Join us for this educational seminar featuring three of Colorado’s top sommeliers and Burgundy producer Bertrand Ambroise of Maison Ambroise.  We will explore the topic of domaine vs. négociant estates in Burgundy with the goal of setting the record straight. 

Traditionally, négociants were merchants who didn’t own or farm vineyards. Rather, they bought wines from small farmers and then blended, matured and sold them under their own names. Unfortunately some of these producers in the 1970’s were making lower quality wines compared to the smaller domaine producers.  As a result, the popularity of the domaine increased starting in the 1980’s and at the same time the reputation of the négociant became tarnished. 

Today there is room for both négociant and domaine structured estates at the top-quality level in Burgundy. The best of the larger producers have a great track record and impressive vineyard holdings across the region. They’re known as négociants-éleveurs, or merchant-growers, who make wines from their own vineyards and from purchased grapes.

Today, the wines from these merchant-growers can represent excellent value, especially now that bottles from the most sought-after small estates have become increasingly expensive and sold in limited quantities on allocation only.

Rethinking the Négociant Seminar Wines:

2018 Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault Genevrières 1er Cru
2020 Domaine Drouhin Puligny Montrachet Folatieres 1er Cru
2020 Maison Ambroise Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru
2021 Faiveley Beaune Clos De L’Ecu 1er Cru Monopole
2021 Maison Ambroise Nuits St. George en Rue de Chaux 1er Cru
2020 Domaine Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint Jacques 1er