Domaine Marchand Freres winery
The Domaine Marchand Freres has been around since 1813 through seven generations, and for most of that time, it was based in Morey-St. Denis. In 1983, however, the domain bought a winemaker s house in the very center of Gevrey-Chambertin, ostensibly for the beautiful working cellars underneath. But Gevrey gradually became the seat of the business, and today Denis Marchand lives in the beautifully restored house and receives guests in the cellars below. The domain has small parcels in some very important vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny, Morey-Saint-Denis, and Gevrey-Chambertin, including premier cru Les Sentiers in Chambolle, Le Clos des Ormes in Morey, and Les Combottes in Gevrey. They also have holdings in Grand Cru Clos de la Roche, Griottes-Chambertin, and Charmes Chambertin. But production is tiny, 1000 cases here, a few hundred there, mere dozens in the Grands Crus. Marchand Freres is the quintessential Burgundy domain: small production, high quality. The harvest is de-stemmed and the second fermentation takes place in wood barrels of varying ages depending on the appellation and the vintage. Nothing is systematic; everything is thought out to react to the conditions of the year, the harvest, and the cellar. The harvest is then completely de-stemmed, again to avoid green tannins from stems and vegetation. Red alcoholic fermentation is in cuvee, while the whites see some barrel fermentation (especially the rare white Morey Saint Denis Le Tres Girard ). Malolactic fermentation in wood of varying ages depending on the wine. Very light filtration before bottling.