Considered one of the top producers in Marsannay, Domaine Bart has deep roots in Burgundy. The family has been in the region for six generations and Domaine Bart was started in the 1980’s with vines inherited from the famous Clair-Dau winery. Today the twenty-three hectare family estate is run by Pierre Bart who recently joined his mother, Odile, and uncle, Martin. Martin’s grandfather (a Clair in Clair-Dau) put Marsannay on the map when he created the first Marsannay Rose in 1919 and it became sought after in Dijon.

Today, they make approximately 90% red wines and the rest split between rose and white. The domaine’s speciality are their single vineyard Marsannays, two whites: Favieres* and Les Etalles*, and nine reds: Finottes, Ouzeloy*, Longeroies, Grandes Vignes, La Montagne*, Es Chezots*, Saint Jacques, Clos du Roy, and Champs Salomon (those marked with an * are available through Bowler). The domaine also produces wine from family-owned vineyards in neighboring Fixin and a small amount of Grand Cru Clos de Beze and one hectare of Bonnes Mares inherited from the Clair-Dau side of the family’s holdings.

Marsannay is the northernmost appellation of the Cote d’Or, bordered by Fixin to the south and Dijon to its north. It’s the only appellation in all of Burgundy that makes village level wine of all three colors, red, white, and rose. Vines have been planted here going back to at least the 7th century and some climats were considered the equivalent of grand cru up until the 19th century. (Bourgogne-wines.com). More than twenty years ago, the winemakers of Marsannay put together a dossier to nominate 14 different vineyards as premier cru and it’s expected to be decided in the next year or two.

In the vineyards, the Bart’s practice organic farming, using organic principles, but are not certified. Their vines average 40 years old and the oldest sites, Clos de Beze, Bonne Mares, and Finottes were planted in 1922.  As we tasted through all of the wines, it was fascinating to taste how different one wine was from the next, each one an expression of the site's unique terroir.

The winemaking is consistent throughout the range, aimed at allowing the terroir to shine. All fruit is picked by hand and destemmed, a small portion of stems, up to 20%, is added back to some wines if the stems are good. The grapes are cooled, but not so cold to interfere with the natural yeasts. Fermentations start naturally. They work with gentle punch downs and pump overs. The wines are aged for 12 months in 225 and 600 liter barrels, with up to 25% new oak and then settle in tanks for three months. The wines see just a little sulfur before being bottled without fining or filtration.

It’s easy to see the argument for elevating certain sites to premier cru status when you taste through the line up. Each wine shows its terroir clearly with precision and purity of fruit. It’s a joy and a revelation to discover Marsannay and its unique terroirs through the lens of one of its premiere producers, Domaine Bart.