Domaine Marquis d'Angerville — the wines we carry

This estate has been making wine in Volnay for approximately 200 years. In 1906, the Marquis d'Angerville—one of the founding members of the INAO (Institut National des Appellations d'Origine)—took the helm of the estate and dedicated himself to rebuilding the vineyards devastated by phylloxera. In 1952, his son, Jacques d'Angerville (father of current owner Guillaume d'Angerville), succeeded him, maintaining a steadfast focus on quality while contributing to the establishment of various wine-related institutions. Following Jacques' passing, his son Guillaume took over the estate in 2003. He initially worked alongside agricultural engineer Renaud de Villette, who had collaborated with Jacques for 15 years. Upon de Villette's retirement in 2005, François Duvivier—who had been in charge of winemaking at "Maison Ambroise" in Premeaux-Prissey—joined the estate and is now entrusted with vineyard and cellar management. Guided by the estate's philosophy that "great wines are born from low-yield harvests," the vines are restricted to six bunches each to produce concentrated, high-quality grapes. The estate currently owns roughly 15 hectares of meticulously cultivated, well-drained calcareous marl soils, where countless old vines plunge their roots deep into the earth, imparting complex characteristics to the grapes. Since the 2006 vintage, the estate has transitioned 25% of its vineyards to biodynamics each year, achieving 100% biodynamic farming by the 2009 vintage. This shift was driven by a deep respect for nature and a desire to restore the soil. Previous use of chemical fertilizers had depleted subterranean life and compacted the soil; the goal was to revitalize micro-organisms, soften the earth so it can breathe, and ultimately yield superior grapes to craft finer wines. Harvesting is done entirely by hand, with 100% destemming. Cold maceration precedes fermentation, which takes place in open wooden vats for about 14 days—chosen for its superior temperature control and ease of isolation from the outside air. To avoid over-extracting tannins from the skins and seeds, *pigeage* is omitted in favor of *remontage* exclusively. Aging is conducted in 228-liter oak barrels for 15 to 18 months, with a new oak ratio of approximately 15 to 20%, depending on the vintage. Furthermore, the winemaking approach for the whites has changed significantly since 2006: whereas fermentation was formerly carried out in stainless steel tanks before transfer to barrels, the wines now ferment and age directly in oak barrels. A light fining and filtration are performed prior to bottling. Documentation by FINESSE INC.