Claire Naudin, BiNaume, Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand

Claire Naudin is a brilliant winemaker - her wines are both unique and truly exciting. 

There is a slightly different philosophy across the range and the wines are bottled under separate labels: Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand, Claire Naudin & BiNaume, the latter a collaboration with her husband, Jean-Yves Bizot. Some wines see lower or zero sulphur additions but Claire has no dogma and if something is needed she will add it. She is painstaking in her approach, both in the vines and winery. 

Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand: these wines tend to be made in a more 'classical' style. A small quantity of sulphur is usually added and the reds are totally destemmed as Claire says that if grapes are fermented whole-cluster and SO2 is added it can draw out the greenness and unripe character of the stems. Though this does not apply to the jewel in the crown: the majestic Echézeaux, situated in "les Rouges du Bas" in the heart of Grands Echézeaux.

Claire Naudin: The little wildflowers, typical of the Hautes Côtes, give their names to Claire’s famous flower bottlings. These wines are made with the aim of not adding any sulphur in order to reveal a better expression of the appellation. It is recommended to open and decant these wines for 1 or 2 hours before serving. They are all bottled unfiltered.

BiNaume is a project started by Claire Naudin and her husband Jean-Yves Bizot. Post the catastrophic conditions in 2016 they went looking for grapes and their search ended 200km west of Beaune in Saint-Pourçain. Gamay, Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay) are the norm here so it felt like the right location for this new adventure.

Grapes are transported by a refrigerated truck back to the domaine. They are vinified whole-cluster in cement tanks with no sulfur. Minimum extraction is favoured with early pressing to favour the fruit and limit the extraction of tannins. They need a little oxygen after opening and Claire recommends decanting or even a good shake if you are bothered by the CO2. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.