Domaine Dupre

MANCEY — Jean-Christophe and Vincent Dupré don’t just pay lip service to their organic viticulture; they take it so seriously that they have their own mini weather station at the domaine so they can more precisely determine which organic treatments to apply and when. They obtained a “Reasoned Agriculture” certification in 2008 (long before others) and have continuously improved their vineyard management since then.

Their pruning method reduces the yields of their vines so that the fruit can be optimized. Therefore, their grapes have better quality, are richer in color, and attain perfect ripeness.

One of their other vineyard management techniques is grass cover between the rows of wines. This reduces erosion, decreases soil compaction, improves soil structure, allows the vines to obtain nutrients more easily, and reduces the need for treatments. The bottom line is the Dupré family’s vineyard techniques improve the quality of their grapes, which means they make better wines.

The Dupré family plants their vines according to the soil type of each microclimate. For example, the Chardonnay is planted on the white marl. This allows the Chardonnay to be robust while retaining freshness on the palate. The Pinot Noir is planted on red soil in a different location, which allows these wines to exhibit the wonderful fruitiness of the Cote Chalonnaise while also having beautiful complexity.

Even though these wines are not expensive, they offer remarkable quality.