Domaine Duroché viticulture and vineyard news

I recently had the opportunity to visit Domaine Duroché in Gevrey-Chambertin to have a look at its viticulture experiments and general work with the vineyards.

We started out in an experimental plot in the Cazetieres vineyard, where Pierre Duroché has a small parcel producing one cask of wine.

This vineyard is now equipped with high trellising supported by longer posts (150-160 cm) and extra wires higher on the post to support unhedged vines. Pierre weaves the long tops in the canopy in this vineyard, a la Leroy. The result is promising, as a tasting of the Cazetieres showed a more organic character – being 100% whole cluster also.

Pierre also took me to the beautifully located Estournelles St. Jacques, a vineyard high over the village of Gevrey with beautiful views in all directions. Particularly, the view over the Combe de Lavaut is breath-taking, and it was worth the detour.

A new vineyard – and it’s a good one!

Pierre Duroché has BIG vineyard news as well, as he has expanded his production with a plot of the mighty Le Chambertin in the top end of the vineyard – a plot with nice provenance.

It is owned by the Dupont family, which also previously owned the equally sized Dugat-Py plot just above. The original Dupont parcel was shared between Gaston Dupont and his brother Robert, and Robert’s part is now in the hands of the extremely pleased Pierre Duroché – cadastre no. 141, of 0.0538 ha.

The Duroché Chambertin is made in the same way as the minuscule Griottes-Chambertin, meaning berry-by-berry destemming in which the grapes are cut by hand from the stems, as is also practiced at the Moron-Garcia estate.

Pierre started using this method in 2016 with the Griottes, and has now implemented it in the Chambertin vinification. The first vintage of Le Chambertin was 2019 – exciting!