DOMAINE BRUNO CLAIR
Domaine Bruno Clair, great wines of Burgundy
Bruno Clair is one of the most important names of the whole Cote d'Or. The winery is headquartered in Marsannay, but the Domaine has vineyards spread for more than 24 hectares (750 acres) in the best communes of Bourgogne.
Bruno Clair founded the domaine which bears his name in 1979, at that time it included small plots in Marsannay, Fixin, Savigny-Lès-Beaune and Morey-Saint-Denis. Family vicissitudes of the estate lead Bruno, in 1986, to take in custody the vineyards of his parents, brothers and sisters which included the ones in Chambertin-Clos-de-Bèze, Les Cazetiers, Clos-Saint-Jacques, Clos du Fonteny and some plots in Vosne-Romanée and in Chambolle-Musigny.
Subsequently, in 1993, many vineyards were bought by Domaine Bruno Clair including Corton-Charlemagne, some small vineyards in Pernand-Vergelesses and in Aloxe-Corton, and finally in 1996 was bought Petite Chapelle getting to the current 24 hectares.
Clair collaborates with Philippe Brun as enologist: grapes are carefully selected, usually they are not disparate and spontaneous fermentation is done with whole bunches, with the exception of some particular vintages. Malolactic fermentation also takes place spontaneously, whereas the aging takes place in new Piéce at 20%-30%, for a period which varies according to the cuvée and can be up to 22 months of aging.
The result of this work gives life to splendid fine wines, expressions of absolute elegance and typicality of the terroir of origin, powerful and full bodied wines on one side or vertical and mineral on the other side but having in common a superfine elegance which over the years has become the real and proper trademark of Domaine Bruno Clair, by now a real and proper reference point for the production of Bourgogne wines.