Domaine Profile
- Location: Beaune, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
- Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Aligoté
- Vinification (whites): Grapes directly pressed, fermentation followed by aging in a combination of new oak barrels, foudres and amphorae for about 14 months. No fining.
- Vinification (reds): Whole-cluster percentage depends on the wine and vintage. 12-day maceration in stainless steel. Aged for about 10 months in new and used barrels. No fining.
Background
Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne wears many hats and, over the past 15 or so years, has devoted himself to helping growers develop and succeed with organic and biodynamic viticultural methods in Burgundy.
We met him at Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet, where he worked for 8 years. With Anne-Claude Leflaive, he founded the well-loved École Du Vin et des Terroirs in 2008, an intimate classroom for Burgundian growers looking to expand their knowledge in everything from plant bio-indicators to sensitive crystallization. In 2012, he published the widely read and well-loved What’s So Special About Biodynamic Wines: 35 Questions & Answers For Wine Lovers. A few years later, after Anne-Claude’s passing in 2015, he decided to leave the domaine and found his independent biodynamic consulting company, “La Pierre Ronde,” in 2016.
Working closely with so many motivated growers in the region, Antoine naturally formed the relationships and mutual trust that inevitably led him to consider purchasing grapes and making his own wine.
Viticulture
Antoine does not (at least not yet) farm any vineyards of his own, thus Maison La Pierre Ronde is 100% purchased grapes. Despite his background, he does not exclusively seek out certified biodynamic or organic fruit contracts.