Naudin-Ferrand

Claire Naudin operates 22 hectares of vineyards fragmented into small plots in Magny-lès-Villers, a village located at the meeting point of the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune and the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. Trained in oenology and geology, she took over the estate founded by her parents Henri Naudin and Lilian Ferrand in 1994. Since then, Claire has constantly pushed the boundaries of her art and is now charting the new frontiers of her region. Claire Naudin is a reflection of her wines: sincere and transparent. She prefers to observe, experiment on a test plot, and decide. Biodynamics is experimented with, but it is not blindly applied. The idea is to help the vine from its roots, encouraging it to draw its own resources through a living soil. Throughout the year, the land is covered with grass to preserve microfauna(=microscopic animals and organisms that exhibit animal-like qualities, and have body sizes that are usually <0.1mm) of the terroir.

“These microorganisms are essential for good soil aeration and preventing erosion.”

The winemaker minimises treatments against diseases as much as possible, while still allowing herself the freedom to intervene if necessary. Everything contributes to bringing in a healthy, ripe harvest that is already naturally balanced, in order to avoid any intervention in the cellar. The musts are never fined, rarely filtered, and often vinified with whole clusters. Racking and blending are done by gravity, with the utmost respect for the raw material. As for the use of sulphur, Claire refuses to block her wines. She is also renowned for her passion for flowers, which inspires the names of some of her cuvées. Her famous "flower cuvées," at the top of their respective appellations, often bearing the names of flowers found in her vineyards, such as "Orchis Mascula" for the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune.