Domaine Chandon de Briailles is owned by the Count and Countess Aymard-Claude de Nicolay and their children. The Comte inherited it from his grandmother, the Comtesse Chandon de Briailles, who was herself related to the famous Moët et Chandon champagne house. Situated four kilometres from Beaune, it is in the northern part of the Côte de Beaune, in Savigny-lès-Beaune. It covers 13.7 hectares, divided equally between the communes of Savigny, Pernand-Vergelesses and Aloxe-Corton.

In the family since 1834, Domaine Chandon de Briailles was taken over in 1982 by Nadine de Nicolay. With a great deal of hard work, she was able to restore the estate to its former glory. Today, her children, Claude and François de Nicolay, run the estate together. Each with very different backgrounds, they share the same passion: vines and wine. At the helm since 2001, their complementary skills are a major asset. Born in 1967, Claude studied viticulture in Beaune and oenology in Dijon. After graduating as a technical oenologist, she took part in winemaking courses in Oregon (1992) and New Zealand (1994). She joined the estate in 1991 and set up her own oenology laboratory to monitor the analysis of the wines. Born in 1970, François is a graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce. After a number of commercial experiences in Spain, the USA and Hong Kong, he undertook a winemaking internship at a major estate in Oregon in 1996. Having fallen in love with French vineyards, he opened a distribution agency and a shop in Paris where he distributes the wines of the family estate, as well as a number of vintages from other French estates. In 2001, he left the capital to take over the running of the estate with his sister, introducing biodynamic viticulture in 2005. He manages the team, the vines and part of the marketing side of the business, while Claude is responsible for the analysis and monitoring of the wines in the cellar.

When Nadine de Nicolay became involved in viticulture in the early 1980s, she quickly realised the harmful effects of chemicals. Chemical soil improvers and weed killers seemed to her to be unsuitable for growing vines. So she decided to re-equip the estate with ploughs, claws and other soil-working equipment. Treatments were only used when necessary, and there were no longer any systemic or preventive treatments. Step by step, less and less copper is used. Synthetic molecules are only used in extreme emergencies. In 2001, François de Nicolay took over from his mother with his sister Claude. A few years' experience in Paris as a wine distributor enabled him to witness the transformation of the wines of a number of estates that had converted to biodynamic viticulture. He quickly realised the high quality of the wines produced using this method and decided to convert the family estate. Since 2005, he has been growing his vines using totally natural methods. Certification by ECOCERT and DEMETER began in 2008, and the wines have been certified since the 2011 vintage. The 13.7 hectares of vines are ploughed entirely by horse, making it the only vineyard in Burgundy to do so over such a large area. In addition, for the comfort of the team, the estate has stopped using sulphur treatments; they now only use skimmed milk, which works very well. It's worth noting that all these major changes were instigated by the vineyard team, who spontaneously made these proposals to the family - a unique case. Replanting is carried out via massal selections, in collaboration with Lilian Bérillon and another nurseryman closer to them.

As for the vinification, it is characterised by a Burgundian style that could be described as neoclassical. For the reds that interest us here, the harvest - perfectly sorted - is put into open vats, mostly whole. The proportions vary according to the vintage and climate. No oenological products (other than sulphur in very small quantities) are used (no tartaric acid, no exogenous yeasts, no tannin powder, no enzymes). When the temperature of the grapes rises too high, they are gently cooled (to around 18°C) to avoid rushing the fermentation process and excesses that would deprive the wine of its finest aromas. Fermentation starts naturally a few days after the harvest. This is followed by daily pumping over at first, then manual punching of the cap. All the vintages are tasted regularly and closely monitored. They are racked after 15 to 20 days, decanted and then transferred to the cellar while still "warm" for the ageing phase, which lasts around 18 months, with a maximum of 10% new oak. Bottling is sulphur-free whenever possible, otherwise the estate analyses and adjusts to ensure that the wines are stable and age well.

Finally, a word about the level and style of the wines: we are quite simply at the pinnacle of Burgundy, with crus that rank alongside the most prestigious names. The colours are light, but they are those of the truly great Pinot Noirs. The aromas are bewitching, floral, spicy, refined, totally complex and seductive. The mouths are astonishingly dense, smooth and long. They literally vibrate and give thanks to their climates in the most Burgundian sense of the word. From the very first cuvées, you'll sense the grandeur of the place and the viticulture practised here. And while the wines can be enjoyed young, their ageing potential is no less proverbial.