, the locality of Steeg can be reached on foot within half an hour or by car in just five minutes.
Castello del Terriccio
Castello del Terriccio is one of the largest agricultural estates in Tuscany (Province of Pisa) with its own microclimate. The approximately 1700 hectares extend from the northern end of the Maremma to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The vineyards enjoy a south-southwest exposure with the warming and luminous effect of the sea. The Mediterranean maquis and the eucalyptus trees growing all around it not only protect the grapes from the wind, but also imbue them with the scents and aromas that give the wines of the Terriccio their distinctive flavour.
Distillerie Tessendier & Fils
Grape growers, producers of Cognac and innovative spirits
“Time is of the essence for creating high-quality spirits” (Jérôme Tessendier)
The Tessendier & Fils Distillery, established in 1880, is a family-run business based in Cognac and Jarnac, on the banks of the Charente, which produces a diverse portfolio of high-quality Cognacs (see Cognac Park) with a modern twist. The heirs, Jérôme and Lilian Tessendier, have succeeded in modernising the family business in the face of the international dimension of the market: first by creating their own brand of Cognac, then by drawing on their ancestral savoir-faire to refine other types of spirits. This knowledge was forged over time, improved from generation to generation and is now shared by the Tessendier Distillery through three Cognac series (Park, Campagnère, Grand Breuil), each with its own unique character, its own history.