07 July 2026
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We cannot stress this enough: behind every wine label lies, first and foremost, a human story. Men and women who tirelessly tend to their vineyards, relentlessly roaming their vines, looking after their soils and working in the dim silence of their cellars. Unsung heroes who battle frost, hail, vine diseases and nature’s increasingly capricious moods, set against the backdrop of a warming climate.
From time to time they appear, in the dead of spring nights, pale silhouettes in the biting cold, running from one row to the next to light candles in an attempt to rescue a few precious degrees. In a matter of minutes, frost or hail can wipe out a year’s work, sometimes even more. Yet they begin again. Relentlessly. As so many generations before them have already done. For wine – that humble miracle renewed with every vintage – exists only thanks to their passion, perseverance and courage. Through this feature, we pay tribute to those who give it life.
Check out the full selection here and all of our content and features here.
Camille Thiriet and Matt Chittick (Camille Thiriet) – Selected
The story begins like a Burgundian joke: a Canadian cellar master and a Parisian woman meet at Domaine de Bellene (Côte de Beaune). In 2016, Matt Chittick and Camille Thiriet decide to write their own chapter. The couple set out with a simple idea: to buy excellent grapes from lesser-known appellations, far from the flashy labels. They headed to their cellar in Côte-d’Or, at the heart of the Côte de Nuits, where everything was done the traditional way. Here, there were no fancy gadgets or magic buttons: they collected grapes by bucket, trod them by foot and then pressed them with an antique ratchet press. In 2021, the pair stepped up a gear with the purchase of their first parcel: 0.8 hectares ares of Côte de Nuits-Villages 'Le Clos Magny' in Corgoloin. Then came the takeover of Domaine Gilles Jourdan. The result: six hectares now spread between Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Blanc Rosé, Bourgogne Rouge, Côte de Nuits Blanc and Côte de Nuits Rouge.
In the vineyards, Thiriet tends vines that are sometimes a century old, with many aged between 60 and 100 years. It's a skill she learned during her time with Nicolas Potel, where some of the vines are as old as 110. Her own vines are worked according to the same organic methods. Here, horses still regularly carry out the work that tractors perform elsewhere. Between the rows, flowers replace bare soil: a simple yet effective way to encourage biodiversity. In the cellar, the same philosophy applies. Interventions are kept to an absolute minimum, almost imperceptibly so: grapes are vinified without any oenological additives (no chaptalisation or acidification), then processed by gentle maceration, with delicate pump-overs and carefully measured punch-downs. Whole‑bunch harvesting plays an important role too, accounting for around half the fruit depending on the cuvée – and as much as 100% for Le Clos Magny, perched at an altitude of 320 metres.
Jean-Marc Roulot (Roulot) – One MICHELIN grape
Actor, screenwriter and winemaker: Jean-Marc Roulot leads several lives at once. A familiar face in Cédric Klapisch’s films – with whom he collaborated on Back to Burgundy – he has become one of the leading lights of Meursault. Through a range of around ten cuvées, he explores every nuance of the appellation, from a regional Bourgogne (drawn from five hectares of vines) to the legendary Premier Cru Les Perrières.
Organic since 1998 and biodynamic since the early 2000s, Roulot crafts chardonnays with a counter‑intuitive restraint; there's nothing showy here. These are wines built to age: even in their youth, they impress with their linear tension, tightly woven structure and remarkable precision. They are wines of length rather than breadth, yet never austere or lacking in substance. Each climat expresses its own distinct voice. “The theatre taught me that you can also put something of yourself into a wine,” he says.
Organic since 1998 and biodynamic since the early 2000s, Roulot crafts chardonnays with a counter‑intuitive restraint; there's nothing showy here. These are wines built to age: even in their youth, they impress with their linear tension, tightly woven structure and remarkable precision. They are wines of length rather than breadth, yet never austere or lacking in substance. Each climat expresses its own distinct voice. “The theatre taught me that you can also put something of yourself into a wine,” he says.
Lalou Bize-Leroy (Domaine Leroy) – Three MICHELIN grapes
At 94 years old – and still as vibrant as ever – Lalou Bize-Leroy stands in a category of her own within the world of fine wines. Former co‑manager of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti alongside Aubert de Villaine (1974–1992), she left behind an already legendary estate in order to build her own. In 1988, Domaine Leroy was born, later becoming one of Burgundy’s most mythical names.
