Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay Delivering the Finest Expression of Chassagne
Laura Coffinet and Philippe Duvernay’s life partnership began like myriad other unions in France’s celebrated Burgundy region — two, generations-old winemaking families woven around a small, exceptional parcel of handed-down vines. Similar beginnings aside, Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay (established in 1989) has distinguished itself with enviable vineyard holdings and elegant, terroir-driven wines.
The Coffinet-Duvernay estate has been in the Coffinet family since 1860. Its vineyards reside in illustrious village of Chassagne, in the southern Côte de Beaune. Assisted by their son, Bastien, who joined the family business in 2012, Laura and Philippe cultivate just seven vineyards — including the famed Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet. The properties total seven hectares / 17 acres and are dedicated to chardonnay and pinot noir, the region’s signature grape varieties.
Along with the Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet, Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay’s portfolio includes a remarkable collection of Chassagne-Montrachet Premiers Crus sites. Moreover, the family owns two Premiers Crus parcels that abut the great Grand Cru Montrachet itself. Philippe, who manages the vineyards, and his team tend their mature vines with the utmost care — strictly controlling yields and hand harvesting all the grapes.
Philippe also oversees the winemaking process, and his style has a bit of a rebellious streak. He famously eschews the more fashionable winemaking trends like cold soaking and rigorous lees stirring, opting for a more traditional, minimal-interventionist approach that allows the purity of the terroir to shine through. As a result, Coffinet-Duvernay wines are characterized by their intense concentration of aromas and flavors, which capture the essence of their distinguished terroir and are capable of aging beautifully for decades.
Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay began with a love story, and indeed, love drives this historic Burgundian estate. Thanks to Laura and Philippe’s passion for Chassagne, the estate stands apart with prestigious vineyard holdings and beautifully elegant wines that offer a pure expression of their fine terroir.
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Founded
1989 -
Location
Chassagne, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Terroir
Burgundy is a vast tapestry of more than a thousand climats. Each of these designated land parcels has its own unique terroir, which is what makes Burgundy one of the most diverse wine regions of all — not to mention, the object of much passion and study the world over.
Chassagne belongs to the larger Côte de Beaune region, which benefits from a continental climate that helps the grapes ripen fully. Situated on a stretch of hills between the Massif Central (to the west) and the Jura and Alps (to the east), the vineyards have an ideal aspect for sun exposure yet enough altitude to maintain freshness. The vines grow in well-draining, clay-limestone soils from the Jurassic geological era, which encourage them to root deep for nutrients. These conditions result in the great finesse, depth, and tension that characterize wines from Côte de Beaune.
Viticulture
Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay cultivates seven vineyards in Chassagne — including the famed Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet — for a total of seven hectares / 17 acres. Four hectares / 10 acres grow chardonnay grapes, while the remaining three hectares / seven acres are planted with pinot noir. The estate has mostly mature vines, with the oldest being 70 years of age. Philippe and his team strictly control yields, ensuring higher quality and concentration in the grapes, and hand harvest all the fruit.
The estate’s Chassagne Villages wine is made entirely from the vineyard climat of Les Blanchots Dessous, which lies south of Criots Batard Montrachet. They also present a remarkable collection of Chassagne Premiers Crus vineyard sites, including Fairendes (the upper, northern portion of Morgeot), Caillerets, and Maltroie. Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay is fortunate to own parcels of the two Premiers Crus that abut the Grand Cru Montrachet, Dent de Chien and Les Blanchots Dessus, which Philippe affectionately refers to as “Pied de Montrachet.”
Coffinet-Duvernay Wines: Made With Minimal Intervention
Philippe Duvernay has a traditional, minimal-interventionist winemaking style. After a pneumatic pressing of the grapes, the lees settle in the tank overnight. Following this (débourbage), the wine descends by gravity into barriques for fermentation. Thanks to the centuries-old cellar, natural inoculation allows indigenous yeast to complete its own fermentation without intervention. Finally, Philippe keeps the use of new oak barrels to a minimum. These practices let the terroir shine and yield concentrated, dynamic wines.
