Domaine Bachey-Legros

The rich character of Domaine Bachey-Legros lies in its old vines or vieilles vignes. These low yielding vines, with deeply-anchored roots and concentrated grapes, provide the foundation which, with loving care and hard work, produces top quality wines. Power is matched with elegance and the voice of their terroir is loud and clear - balance is the key. The style and quality of their wines are intrinsically linked with the history of the family which spans six generations as far back as the 19th century, each successive generation of the family passing on the unique heritage and philosophy. The estate commands 18 hectares of prime Burgundian terroir, expanded by each generation, comprising the best plots in Santenay, Chassagne-Montrachet and Maranges, where all the finesse of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are expressed, and, above all, vines planted for the most part between 1935 and 1955 and nurtured with care, year after year. The philosophy is to respect the vine and nature and the work of their predecessors with an approach of minimal intervention, allowing each vine to live, produce and die as naturally as possible.

Old Vines!

The Domaine can essentially be summed up in these two words: ‘Old Vines’. Our forebears have passed on to us an impressive legacy, a labour of love that has been toiled over tirelessly and one which we want to carry on today with the same verve and determination. Such heritage demands great respect and very careful handling.

We like to spend time amongst these vines, walking in the footsteps of our forefathers - and keeping their story alive.

An old vine must be constantly monitored and maintained, nurtured and supported so that it gives up to us all of its pearls of wisdom. Compared to a young and vigorous vine that needs keeping under control, an old vine gracefully produces berries of extraordinary concentration, imbued with a goût du terroir which its roots have extracted from the very depths of the soil. The fruit is itself small – rich in sugars and highly concentrated. With the reds, the thick skins and mature pips give the wines deep colours and silky tannins.