Baie-par-baie 2020 at Domaine Moron-Garcia

Domaine Moron-Garcia – one of the most exciting new estates – has a very special and exotic vinification technique that uses a combination of whole cluster, baie-par-baie berries, and machine-destemmed grapes in their top cuvees.

Pierre-Olivier Garcia sent me the photo below from the weekends harvest of the domaine’s top cuvée – its Corton.

A closer look on the top layer …

Three barrels of Corton will be made this year, vinified as follows: 1/3 is whole cluster, 1/3 is baie-par-baie, and 1/3 is traditionally destemmed grapes.

Whole-cluster and traditionally destemmed grapes are well known to you readers, but the baie-par-baie technique is relatively unknown,

Explaining baie-par-baie

Moron and Garcia – Pierre-Olivier Garcia and Mathieu Moron – employ a special technique where approx 1/3 of the berries in the top-end wines are removed from the stems by hand, grape-by-grape, with a pair of scissors to ensure whole and undamaged berries for vinification.

This is extremely time-consuming. They must have a lot of good friends, not to mention special geeky dedication.

The baie-par-baie grapes are then vinified with whole-cluster bunches and machine-destemmed berries. They are arranged in layers in the tank: whole cluster on the bottom, then baie-par-baie, and on top machine-destemmed berries.

The baie-par-baie method is unusual and very time-consuming. However, the resulting wines are of both high and exciting quality.

In my opinion, this technique encourages exciting perfumed aromas (see Corton note below) and ensures the vivid freshness and balance not found in most wines.

The baie-par-baie Corton 2019

Corton is the domaine’s top cuvée, and it also uses the baie-par-baie technique. Domaine Moron-Garcia Corton “Cuvée Baie-par-Baie” 2019 contains the same fruit proportions as the Charmois and Herbues. It’s intense, lively and very energetic, although youthful; it will need time to unfold. I adore the energetic, silky fruit and the mid-palate delicacy and energy. The finely detailed bouquet is unusual for Corton and proves that, with the right ideas and people to implement them, Corton can produce very sensual, perfumed and emotional wines.

(Drink from 2033) – Very Fine+ (94-95p) – Tasted 11/03/2020 –

Related articles

• Visit to Domaine Jean-Marc Millot – Tasting the 2024s from Cask
  Alix Millot have made some good 2024s … good for the vintage and for the appellation. As always with the 2024s they are not amongst the most powerful wines in history, but when well made – like the Millot wines – they can produce quite some hedonistic happiness. There are limits … and follow the emotional ...
• Get in the Hospices de Beaune bidding mood
  Time to get in Auction mood ! …here are some impressions!!
• Hospices de Beaune 2025 – Are You Ready for the Élevage!!
  The Hospices de Beaune auction is NOW – today – November 16th 2025. This is a charity auction for a good cause, so outside normal investments and evaluation criteria. And remember that generosity is a good thing when making your bid. Winehog and the Hospice wines Readers of the Winehog will know that I primarily recommend the Hospice ...
• Winehog treat #3 … the Tout simple
  Regardless of fortune, fame or occasional financial despair… I like to get a good wine at an affordable and attractive price. Sometimes this is 25 EUR, other times it’s 100 EUR … and on rare occasion I feel tempted to push further … but to be honest, 200 EUR should involve a full-blown vin d`émotion experience ...
• Vins d’Emotion from Chassagne-Montrachet and St. Aubin (revised)
  To simplify your search for emotional wines, I have decided to compile a list of the top emotional producers in each appellation. Comments and thoughts The list contains producers that regularly score an emotional rating, and they are ranked in three levels. I hope this proves useful; here we go! Note that any wines marked with brackets ...