We are excited to announce that we are the UK agents for Domaine Amiot et Fils in Morey-Saint Denis.

Christophe Galez, Managing Director at Champagnes and Châteaux, discovered this Top Quality Estate on a buying trip to Burgundy this year.

Established in Morey-Saint-Denis, the Amiot Family has worked in vines and wines for over ten generations. Grandfather Pierre established the Domaine’s identity by creating the first label in 1976. His son, Jean-Louis, was the artisan of recognition for the Domaine from the 1980s. His wife, Chantal, came to support him in 2012. Today, their son Léon wishes to perpetuate the family tradition: the three roses that appear on the label recall the motto “Sans varier” of the Counts of Vergy, carrying on “without changing” to express the excellence of their terroirs.

Domaine Amiot et Fils came from the takeover of Domaine Pierre Amiot in 2020 of five hectares of vines by Jean-Louis and his son Léon. Léon produced his first vintage in 2020.

Together, they farm five hectares, from regional to Grand Cru, with plots in Morey-Saint-Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny.

The vineyards, facing the morning sun to the east/southeast at an elevation between 220 and 260 metres, lie on limestone and clay-limestone soils dating from the Middle Jurassic. Geological variations render each parcel unique and give the grapes a quintessential richness to be found again in the wines.

Sustainable viticulture and environmental challenges

A young winemaker concerned about protecting the environment and facing challenges, Léon uses organic practices and experiments with biodynamics and agroforestry, introducing hedges and trees in the vineyards.

The growing methods at Domaine Amiot respect the environment for sustainable viticulture. They have a balanced approach to vineyard protection, between organic and conventional.

Soils are maintained by ploughing, with experiments in vegetative ground cover, Guyot-Poussard pruning to respect the sap flows and introduction of selection massale in the oldest parcels. They are also HVE3 certified, a high-value environmental qualification.

“Our concern is to preserve vineyards capable of expressing the best of our terroir, today and for future generations.”

Winemaking:

Grapes are harvested by hand in small, perforated crates and then sorted on a vibrating table. Destemming depending on vintages between 60 and 100%. Gentle, slow extraction through cold maceration. Balanced alternation of punching down and pumping over. Long fermentation using indigenous yeasts. Ageing in oak barrels (30 to 50% new oak) for 16 to 18 months. Restrained use of sulphur, vinification of whites without sulphur. Racking and bottling by lunar cycles.

Their wines are authentic and faithful to their origins. They offer a true balance between power and finesse. Elegant, generous, well-structured with silky tannins.

We have shipped the 2021s – These are only available to the Trade and not in our Online wine shop.

Note from Allan Medows’ Burghound on Amiot’s 2021 vintage:

“As to the 2021 growing season, Jean-Louis Amiot briefly noted that “things were chaotic though we were less affected by the frost in Morey than in many surrounding communes. It was necessary to wait to pick because our vines had better crop loads, so maturities were naturally slower to arrive. We began the harvest on the 23rd of September and while there was some sorting required, I’ve seen worse! Potential alcohols came in between 12 and 13% so we chaptalized a bit at the lower end but not at the upper. As to the style of the 2021s, they’re what I would call classic red Burgundies with good acidities and freshness as well as the best terroir transparency in several years. I think that they should age well as they’re very well-balanced.”