A pioneer of biodynamic viticulture long before it was fashionable – and an exceptional taster – this grande dame cultivates some of the Côte d’Or’s finest terroirs: Musigny, Richebourg, Vosne‑Romanée, Chambolle‑Musigny and Clos de Vougeot. Her winning recipe? Extremely low yields, whole-cluster vinification and an uncompromising focus on living soils and vine health. The result often defies the rules of tasting: wines of extraordinary intensity that are deep, vibrant and have an almost otherwordly energy – rarities that are sought the world over. These bottles have helped crown Lalou Bize-Leroy as one of the most influential figures in the history of wine.
A pioneer of biodynamic viticulture long before it was fashionable – and an exceptional taster – this grande dame cultivates some of the Côte d’Or’s finest terroirs: Musigny, Richebourg, Vosne‑Romanée, Chambolle‑Musigny and Clos de Vougeot. Her winning recipe? Extremely low yields, whole-cluster vinification and an uncompromising focus on living soils and vine health. The result often defies the rules of tasting: wines of extraordinary intensity that are deep, vibrant and have an almost otherwordly energy – rarities that are sought the world over. These bottles have helped crown Lalou Bize-Leroy as one of the most influential figures in the history of wine.
Anne-Marie and Jean-Marc Vincent (Jean-Marc Vincent) – Two MICHELIN grapes
The son of a textile engineer who grew up in the city, Jean-Marc Vincent discovered the magic of wine through his maternal grandfather, who owned 3.5 hectares of vines in Santenay. While studying for a diploma in viticulture and oenology, he met his future wife, Anne-Marie. Armed with his oenology degree, the couple took over the family vineyards in 1997. Having been leased out since 1970, the estate was showing its age, with almost a third of the vines missing. Undeterred, they set to work. Twenty-eight years later, the domaine has grown to five hectares, complemented by a small négociant business. Today, they are among the most compelling ambassadors for an appellation that was long overlooked at the southern tip of the Côte de Beaune, demonstrating that its wines can rival – even at a far more accessible price – the celebrated Premier Cru and Grand Crus of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet.
The wines mirror the couple themselves: precise, finely etched and never ostentatious. In an appellation where some producers pursue power, Jean-Marc and Anne-Marie favour energy, tension and elegance. Their defining characteristic is an almost obsessive attention to the vineyard, beginning with meticulous soil management. The soils are ploughed only once, early in the growing season, before being left under natural grass cover for the rest of the year. Some parcels border those of Vincent Dureuil (see below). Yet despite these exacting practices, the estate has chosen not to seek organic certification – or any other label – preferring to avoid classifications altogether.
The vines are trained higher than usual, promoting better air circulation around the bunches and more even ripening. High, and in some cases exceptionally high, planting densities encourage the roots to penetrate much deeper into the subsoil. The result is greater resilience to climatic extremes, particularly drought, while each cuvée gains in minerality and complexity through a more precise expression of its underlying geology. As Jean-Marc explains: "When you taste grapes from a vineyard planted at high density that is only seven or eight years old, they can be comparable to fruit from a conventionally planted vineyard that is 30 or 40 years old."
In the cellar – a labyrinth of underground vaults dating back to the 14th century – no sulphur is added during fermentation, only a few milligrams at bottling if required. Inspired by Belgian winemaker Jean-Marie Guffens, Jean-Marc pays meticulous attention to pressing, retaining only the finest press fractions for the final blend. The wines are then aged for 18 months in large-format oak barrels of 500 litres, with some maturing in 600-litre casks. "Large barrels are important," he explains. "When the fruit is ripe and concentrated, the wine benefits from a long, gentle exposure to oxygen rather than a more intense oxidative effect."
The wines mirror the couple themselves: precise, finely etched and never ostentatious. In an appellation where some producers pursue power, Jean-Marc and Anne-Marie favour energy, tension and elegance. Their defining characteristic is an almost obsessive attention to the vineyard, beginning with meticulous soil management. The soils are ploughed only once, early in the growing season, before being left under natural grass cover for the rest of the year. Some parcels border those of Vincent Dureuil (see below). Yet despite these exacting practices, the estate has chosen not to seek organic certification – or any other label – preferring to avoid classifications altogether.
