Cyrot-Buthiau

Wine Region

Burgundy, France

Vineyard

6 hectares

Domaine Cyrot-Buthiau is a small family-owned domaine based in Pommard, with vines in a number of appellations of the Côte de Beaune. Brothers Marc-Emmanuel and Olivier Cyrot are the fourth winemaking generation of this domaine. Their father died young, leaving his wife with two young boys to look after and no means with which to run the family’s vineyards. In fact, Maman chose an inspired path, renting the land out so that it would still be worked and cared for during the boys’ formative years. Olivier, having studied viticulture, gradually regained the family vineyards. They own six hectares of vines across Pommard, Volnay, Santenay and Maranges. The cellars of Domaine Cyrot-Buthiau are dug into the side of a rocky escarpment in Pommard, beside the premier cru Les Arvelets. With a custom-built, highly functional, bunker-like cellar created by their father, Olivier was able to concentrate on their vineyards, striving to understand the varied terroirs they had inherited. With Marc-Emmanuel’s help, Olivier is essentially self-taught, learning that which he would ordinarily have gleaned at his father’s side. The wines are made very traditionally: harvested by hand, de-stemmed and cold-macerated before fermentation. Oak is determined by the vintage character, generally between 10% and 35%. The intervening years have seen a gradual broadening of their portfolio and additions to their holdings. Corney & Barrow is the exclusive UK agent.

After returning from their studies, the two brothers took back the family’s vineyards from their long-term leases in 1989. Olivier is the winemaker, while Marc-Emmanuel looks after the business side, alongside a successful business representing other local growers and advising on vineyard land purchases. During the 1920s, Olivier and Marc-Emmanuel's great-grandfather, Paul-Joseph Cyrot, established the family domaine. At the time, he was also the manager of Château de Pommard and Clos de Tart – two incredibly prestigious properties where he learnt his craft. Acquiring vines in Pommard, his focus was on the Pinot Noir variety, which remains the essence of the domaine. Today, the estate encompasses just over six hectares of vines with an on-site shop and tasting room based in their 18th-century cellars, along with a charming gîte.

The wines classified as Bourgogne Pinot Noir come from 1.5ha of vines, situated just metres away from the famous Clos du Château de Pommard and were actually classified as ‘Pommard’ before the appellation boundaries were moved just after World War II. Domaine Cyrot-Buthiau’s vineyards in Pommard are only fractionally bigger at 1.76ha. The vines here are aged between 5 and 50 years old — the older vines give limited but highly concentrated fruit. They are planted on southeast-facing slopes, meaning the ripening process is assisted by good sun exposure. The domaine owns only half a hectare in Volnay. These vines are aged between 18 and 45 years old and face southeast, meaning they achieve optimal sun exposure and are protected from cold winds and frost.

The climate is continental, with cold winters accompanied by frequent periods of frost and hot summers, sometimes with extreme temperatures. This is good for the vine, allowing it to run its natural cycle, but careful management in the vineyard is vital. The adjustment of Pommard’s appellation boundaries was decided based on soil types — the land still classified has predominantly clay soils, whereas the now declassified Pommard area on one side of the main road, has slightly lighter soils that are richer in limestone. Nevertheless, both soils produce wines of excellent quality.

The limestone is good for drainage, meaning the vines must strive for water in the soil, increasing the complexity of the wine. Limestone also imparts a fresh mineral character. Clay is good for retaining water. This can be beneficial in particularly hot years — too much vine stress will cause the grapes not to ripen. The PH of clay soil also tends to give the grapes a slightly richer mouth feel compared to those grown on limestone – again, this contributes towards the complexity of the finished wine. Pommard soils can be a mixture of clay and limestone in varying forms, whereas the soils in Volnay are predominantly limestone. The grapes across all sites are always hand-harvested to ensure that they reach the winery in perfect condition.