Nicolas Raspiller is one of the most exciting discoveries of the new generation of Burgundian winemakers. A passionate self-taught winemaker who trained for fifteen years with other winemakers in Burgundy and Champagne, he founded his estate in 2017 in Chaux, in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits—and immediately began the transition to organic farming, which was certified in 2019. His philosophy can be summed up in one sentence: “caring for the vines with plants.” He is also a beekeeper—hence the bee on all his labels—and uses stinging nettle, comfrey, and horsetail to naturally enrich his soils.
The Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge is made from two complementary vineyards: Les Pollands, planted in 1975 at an elevation of 350 meters across 1.44 hectares, and La Vacherotte, planted in 2004 at an elevation of 374 meters across 17 ares—two high-altitude plots that lend natural freshness and finesse to the Pinot Noir. Yield is deliberately limited to 20 hl/ha.
Winemaking is precise and minimally interventionist: hand-harvested with rigorous sorting, whole-cluster fermentation in concrete tanks, malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels over 5 years old, 10 months of aging in barrels, racking by gravity without pumping, no fining or filtration, total sulfur reduced to approximately 20 mg/l.
Serve between 15 and 16 °C. Food pairings: red meats, Burgundy cheeses, poultry in sauce. Aging potential: 3–5 years.
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