The vines are trained higher than usual, promoting better air circulation around the bunches and more even ripening. High, and in some cases exceptionally high, planting densities encourage the roots to penetrate much deeper into the subsoil. The result is greater resilience to climatic extremes, particularly drought, while each cuvée gains in minerality and complexity through a more precise expression of its underlying geology. As Jean-Marc explains: "When you taste grapes from a vineyard planted at high density that is only seven or eight years old, they can be comparable to fruit from a conventionally planted vineyard that is 30 or 40 years old."
In the cellar – a labyrinth of underground vaults dating back to the 14th century – no sulphur is added during fermentation, only a few milligrams at bottling if required. Inspired by Belgian winemaker Jean-Marie Guffens, Jean-Marc pays meticulous attention to pressing, retaining only the finest press fractions for the final blend. The wines are then aged for 18 months in large-format oak barrels of 500 litres, with some maturing in 600-litre casks. "Large barrels are important," he explains. "When the fruit is ripe and concentrated, the wine benefits from a long, gentle exposure to oxygen rather than a more intense oxidative effect."
Céline and Vincent Dureuil (Dureuil-Janthial) – Two MICHELIN grapes
In Rully, Vincent Dureuil has achieved what many once thought impossible – establishing the Côte Chalonnaise as a must-visit destination for lovers of great wine. A descendant of a family settled in the village since the 13th century, he took over the family domaine with his wife Céline in 1994. At the time, it amounted to just three hectares. Today, it extends to nearly 20 hectares and no fewer than 23 cuvées, spanning the Côte Chalonnaise (primarily Rully and Mercurey) but also the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.
Certified organic since 2009, the domaine advocates a form of viticulture paysanne – a hands-on, agrarian approach rooted in respect for the soils, hand harvesting, working according to the lunar calendar, and an obsessive pursuit of optimal ripeness. The wines reflect this philosophy: precise, finely etched and never ostentatious. The whites stand out for their tension and mineral drive, the reds for their finesse and brilliance, with a kind of Swiss-watch precision, Burgundy-style.
Certified organic since 2009, the domaine advocates a form of viticulture paysanne – a hands-on, agrarian approach rooted in respect for the soils, hand harvesting, working according to the lunar calendar, and an obsessive pursuit of optimal ripeness. The wines reflect this philosophy: precise, finely etched and never ostentatious. The whites stand out for their tension and mineral drive, the reds for their finesse and brilliance, with a kind of Swiss-watch precision, Burgundy-style.
Benjamin Leroux (Benjamin Leroux) – One MICHELIN grape
Some inherit great estates; Benjamin Leroux inherited a passion and an ethic for hard work. The son of florists, born in Beaune, he knew from his teenage years that he would make wine. A viticultural lycée at 13, then an oenology diploma, followed by stints at the wine producers Louis Jadot and Cos d’Estournel (a Cru Classé in Saint-Estèphe) – his career path was meteoric.
At just 24, he became technical director of the prestigious Domaine Comte Armand in Pommard. In 2007, having no family vineyard to inherit, he launched a high-end négociant business. Two years later, he acquired his first parcel – just 0.16 hectares of Bâtard-Montrachet. Today, with ownership of 7.39 hectares of vines (certified organic and biodynamic), he vinifies the equivalent of 32 hectares across more than forty meticulously selected parcels.
From Marsannay to Chassagne-Montrachet, the range is impressive, spanning every level of Burgundy’s appellation hierarchy, with an equal focus on red and white wines. In less than 20 years, Benjamin Leroux has become one of the most admired names in Burgundy. No family estate – just talent.
At just 24, he became technical director of the prestigious Domaine Comte Armand in Pommard. In 2007, having no family vineyard to inherit, he launched a high-end négociant business. Two years later, he acquired his first parcel – just 0.16 hectares of Bâtard-Montrachet. Today, with ownership of 7.39 hectares of vines (certified organic and biodynamic), he vinifies the equivalent of 32 hectares across more than forty meticulously selected parcels.
From Marsannay to Chassagne-Montrachet, the range is impressive, spanning every level of Burgundy’s appellation hierarchy, with an equal focus on red and white wines. In less than 20 years, Benjamin Leroux has become one of the most admired names in Burgundy. No family estate – just talent.
