PATRICK PIUZE

Born in January 1973 in Quebec, Canada, Patrick Piuze is not a 'son of the vines', in the sense that his family has never been involved in wine production. The meeting with Marc Chapoutier, which took place when Patrick was 18 years old, was crucial in introducing the boy to the world of wine, a real stepping stone. Patrick became hooked on this world and began travelling the world, working in several wineries in Australia, South Africa and Israel.

He then returned to Quebec and opened a wine bar called 'Le Pinot Noir' in downtown Montreal. His two years of experience in catering and wine waiting helped him create a certain culture of wine tasting, but deep down, all he wanted was to return to his beloved wineries. In the summer of 2000, Patrick left Montreal and moved to Burgundy, where he joined Olivier Leflaive and his staff in Puligny-Montrachet for the harvest season.

After a short course at the CFPPA (Centre de Formation Professionnelle et de Promotion Agricole) in Beaune, he was entrusted with the vinification of Olivier Leflaive's Chablis. There he developed his talent and four years later left Olivier Leflaive's cellar for La Maison Verget, where Jean-Marie Guffens passed on to him his passion for terroir. Patrick Piuze then began to make a name for himself as an excellent oenologist, thanks to which he was hired a year later as cellar master by Jean-Marc Brocard.

At that point, Patrick decided it was time to reap the rewards and realise his life's dream: on 1 July 2008, he founded his winery in Chablis, in the far north-east of Burgundy. Patrick's main intention is to make a real difference between 'wine grower' and 'oenologist'. He does not own any vineyards, but has a strong influence as a consultant for winegrowers. He has established an approach of trust and a long-term partnership with them, and this approach allows him to harvest the best grapes in Chablis, most of them from very old vineyards.

The company mainly buys grapes and supplies a varied range of wines from Chablis (four different vineyards) to Grands Crus (six references, including Les Preuses and Grenouilles) and eleven Premiers Crus. 110,000 bottles were produced. Through his wines, Patrick Piuze has always sought to reveal the true character of Chablis and its different terroirs and vineyards.