Jeannot・Yann Durieux・2018

“Seeking the undiscovered possibilities of Burgundy”

Burgundy is the land that has received the most blessings from God. When talking about terroir, it is a wine producing region that is always regarded as being at the top of the hierarchy. The history of winemaking is closely connected to the history of people who lived in Europe. Burgundy may be a land that has been valued for its ability and carefully protected throughout its long history.

However, there are times when I feel that the reputation and expectations for majestic Burgundy are stifling the creativity of those involved in it. The pressure of tradition, formality, and common sense that says Burgundy should be this way weighs on the makers, and the wine, which is supposed to be a product of the interaction between nature and people, is being crushed by the irrefutable concept of the best terroir. Like...

In 2010, a bright and talented young producer appeared who could dispel this heavy and gloomy atmosphere. His name is Yann Drew. Without being bound by tradition or formality, they approach the fields with pure feelings, and their delicate expressiveness is vividly reflected in their wines. He is a cheerful vigneron (=grape grower/wine maker) whose personality and wines are best described as ``open-minded.''



Yann Drieux produces wine mainly in the village of Ville-la-Fay, located between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Alloz-Corton in the Hautes-Côtes-de-Nuits area. 2010 is the debut vintage, producing revolutionary wine from a field of about 3 hectares.

After studying winemaking under Juarin Guyot for 7 years, he has been in charge of cultivation since 2008 at Domaine Prieure Rock, run by Henri-Frédéric Roque, also known as co-owner of DRC. Even after he started releasing his own wine, he continued to work at Prieure Rock, and is passionate about growing grapes and making wine after work at Rock and on holidays. I am a producer.

Yann Drue is passionate about discovering potential terroirs in Burgundy's relatively under-the-radar regions and producing great wines there.



“In Burgundy, there are terroirs in addition to the areas that are currently being evaluated, which are areas that no one has attempted yet but have great potential.My life is to discover such lands and create wonderful wines. ”

The area that caught his attention was the Haute-Cote de Nuits. In this land, which is often seen as a low-class Haute Court, we have thoroughly brought out the potential of the terroir and succeeded in producing wine from the first vintage that surpasses conventional wisdom.

The secret lies in its cultivation. As he is in charge of cultivation at Rock, he is well versed in cultivation using a natural approach, and he also listens closely to the stories of his ancient predecessors and combines this with his own experience to develop his own cultivation philosophy. The place where he puts this into practice is his own farm. Thoroughly limit the yield (not exceeding at least 25 hl/ha), carefully slow down the harvest to allow the grapes to ripen, and prune to avoid overripening even during the late harvest season. Even at Prieure Rock, Yann Dreu takes on challenges that are considered risky and avoidable, such as delaying the season to the last minute to guide the grape growing cycle. In other words, the Haute Cotes de Nuits' Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Aligoté are cultivated with the same level of risk, or even more, as the work done in the Grand Cru fields of the Rock.



Burgundy is a land that tends to be conservative, but Yann Drue is determined to take such a risk in making wine. The results can be clearly felt in the bottled wine. Although it may be called ``aggressive,'' wine made from grapes with a perfect balance of all elements has rich minerals and core fruit flavors, and has a very neat and beautiful taste. It has nothing to do with Sato. Although he has an atmosphere similar to rock and pacare, he also has a ``brightness'' that even his great predecessors did not have, and is never grumpy, always extroverted and friendly. It is interesting to note that the ``brightness'' that you feel from the wine is in sync with the personality that you feel when you meet the winemaker himself.In fact, Yann Druu has the atmosphere of a nice young man with a never-ending smile (although he does have a smile on his face that goes all the way down to his waist). He also has a funky appearance with long dreadlocks and a bushy beard).



When I asked him about his ideal wine, he answered, ``The first wine I drink that day, the first wine I drink in the morning that makes me feel refreshed.'' He says he pours everything he has into his wine to create bright, refreshing wines.



Yann Drieux's wines are characterized by more than just taste. The main label does not include information such as the appellation, and uses a novel design etiquette reminiscent of punk, rock, heavy metal, and club music. This is a message from him that he wants people to drink wine with an open mind and evaluate it based on the strength of the contents, rather than drinking it with the image or preconception that appellations such as Haute Côtes de Nuits or Bourgogne Aligoté are inferior, and is a challenge. There is also. This is nothing short of a rock soul that shares the same spirit as the genius of Beaujolais, Philippe Jambon. At the same time, the reason why the etiquette design is based on music such as rock and club music is influenced by the fact that Yann Drew himself is a big music lover and was also a DJ in the past. The etiquette on the front reminds me of Daft Punk or Black Sabbath, and the back label with the appellation (especially the font!) looks like a poster for a German techno event.



A new-age Burgundy wine with a brightness that makes you want to dance. Yann Drue is talked about by cavists and sommeliers all over Paris! It opens the door to new Burgundy wines.