The Peltier family

Burgundy, France

Burgundy is located in the eastern part of France and is known as a region that produces high-quality wines. It is a famous wine-producing region that was loved by many royalty and aristocrats, including Louis XIV and Napoleon, and has many fans around the world.

In Burgundy, each small plot of vineyard contains different minerals and other ingredients. Because the strata of the vineyards are finely divided and have a very complex structure, Burgundy wine can be said to be a wine that makes the most of the individuality of the land (terroir).

The Pelletier family's domain and vineyards

The Nuits region in the north, where the Pelletier family chateau is located, is also home to some of the world's best wines, such as the famous Romanée-Conti and Chambertin.

The area stretches from north to south, with a gentle slope facing east. The soil is clayey and contains limestone, which is said to be ideal for growing Pinot Noir. You can enjoy red wines with a full body and white wines with a lively and clean acidity. In particular, the wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges, where Pelletier also has a vineyard, are known for their powerful character.

Organic history : Since 2004

Located in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Burgundy, Château de Premeaux was purchased by the Pelletier family in 1920 and has remained a family business ever since.

When Alain, the fifth generation owner and father of the current owner Arnaud, inherited a vast tract of land in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits in 1995, he decided to convert to organic farming in order to protect the beautiful, pastoral scenery and to drink clean, uncontaminated wine.

In the conservative society of Burgundy, the conversion to organic farming cannot be done all at once, but must be done carefully, plot by plot. One day, Arnaud could not bear the fact that the vineyard next to the Clos des Argillières vineyard was farmed using conventional methods, so he approached the owner of the vineyard and said, "I will take responsibility and do it with all my heart, so can you let me manage the grape cultivation on this plot?" At first, he was ignored, but gradually his enthusiasm was conveyed, and now the neighboring vineyard is also organic.

In the fields and in the winery, we leave it to nature as much as possible. We don't use any medicines to prevent diseases, so we prune the vines very short, remove all the leaves on the north side, prevent rot, and thin out excess bunches to increase ripeness. If we don't take care of the vines, we can't get a good harvest.

Meanwhile, when it comes to wine brewing, he wants to make the most of the power of the grapes with as little effort as possible. "When I ask the analysis company that my parents have been using to check the wine, they tell me, 'Add this, you need this (additives to adjust the wine)'. But I thought that was strange, so I started asking an analysis company I have a connection with. They don't say things like that, and they give minimal advice, but I don't do it all exactly as they say, and of course I don't add additives. I think that added yeast intentionally creates that flavor, and only helps make money for the company that develops it. I think that's just ridiculous."

・White grapes : Chardonnay, Aligote
・Black grapes : Pinot Noir

Field soil

Where layers of rock collide, clayey limestone layer

Characteristics of cultivation methods, etc.

All Cote de Nuits vines are pruned to 1.2m, and Hautes Cote de Nuits vines to 2.1m. By pruning very short and removing all leaves on the north side, they are able to prevent disease and decay without relying on chemical pesticides.

・All harvesting is done by hand.

Characteristics of brewing method

Juice extraction
They use the Pnumatic method, which gently squeezes out the juice using a balloon-type press.

・Barrel
The oak barrels used are 300 years old and are dried for over five years.

No filters are used and no clarification is performed.
The barrels are placed at a slight downward angle, and gravity is used to allow the sediment to accumulate at the bottom and be removed.

·bottled
The blend from each barrel is then placed in a stainless steel tank for maturation, after which the lees are allowed to settle and the wine is bottled.

・Burgundy Hautes-Côtes de Nuits White
100% Chardonnay. From alcoholic fermentation to malolactic fermentation, the whole process is carried out in barrels. However, the barrels are used only to allow natural contact with air, and new barrels with strong barrel aromas are rarely used.

• I don't believe in entering works in competitions.

According to Pelletier, "We don't enter competitions. The greatest medal for me is having our customers happy."

From the producers to everyone in Japan

I am proud to pass on to my future daughter Lilou the knowledge that she will grow organically and consume organic products that are grown in a way that does not pollute the earth, and that she will eat and drink things that are good for her.

Whether in the vineyard or in the cellar, it is a physically demanding job and some years the weather can have a major impact.

But it's still my pleasure to see people enjoying our wines and to taste them myself.

When buying wine, choose it for the pleasure of tasting it, not for the brand. Our jobs are hard, but we wake up every morning with only one thing on our minds.

"We create joy."

Have a nice drink and warm greetings from Burgundy.