Bruno Colin, quintessential Burgundian Chardonnay

Producing wine since 2004 in a village known far and wide by Burgundy lovers, Bruno Colin crafts taut cuvées with a self-affirmed style. His mosaic of Chassagne-Montrachet terroirs come through in the glass, carrying a purity of fruit that distinguishes his vibrant Chardonnay from any other.

Fine terroir wine

2003 saw the dramatic splitting up of Domaine Michel Colin-Deleger, the wine estate that Bruno had shared with his parents and brother for ten years. The family reached an agreement on how to share the vines, and the result was two, new entities alongside the historic domain. Philippe Colin and Bruno Colin thus run their separate wine estates, branching out into their own style and each following a different path.

Bruno tends to his vines across 22 climats in Chassagne-Montrachet, eight of which are premiers crus, and his main work consists of expressing these terroirs as purely as possible. Whilst they are so close in space, they have stark differences in character. Our vintner has moved away from the rich, oak-marked Chardonnays made by his family to find his own winemaking identity. The profile he seeks in his cuvées has purity and freshness running through it.

To craft in this style, Bruno’s primary concern is a viticulture that respects the precious terroirs, with constant care for the plants throughout their seasonal cycle. This involves, for example debudding and destemming when necessary. The soils are tilled, following the belief that the soil should be aired in order for the vines to fully thrive. In other words, working the soil helps the vines to push deep into the soil for the minerals essential to growing strong and producing concentrated fruit.

Once the grapes have reached peak ripeness, the harvest is carried out by hand, with a first sorting in the vineyards to keep only the finest fruit, followed by a second in the winery. This second sorting makes use of a vibrating table. The harvest is destemmed then vatted for around twenty days for the reds, whereas the white grapes are pressed directly. Since the grapes chosen are of such a high quality, there is very little reason to intervene in the process, thus allowing the wine to develop in a way that reflects the terroir as closely as possible. Maturation takes 12 months in oak casks, before the wine is moved to vats for three to six months. This final step allows the wine to rest before bottling.

The result? Wonderfully bright wines with a fruit-forward character. There’s a just balance between fine maturity and a crisp acidity that brings a wave of freshness. These cuvées are a gorgeous expression of their home terroir without any extra adornment.

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