Les Maisons Brûlées translates to ‘The Burned Houses’. Some of the vineyards are planted over a section of a village that mysteriously burnt down 100’s of years ago, and you can still find stones from the buildings in amongst the vines!

Paul and Corinne Gillet are originally from Alsace. They owned a small épicerie in Alsace, and always had a strong focus on quality produce and natural wines. They moved to Argentina and set up a restaurant there as well, before deciding they wanted to return to France and make wine. Paul studied winemaking for a year, as well as interning with Bruno Schueller back in Alsace. He then met Michel & Béatrice Augé in 2012, and worked with Michel that year – Michel, the previous owner of the domaine, was one of the pioneers of organic and biodynamic viticulture in the area. Michel was ready to retire, and so the Gillets proposed an offer, and took over the domaine in 2013.

On this incredible site, the soils are made up of silex and clay, with limestone subsoils. Across 8 hectares, they grow Gamay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, Côt, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Menu Pineau and Chardonnay. Paul uses an old coquard press, which is a large square champagne press that allows a slow pressing - so that there is less damage to the skins. The grapes are vinified with their natural yeasts, and fermentations are slow, giving complexity to the wines. The wines are not fined or filtered, and are bottled by gravity. No additives are used at all, including SO2. They have biodynamic certification from Demeter.