Véronique Drouhin (Joseph Drouhin) – One MICHELIN grape
Founded in Beaune in 1880, the Maison Joseph Drouhin resembles a family saga that no one wants to see reach its final chapter. The cellars of the house date back to the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, and extend beneath the historic heart of the town between the Hospices de Beaune and the Collégiale Notre-Dame. At the helm of the domaine, along with her three brothers, Véronique, now in her early sixties, embodies the fourth generation. “My father, Robert, had the foresight in 1972 to hire Laurence Jobard – at a time when the role of the oenologist was still entirely male-dominated. It was this pioneer who trained me for ten years,” she recalls, visibly moved.
She herself was the only woman in her oenology cohort in 1985 at the University of Dijon. Véronique forged her path, encouraged by a supportive father and brothers. “My father recognised my tasting abilities. He pushed me forward.” He also provided her with her first opportunity, sending her to the United States in 1987. In Oregon, she built from scratch what would become Domaine Drouhin Oregon, now one of the world’s benchmarks for pinot noir outside France. “You had to think ahead. We were far from Burgundy’s clay-limestone soils, but the region had a very similar climate and east-facing hillsides, just like home.” Visionary in approach, she acquired former wheat fields and planted them with pinot noir. Even today, she continues to divide her time between Burgundy and Oregon.
Converted to organic farming and then biodynamics under the influence of her elder brother Philippe, the Burgundian domaine now spans around 100 hectares, from Chablis to the Mâconnais, across more than 90 climats (predominantly Premier and Grand Cru sites). These include the celebrated Clos des Mouches, at the southern edge of the Beaune appellation.
Classified as Beaune Premier Cru, this mid-slope parcel – planted equally with pinot noir and chardonnay, a rarity – borders Pommard. “Since the 14th century, it has been the benchmark for Beaune wines,” Véronique notes. Of its 14 hectares, half (6.75 hectares to be precise) belong to Joseph Drouhin. Symbolically, it was the very first vineyard acquired by Maurice Drouhin (Robert’s father and Joseph’s son) in the 1920s, when he succeeded acquiring 41 parcels from eight different owners.
Maurice, Véronique’s grandfather, served as a liaison officer to General MacArthur during the First World War. He later became administrator of the Hospices de Beaune and then vice-president of its administrative commission from 1941 to 1955. In 1944, pursued by the Gestapo, he took refuge within the Hospice, hidden by the Mother Superior. In gratitude for his survival, he donated nearly three hectares of vines to the Hospices de Beaune.
And what next for the family? Laurène, Véronique’s eldest daughter and part of the fifth generation, “tastes very well, but is above all passionate about horse riding.” Her nephew Oscar, 23, keen on viticulture, has already joined the domaine, “but succession is neither a duty nor an entitlement,” Véronique concludes wisely. To be continued.
Étienne de Montille – and the late Hubert de Montille (Domaine de Montille) – One MICHELIN grape
The story of this historic Volnay domaine could easily have ended in 1863. Following the phylloxera crisis, the family estate dwindled rapidly, selling off its finest parcels and shrinking from 12 to just three hectares. It took the energy of Hubert de Montille – a lawyer by day and vigneron by night – to revive it from 1947 onwards.
A visionary, he refused to sell his grapes to négociants and insisted on bottling at the estate, long before this became standard practice. His outspoken appearance in Jonathan Nossiter’s documentary film Mondovino then made him an unlikely icon of the anti-globalisation wine movement.
A visionary, he refused to sell his grapes to négociants and insisted on bottling at the estate, long before this became standard practice. His outspoken appearance in Jonathan Nossiter’s documentary film Mondovino then made him an unlikely icon of the anti-globalisation wine movement.
Since 2019, his son Étienne has taken sole control. Also a former lawyer, he has brought together Domaine de Montille and Château de Puligny-Montrachet (acquired in 2012) under a single banner. The result is a portfolio of some of the most precise wines in Burgundy, ranging from simple Bourgogne to the mythical Chevalier-Montrachet.
Marie-Christine Teillaud and Marie-Andrée Nauleau (Georges Mugneret-Gibourg) – Two MICHELIN grapes
In Vosne-Romanée, one of the great terroirs of the Côte de Nuits, Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg stands at the forefront. And here, there is no pursuit of power or showy extraction.
