Domaine Drouhin Vaudon

During the 1960's, at a time when the Chablis vineyards were all but abandoned, Robert Drouhin believed in the potential of this wine region which, a century earlier, had been decimated by the phylloxera disease.

Attracted by the unique qualities of this terroir considered an integral part of Greater Burgundy, and as a tribute to the Joseph Drouhin family, native of this area, Robert Drouhin examined maps, spent time visiting the area, had extended conversations with the local people and remembered his tastings with Maurice Drouhin.

Very early, he selected the best vineyards in the historical and geological heart of Chablis before the INAO (the government office controlling the appellations in France) would extend the actual limits of the appellation into less typical areas.

Forty years later, Philippe, Véronique, Laurent et Frédéric have made of this domaine a pioneer of the appellation and one of its most dynamic achievers, to the point where it is now recognized as one of the benchmark estates in the region.

The Domaine Drouhin Vaudon, as it is now constituted in Chablis, is a separate entity operating with a team of ten people working full time under the responsibility of Denis Mery, the vineyard manager.

In the last 40 years, the Drouhin family has acquired and planted excellent parcels of land. The wines produced from the "Propriétés de la Famille Drouhin" come from the following vineyards:
 

CHABLIS GRAND CRU (3.7 ha - 9.25 acres):

- Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir (1.5 ha - 3.75 acres)

- Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos (1.3 ha - 3.25 acres)

- Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses (0.5 ha - 1.25 acre)

Since the end of the 1980's, under the impetus of Philippe Drouhin, the Domaine Drouhin Vaudon has embraced biological and biodynamic cultivation. As of today, the Domaine Drouhin Vaudon is the largest estate in Chablis entirely given over to this kind of cultivation.

This type of cultivation was applied to the whole domaine as of 1998, thanks to the competence of Denis Mery and his whole team. The principal aim of the biological approach is to have a global approach which would limit as much as possible the use of chemicals or products such as sulfur or copper.

The help from natural predators is precious:
- for instance, typhlodromes (tiny mites acting as biological control agents) are able to keep the level of yellow or red spiders so low that these insects are no longer a cause for worry.  
- Grass growing between the rows of vines as well as in the bushes nearby offers a natural reservoir for this useful biodiversity.  
- In the final analysis, the soil (our terroir) remains our most important asset: it must be nourished, protected and pampered. Compost made from organic matter (vegetal and animal) replaces the fertilizers of old. Plowing replaces weedkillers. Letting vineyards lie fallow for a few years, as well as a judicious selection of vine-stocks, replace the kind of chemical disinfection that was done before planting.

Around the same time (starting in 1998), biodynamic cultivation was tested, at first on 4 hectares (10 acres) of the estate. This cultivation was then progressively enlarged to the entire domaine. Biodynamic cultivation can only exist if biological cultivation is in place.

This approach, to which we subscribe, may take various technical paths but they all share the same basic elements:

•    The use of biological preparations added to the composts (two of these, numbered 500 and 501, being used on soil or plants). The preparations, made of cow manure, oak bark, pure silica and various plants, are meant to transmit impulses and favor natural processes in the vine and the soil.
•    The use of various steeped or soaked medicinal plants (such as horsetail, nettle or comfrey) facilitates a more direct action on the plant, whether it stimulates it, helps it to create its own defense or simply guide it in its development.
•    The observance (as much as possible) of the natural rhythms imparted by our solar system to perform certain tasks. The idea here is to move in harmony with these rhythms rather than thwarting them. 

The Drouhin family is constantly searching for new ways to limit the imprint of man on nature, while maintaining a delicate balance between the two.

Under the guidance of Jérôme Faure-Brac and Véronique Drouhin, the vinification starts in the Domaine Drouhin Vaudon cuverie, in Chablis.  

The grapes are delicately pressed so as to respect the fruit.  Juices from the last pressing are discarded.

The fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats for the Village. The Grand Crus and part of the Premier Crus will age in oak barrels. 

The Domaine does not age in new oak barrels because new oak  has a high level of tannin and other dominant flavours.  Similarly, "double-pièces" are the barrels of choice.  Their larger size gives a fresher flavor to the wine since contact with the wood is more subdued and will not interact negatively with the mineral and fresh character of Chablis.

The aging lasts 7 to 8 months for the Village and Premier Crus, 10 to 12 months for the Grand Crus.

At each step in the elaboration of a wine, a strict technical control gives the finishing touch to the actual tasting. Every single detail is important.

"We were one of the first Houses in Burgundy to apply bar codes for identification on the barrels in order to ensure total traceability of our wines".

"We stamp each cork with the name of Drouhin Vaudon, the appellation and the vintage, in order to guarantee the authenticity of the wine".

"We refuse to commercialize any appellation that does not reach the standards of the Domaine".