Jérôme Galeyrand

From cheese to wine

Jérôme Galeyrand worked in the food industry for eight years - in the cheese business to be precise. His love of good food led him to wine. When he started helping with the harvest at Domaine Alain Burguet in Gevrey-Chambertin in 1996, his passion for viticulture took hold. He quit his secure job, enrolled at the renowned wine institute in Beaune and dared to make a new start. In 2002, he bought his first tiny plot of land: 0.05 hectare - It could hardly be smaller. In September of the same year, he carried out his first own vinification. Today, a good twenty years later, the domaine covers 5.25 hectares in Saint-Philibert, east of Gevrey-Chambertin. The barrel cellar is located right in the centre of the famous wine village. Every year, Jérôme harvests together with a group of well-trained friends - a family business without a family, but with all the more passion and dedication.

Terroir without a mask

„Nous travaillons le jus de raisin frais sans procédé technologique et œnologique“ - we work with fresh grape juice, without technological and oenological processes. This is how Jérôme describes his philosophy. In concrete terms, this means No industrial yeasts, no fining agents, no enzymes, little sulphur. The aim is to reveal the terroir without altering the intrinsic nature of the grape. 70 per cent of the vineyards are cultivated organically, 30 per cent according to sustainable principles. Pesticides are completely taboo, all vines are mechanically ploughed instead of chemically treated. Depending on the cuvée and vintage, Jérôme varies between 100 per cent de-stemmed grapes and 100 per cent whole grapes - always depends on what the character of the wine demands. This purist approach is reminiscent of other lateral thinkers from the Côte de Nuits such as Charlopin Tissier, which also prioritise terroir expression over technology.

Precision in a small cellar

Vinification takes place in a small winery at Jérôme's home - not an industrial facility, but an artisanal operation where each barrel receives personalised attention. All wines are matured in Oak barrels from French forests12 months for the white wines, 18 to 24 months for the red wines. The proportion of new wood remains deliberately low so as not to mask the character of the grapes. Production is manageable - depending on the vintage, around 2,000 boxes, around 24,000 bottles. This scarcity explains why Galeyrand's wines are so sought-after among connoisseurs. They are precise, refined and elegant, with beguiling aromas and absolute drinking pleasure. The wines speak quietly but forcefully.

From Marsannay to Gevrey-Chambertin

The range spans several appellations of the northern Côte de Nuits - a remarkable portfolio for a winemaker who once started with one twentieth of a hectare. The Gevrey-Chambertin „En Billard“ shows the full class of this prestigious appellation with its silky texture and notes of dark cherries, forest earth and a hint of spice. The Fixin „Champs de Vosger“ surprises with its depth, structure and amazing ageing potential. Among the white wines, the Bourgogne Aligoté from various parcels - Chaumont, Les Blanches, Alligotay - each with its own character and expression, shines in particular. The wines from Marsannay combine accessibility with complexity. What all of Jérôme Galeyrand's wines have in common is that they taste of Burgundy and its soil, not of cellars and technology.