BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ

Domaine Derey Frères has its cellar in the village of Couchey, between Marsannay and Fixin. The family's vigneron background can be traced back to 1650, but it was called Derey Frères only from the 1950s, with the establishment of the domaine as it is now when brothers Albert and Maurice worked together. Fifth generation Pierre Derey, while keeping an eye on things, has ceded to the this sixth generation, his sons Maxime, Romain and Pierre-Marie, who seem to work well as a team in vineyard and cellar - so the domaine's name has never been more appropriate.

The brothers have 20 hectares of vines, spread from the edge of Dijon to Gevrey Chambertin. There are Bourgogne Rouges from the historic vineyards of the Dukes of Burgundy which are relics of the historic Dijon vineyards, now mostly part of the town. The core of the domaine could be said to be the ten hectares in Marsannay, while the vineyards in Fixin and Gevrey Chambertin complete the range.

In the vineyard the brothers have turned the whole domaine into organic conversion - the first certified wines will be from the 2023 harvest. Winemaker Maxime has experimented with some whole bunches, ranging from 20% top 100%, quite quick alcoholic fermentations, with or without the addition of sulphites, and usually with indigenous yeasts, but with no fixed recipe - it all depends on the year. The wines are then aged for between 12 and 18 months with an average of 25% new barrels (up to 40% in the top wines).

The result is wines which they say are in the image of the three brothers - 'instinctive, frank and spontaneous', with immediate pleasure from a juicy fruit which dominates, but which will not prevent the wines from aging well.