Domaine Tupinier-Bautista

Tupinier-Bautista is one of the Côte Chalonnaise’s finest estates. Emphasizing that everything follows from the quality of the raw materials, Bautista harvests by hand in small cases. Reds see long cuvaisons with temperatures kept in the high twenties to preserve the expression of fruit. Élevage then takes place in 228L and 500L barrels from Tonnellerie Chassin, whose Rully cooperage supplies many of the region’s best addresses. Winemaker and owner, Manu Bautista, is good friends with Stéphane Chassin and he is able to order barrels for each cuvée as soon as the fermentation is complete so he can customize his selection to the requirements of every parcel of grapes. This is a luxury that others in the region do not enjoy and helps to explain how seemless and well-integrated the oak is in all Tupinier Bautista wines, despite the relatively high proportion of new oak. Topping up is meticulous, and Bautista’s attention to detail will be evident to anyone who visits his cellars. The results speak for themselves: supple, fragrant reds bursting with vibrant fruit that entirely conceals their velvety tannins and precise, flavorful and harmonious whites. In short, Bautista is one of a small handful of producers that demonstrates just what is possible when Mercurey’s terroirs are lavished with the same attention devoted to their more famous Côte d’Or counterparts.