Domaine Daniel Barraud

France, Burgundy
http://www.domainebarraud.com/en/

Daniel and Martine Barraud, now joined by their son Julien, have vineyards in Vergisson that are mostly high up under the famous rock (Vergisson lies between the two dramatic cliffs of the rocks of Solutré and Vergisson). The vineyards here are significantly higher than those of Fuissé, and are consequently later-ripening, and the wines often have a more solid structure - but all of Daniel's wines have their own character, from the Puligny-like directness of the La Roche to the fat richness of the 'en Buland', via the mineral force of the Crays.

All the wines are made keeping close to the tenets of bio-dynamics - not as Daniel says for the sake of it - but because over the generations experience has taught them these principles really are the best way forward - as such they only ever bottle on a waning moon, All the wines see some barrel ageing apart from the Chaintré, which is aged in foudre (2/3) and tank.

As Allen Meadows wrote in 2014 in Burghound "I have said this before, but I will say it again: no one makes better wine in the Mâconnais than Barraud. There are a few domaines that produce wines that are sometimes just as good, ... but none of them surpasses the quality he consistently produces. If you aren’t familiar with the wines, you owe it to yourself and your pocketbook to check them out." (www.Burghound.com).

I have said this before but I will say it again: no one makes better wine in the Mâconnais than Barraud. There are a few domaines that produce wines that are sometimes just as good, ... but none of them surpasses the quality he consistently produces. If you aren’t familiar with the wines, you owe it to yourself and your pocketbook to check them out. Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com


I am a huge fan of Julien Barraud, who is now taking the domaine forward and following in the footsteps of his father. Their winery sits in the shadow of the Roche de Vergisson that erupts from the Earth's crust from behind. "We harvested from 1 September to 10 September, beginning with the Mâcon-Chaintré, which was already at 13.5 degrees alcohol. Most of the cuvées reached 14.5 degrees alcohol by the end, but I have been surprised how they have kept their acidity." I asked whether he found much difference between his Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé; Julien feels they are about level in quality, a sentiment that I agree with. But he was refreshingly honest when I asked him about the differences between vintages. "The 2015 is an easy vintage to drink. I prefer the 2014s that are more linear, but the 2015s have their own style." These 2015s come recommended, especially the clutch of really splendid offerings such as Saint-Véran En Creches, Pouilly-Fuissé Les Crays and the Pouilly-Fuissé En Buland, some of the best this vintage, full of tension and mineralité but deftly subsuming the oak in perhaps a more discrete way than others. Neal Martin, www.robertparker.com (Sep 2017)


Barraud is unquestionably in the very top echelon of producers in Pouilly-Fuissé. [He] is crafting superlative wines that equal or surpass the finest offerings of the Cote de Beaune's grand cru vineyards. Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com


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