Domaine Morey-Coffinet is firmly rooted in Chassagne-Montrachet. For decades, our family has been driven by the same desire to grow our wines on this ageless hillside: to blend in with these remarkable terroirs.
Our Domaine was established in 1980, when Fabienne Coffinet and Michel Morey married, bringing together the vineyards inherited from Cécile Pillot and Fernand Coffinet, Fabienne's parents, and those passed down from Madeleine and Marc Morey, Michel's parents.
The young couple, who had just welcomed Florent, their eldest son, began their own chapter in the family winegrowing adventure: a year later, their first vintage was born, as was their second child, Thibault.
A sign? Maybe... He joined our small team in 2000, driven to uphold the identity of our terroirs. He understands the ongoing importance of attuning to the land, pushing its limits, and adjusting to sustain the essence of our Domaine: unveiling lively wines, tailored for aging, and imbued with the essence of the nature that has shaped them.
Encompassing nine hectares, our vineyards comprise some of the finest terroirs for exceptional white wines in the Côte de Beaune, including the Premiers Crus La Romanée, Dent de Chien and Blanchot-Dessus in Chassagne-Montrachet, and the renowned Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet. Although 80% of our clay-limestone plots are planted with Chardonnay, neither have we forgotten the other king of Burgundy: Pinot Noir.
In every bottle, we strive to encapsulate the essence of these exceptional terroirs: an authentic, pure, unadulterated expression. Thus, the pursuit of maturity is obvious. As a result, since 2021, the vines of our most prestigious appellations have been plaited and then ploughed with horses. Without pruning, the plant comes into its own. It infuses its berries with extra energy.
In all our vineyards, the return to traditional Guyot-Poussard pruning ensures a deeper respect for the flow of sap. This method channels all the vitality of the soil into the future grapes. Later, through meticulously disbudding and leaf thinning, we enhance our natural prevention of disease and rot. The handpicked bunches are rigorously sorted. The result of this constant attention? Ripe, perfectly healthy berries. The promise of delightful emotions.
From the day he arrived at the Domaine, Thibault has steered it step by step towards more environmentally friendly viticulture. This young winemaker has no doubt: the vitality of our soils must be a priority. Soil life is the key to refining the quality and balance of our grapes.
The first step in this change? Discontinuing the use of weedkillers in 2002. In 2018, following three years of transition, our vineyard achieved Organic certification from Ecocert.
Yet we want to go even further. Trees and flowers continuously enhance our landscape, and all our pruning wood is recycled in Meursault by Vitis Valorem. In 2021, a 100% electric tractor, light and silent, became part of our equipment for the benefit of our soils. Eco-pasturing has been implemented since 2023, using ewes from the Morvan region, with the aim of naturally mineralizing the land while providing weed control.
Biodynamic principles hold significant importance for us, and we have been diligently learning and implementing them since 2015. Compost and horn dung are applied to enhance the structure of our soils, while herbal teas produced on the estate fortify our vines. Horn silica aids in nurturing our foliage. These are just a few of the meticulous practices and attention to detail that we implement daily in service to our terroirs.
Terroir over technology: that's our ambition. With minimal intervention, we aim to let the balance of our grapes take centre stage: a harmony that unveils itself in the youthful character of our wines, maturing into peak aromatic complexity after a long rest in the cellar.
To ensure our vintages gracefully evolve over time, we refrain from using sulphur upon harvest. The grapes are pressed meticulously to extract the valuable natural antioxidants present in their stems and seeds, just as Thibault's grandfathers used to do. Subsequently, the must is racked for 48 hours to preserve as much of its essence as possible, while excluding any elements that might impart herbaceous aromas.
Next comes the ageing period, which occurs in 350-liter oak barrels. For each bottle, we carefully select barrels from four different coopers based on the desired origin and toast level, and we adjust the ratio between new and old barrels accordingly. The vaults of our magnificent cellars, constructed in the 16th century by the monks of Citeaux, also house amphorae and egg-shaped vessels. These containers, which accentuate the saline influence and freshness of our terroirs, are incorporated into our cuvées. Because here, as at every stage of our work, balance is our watchword...
