Craft&Estate

FRANCE

Domaine Laurent Cognard

WINERY OVERVIEW

Laurent Cognard’s parents and grandparents sold the grapes from their small vineyard in Buxy

to local cooperatives. Laurent began domaine bottling his family’s wines in 1997, returning

each year for harvest, but also working as a wine seller in Lyon and Paris. He returned to Buxy

permanently in 2006 and today farms 26 acres (10.5 hectares) of vines in the appellations of

Montagny, Mercurey, and Pouilly-Loché. The specialty of the domaine is white wine made in a

fresh and balanced style, though a small amount of Mercurey rouge is also produced. Laurent

practices lutte raisonée (“reasoned struggle”) and is converting to organic farming.

LOCATION OF VINEYARD

The region of Côte Chalonnaise extends 25 kilometers from the southern end of the Côte d’Or

to the Mâconnais in the south. The region includes five village appellations: Bouzeron (white

wine from Aligoté), Rully, Givry, Mercurey (white, rosé, and red wines), and Montagny (white

wine only). The soil is like the Côte de Beaune with weathered limestone and clay, but lacks

the protection from wind provided by the Côte d’Or’s escarpment. Laurent Cognard’s 26

acres (10.5 hectares) are spread across Bissey-sous-Cruchaud (for Crémant de Bourgogne),

Montagny, Mercurey, and a small holding Pouilly-Loché in the Mâconnais.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY

Grapes are hand-harvested and brought to the cellar in Buxy where natural yeasts are

used for fermentation whenever possible. Eighty percent of the white-wine fermentations

occur in barrel using a combination of 228-liter Burgundian pièce and 500-liter puncheons.

Various percentages of new oak is used for the premier crus. Laurent works to minimize the

frequency of bâtonnage because it contributes too much heaviness. “We’re not trying to

make bodybuilder wines here,” says Laurent, “our goal is to make wines you can drink.” The

Pinot Noir is destemmed to 90% and undergoes both punch-downs and pumping during its

vinification. The resulting wines show an extraordinary degree of purity, freshness, and fruit.

Owned by

: Laurent Cognard

Winemaker

: Laurent Cognard

Founded in

: 1997

Region

: Burgundy

Country

: France

Wine

: Domaine Laurent Cognard, Mercurey Rouge 1er Cru Clos du Paradis

Domaine Laurent Cognard, Montagny 1er Cru Clos du Vieux Chateau

Domaine Laurent Cognard, Montagny 1er Cru Cuvée Maxence

Domaine Laurent Cognard, Montagny 1er Cru Les Bassets

Domaine Laurent Cognard, Montagny Pouilly Loché aux Barres