There are quite a few new estates created in Burgundy every year, but somehow the Domaine Marshall in Nuits-Saint-Georges is the most exiting newcomer in years.
Domaine Marshall has the vineyards … good 1er crus … Domaine Marshall is uncompromised with an ambitious attitude to viticulture and lastly has a new view on the winemaking that makes a visit at this estate a tremendous experience leaving you with a load of impressions and thoughts.
Welcome to the world of Jean Marshall
A Organic producer by heart and mind
Jean Marshall’s father Tim Marshall was born in Yorkshire UK. He came to Burgundy in 1962 and began to build this small but beautiful Domaine from scratch at the beginning of the 1960s and onwards … bit by bit … finding exciting plots.
Sadly Tim Marchall got very sick in the beginning of the 2000s from the chemicals used in the vineyards and he passed away in 2015. This was all before Jean had reached an age where he could think of taking over the estate.
So the vineyards were rented out to Meo-Camuzet for almost 20 years ending in 2022 when Jean Marshall decided to take back the estate to start something new with an organic view and principles.
The heritage
The estate is still small …. 2 hectares …. of mainly top-end 1er cru …
- Bourgogne Blanc “Aux Seurrets”
- Bourgogne Rouge “Aux Seurrets”
- Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Aux Argillas
- Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Perrières
- Chambolle-Musigny Les Athets
- Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru Les Cras
- Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru Les Feusselottes
All wines come from vineyards owned by the estate.
The viticulture
The viticulture is quite top-notch with a high trellis and a holistic treatment of the soil and the plants. This is the full package, including a focus on the decompacting of the soil and respect for the wine’s place in the full ecosystem of the vineyard. He has inspirations from Mme Leroy, Charles Lachaux and others of the frontrunners of modern viticulture.
This can easily become geeky (I like that a lot) but one just has to be in these for a few minutes to experience the life and smells of the ecosystem of the vineyard to realise this is the way to do it. Cover crops and the high trellises make a holistic frame for the vines and the vineyard … what a magnificent scene to produce future wines.
This is however complex and producing wines in a fully organic framework takes time, as the vines need to adjust … this can take years, just as the viticulture gradually has to be adjusted. Tricky perhaps … but when you crack the code … magic will happen.
Vinification
The vinification is quite conventional until the elevage, as its 100% whole cluster with the fermentation starting out with a Pied de cuve. Then a rather short vinification and then we reach one of the new and very exciting parts of Domaine Marshall … elevage in a non-oak environment.
Sorting on the vibrating table is extremely thorough … in my view, very important when you make the wines on ceramics – as unclean grapes will be identified very clearly.
Domaine Marshall uses ceramic Wessels from Clayver and other similar producers with the same properties …. i.e. ceramics produced to ensure a pretty low permeability… meaning the oxygen transfer is quite or even very low compared to oak.
The wines elevated in ceramics appear very linear and transparent with a more pronounced acidity and a very nice expression of the mineral side of the terroir expression.
The fruit notes are precise but appear to be somewhat on the discrete side – not perfumed or enhanced by the oak. On the lesser wines more discrete but expressed fuller on the bigger wines and more expressive terroirs in Chambolle …
The wines seem effortless and very “at ease” … if this gives a resonance.
It is important to note that the ceramics’ elevage changes the perception of the wine … but also the lack of oak will give a different wine due to the lack of influence of oak.
You don’t have the traditional oak base in the taste, and this is new and quite game-changing, as one no longer has the constant influence of the barrel and its toasting.
It is just like tasting the fully naked wine and this can be as difficult to comprehend and fathom to the human brain as it has been used to taste oak-based wines for years and decades. Tasting non-oaked wines is like tasting without filters and without perfume and enhancements …
One is the Wessels permeability … the flow of oxygen through the ceramic Wessel. The permeability is often significantly lower – 1/2 or even down to 1/4 – compared to a normal French oak.
So a new experience is awaiting and I need to follow and understand how these wines develop …. the Winehog is on new grounds … and an open mind is required …
The wines
While this is a new estate I know most of the vineyards very well, as they were a part of the Meo-Camuzet estate. The very good plots are now released to new adventures.
The wines were tasted on August 29th 2024 … first vintage is 2023!
Domaine Marshall Bourgogne Blanc “Aux Seurrets” 2023
The Bourgogne blanc is quite intense and powerful for this level. Well-structured as these ceramic wines are … lovely deep fruit notes … works very well and the acidity feels crisp and lively. The Bourgogne Blanc is from the bottom part of Pommard.
(Drink from 2025) – Good+ – (87p)
Domaine Marshall Bourgogne Rouge “Aux Seurrets” 2023
This plot is also from the bottom part of Pommard. It is a quite powerful and clean Bourgogne rouge… delightful fruit … very clean and pure … due to the excellent sorting and clean ceramic Wessels.
(Drink from 2027) – Good+ – (87p) – 
Domaine Marshall Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Aux Argillas 2023
The Aux Argillas is a lovely mineral wine … very precise and has some relatively cool mineral notes due to the fresh air from the combe. Fruit and fruit expression is coolish showing no perfume from the oak. This is an extremely elegant wine … and very much different from the version made by Meo-Camuzet.
(Drink from 2032) – Fine+ – (92p) – 
Domaine Marshall Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Perrières 2023
The Les Perrieres has a deeper and darker minerality … a true NSG. But the elevage in Ceramics gives this Nuits-Saint-Georges a lighter and more lively expression. The expression of the pinot fruit is discrete and still underlining the Nuits-Saint-Georges seriousness. A modern NSG? The plot is located high on the slope just below the old quarry.
(Drink from 2030) – Fine – (91-93p) –
Domaine Marshall Chambolle-Musigny Les Athets 2023
The Chambolle village has more sweet red notes and a delightful mineral backbone. This has more liveliness in the fruit … more emotion and delightful Chambolle notes. A very adorable wine driven by the ripe fruit from these old wines. A delightful vine.
(Drink from 2030) – Very Good+ – (90-91p) – 
Domaine Marshall Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru Les Cras 2023
The Chambolle Les Cras 2023 is from a very interesting plot just up from the village (there is a staircase going up from the road below). It has a deep vivid minerality and is perhaps the most complex of the wines in the Marshall portfolio. The rich and vivid fruit gives this a lovely hedonistic note …
(Drink from 2035) – Very Fine – (93p) –
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- A true vin d’émotion – a Burgundy of passion
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