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Domaine Jessiaume sets sight on UK as it nears organic certification

Published:  24 January, 2018

Burgundy producer Domaine Jessiaume has revealed it is gearing up to enter the UK market for the first time.

The Santenay-based winery, which has holdings in Santenay, Auxey-Duresses, Volnay, Pommard and Beaune, said it had in the past few years embarked on ‘new developments’ as part of its strategy to find a UK distributor, including the addition of an experimental zero sulphur cuvée.

Purchased by the Murray family (of Wine Importers Scotland) in 2007, Domaine Jessiaume has seen gradual changes take place, spearheaded by the appointment of Megan McClune as director in 2014 - previously of American negociant pioneer Alex Gambal.

Upon joining Domaine Jessiaume, McClune had halted the winery's negociant business in order to focus in-depth on the estate’s own nine hectares, casting a magnifying glass on the lesser-known and lesser understood soils of Santenay and Auxey-Duresses, it said.

With this, Domaine Jessiaume said, came the introduction of organic viticulture and some biodynamic methods.

“The work began in the vineyards and organics was step one for us to begin to create the pure expressions of Burgundy that we are striving for and beginning to achieve - it’s been a long and gentle process so as to not shock the vines, and we will be certified in 2019,” said McClune.

On the back of the developments, Domaine Jessiaume said it was now ready to enter the UK and would be making contact with agents imminently.

The release of the 2016 vintage was the first vintage to "really pay testament to the changes”, and was also the first vintage where its zero sulphur cuvée had been released, it added.

The zero sulphur Santenay wine from the Gravières 1er cru, which forms part of Domaine Jessiaume’s strategy to focus on the creation of low intervention Burgundies, was recently listed at Beaune’s famous natural wine haunt, La Dilettante.

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