Domaine Bruno Lorenzon

A pioneer of sustainable farming in a region dominated by chemical agriculture and mechanized harvesting, Bruno Lorenzon has been leading the way in the Côte Chalonnaise for two decades. Lorenzon’s vines are trained higher than his neighbors' and often planted at higher densities, and until 2020, he was certified organic. “But I’ve chosen to quit the certification system,” he explains, “because I’m not convinced by the label anymore”. His vineyards, needless to say, continue to represent a model for the rest of the Côte Chalonnaise to aspire to, with living soils and open canopies. What’s more, yields are routinely a mere fraction of his neighbors. To do all this in Vosne-Romanée or Puligny-Montrachet would be one thing; to do it in Mercurey means personal sacrifices and skipped vacations. Happily, Bruno Lorenzon is well on the way to receiving the international recognition that he deserves.

The Côte Chalonnaise has long been the victim to a vicious cycle: the wines’ modest reputation leading to low prices, and low prices incentivizing producers to choose quantity over quality. But over the last two decades, Bruno Lorenzon’s exceptional wines have expanded the parameters of the possible in this region, shattering glass ceilings and challenging preconceptions. Concentrated but precise, they’re seamless and complete, competing with the Côte d’Or’s best on their own terms, and they frequently win blind tastings when prejudices about Mercury are put to one side. Of course, results such as these don’t happen by accident: attention is paid to every detail to safeguard the wines' finesse and precision. Fruit is picked into small trays and kept cool before processing, and Lorenzon even produces his own barrels for his wines' élevage, seasoning the wood and managing the toasting himself. And he isn’t content to rest on his laurels: today, in addition to his compelling reds and whites from Mercurey, Lorenzon has taken over several parcels in Montagny, another appellation badly needing valorization. In a region sometimes paralyzed by entrenched hierarchies, Lorenzon’s dynamic presence is immensely important.