Founded in 1933, then patiently expanded by Georges Mugneret – an ophthalmologist and also a vigneron – and his wife Jacqueline Gibourg, the domaine gradually took shape. In 1953 came the acquisition of a parcel in Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, followed by two parcels in Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru and Ruchottes-Chambertin in 1977… completed in 1985 with Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru.
Following her husband’s untimely death in 1988, Jacqueline courageously took the helm. Their two daughters saw this as a sign: Marie-Christine left here role in pharmacy to join the domaine in 1998 and Marie-Andrée completed her already ongoing oenology studies to join her a few years later. Since then, the two sisters have run the estate with passion.
Founded in 1933, then patiently expanded by Georges Mugneret – an ophthalmologist and also a vigneron – and his wife Jacqueline Gibourg, the domaine gradually took shape. In 1953 came the acquisition of a parcel in Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, followed by two parcels in Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru and Ruchottes-Chambertin in 1977… completed in 1985 with Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru.
Following her husband’s untimely death in 1988, Jacqueline courageously took the helm. Their two daughters saw this as a sign: Marie-Christine left here role in pharmacy to join the domaine in 1998 and Marie-Andrée completed her already ongoing oenology studies to join her a few years later. Since then, the two sisters have run the estate with passion.
Sylvain Pataille (Sylvain Pataille) – Selected
An oenologist-cum-consultant widely recognised for his winemaking talent across the Côte de Nuits (notably at the Château de la Tour in Clos de Vougeot), Sylvain launched his own domaine in 1999 in Marsannay-la-Côte. From a single leased hectare in 1999, he has since become the owner of 17 hectares of vines, and this gifted vigneron has played a major role in repositioning Marsannay among Burgundy’s most exciting appellations.
Following the arrival of his brother at the domaine, he obtained organic certification back in 2008 and then moved on towards biodynamics. He works some parcels using horses and passionately defends long-neglected terroirs, such as the little-known Clos du Chapitre in Chenôve on the edge of Dijon's urban area.
His other focus is the revival of aligoté, a grape variety he elevates to remarkable heights. For this, patience in the cellar is paramount, as it requires long, very gentle vertical pressings, with minimal intervention and an extended élevage (sometimes for more than two years), with virtually no added sulphur. The wines combine energy, depth and personality – a reminder that Burgundy’s great revolutions sometimes begin far from the spotlight.
Following the arrival of his brother at the domaine, he obtained organic certification back in 2008 and then moved on towards biodynamics. He works some parcels using horses and passionately defends long-neglected terroirs, such as the little-known Clos du Chapitre in Chenôve on the edge of Dijon's urban area.
His other focus is the revival of aligoté, a grape variety he elevates to remarkable heights. For this, patience in the cellar is paramount, as it requires long, very gentle vertical pressings, with minimal intervention and an extended élevage (sometimes for more than two years), with virtually no added sulphur. The wines combine energy, depth and personality – a reminder that Burgundy’s great revolutions sometimes begin far from the spotlight.
Jérémy Seysses, his wife Diana, and his brother Alec (Domaine Dujac) – Two MICHELIN grapes
Without Belin biscuits, Domaine Dujac might never have existed. Heir to the family biscuit business, Jacques Seysses nonetheless preferred the yeasts of grapes to those of petit-beurre. In the late 1960s, aged just 25, he left Paris, learned his craft in Volnay at Domaine de la Pousse d'Or, then purchased five hectares in Morey-Saint-Denis at the Domaine Marcel Graillet, which he renamed Dujac. The wines were initially sold to négociants before being bottled at the domaine from 1969 onwards.Dujac expanded steadily, acquiring prestigious parcels in the Côte de Nuits – Les Malconsorts, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Chambertin – as well as vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet. In 1998, his two sons Alec and Jeremy took over – the latter supported by his wife Diana, a Californian oenologist – and the trio achieved organic certification in 2011.
The signature style is a committed use of whole-cluster fermentation, bringing pinot noir both aromatic finesse and remarkable ageing potential. After 15 to 20 years, the wines become profoundly expressive, developing complex tertiary aromas. For many experts, this remains one of the benchmark domaines of the Côte de Nuits.
Hero Image: (Left to Right) Laurent, Frédéric and Véronique Drouhin at Clos des Mouches © Domaine Joseph Drouhin
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