Renaud Boyer

Renaud Boyer was born in the Côte de Beaune of the famous barrel-aged Chardonnays, but today he represents one of the highest flagships of natural winemaking. Coming from a family of rather conventional winemakers, he initially aspired to a career as a chemist or engineer: when his passion for wine took hold of him, he decided to go and study with renowned artisans such as Pierre Overnoy in Jura, Patrick Meyer in Alsace and Philippe Jambon in Beaujolais. His adventure began materially in 2004, when he accepted without delay the offer of his uncle Thierry Guyot and leased the vineyards located in Saint-Romain, which have been cultivated according to organic and biodynamic principles since 1986. Renaud immediately revealed himself to be an exceptional winemaker, whose humility and humanity are deeply reflected in his creations, dressed in the precious labels designed by his Japanese wife.

Renaud Boyer's vineyards extend over a total area of about 3 hectares, a small reality carved out within the vast family holdings, with parcels scattered among the villages of Meursault, where the winery is based, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Romain and around Beaune. In this southern part of the Côte d'Or, its properties are equally divided between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir: some of the vines are very old, with vines over 80 years old, and all are managed in the most uncompromising manner possible, without any use of products derived from synthetic chemicals. Locations are quite varied, ranging from elevations of 200 to close to 400 meters above sea level and with exposures varying between southeast, south and southwest. The soils have a common denominator in the identifiable presence of limestone rock, in which outcrops of marine fossils are not uncommon. All field operations, it goes without saying, are carried out by hand.

Renaud Boyer makes extremely pure wines, perfect reflections of terroir and vintage, without any addition of sulfites or oenological additives, within the old cellar that belonged to his grandfather and was specially modernized. Fermentations are exclusively spontaneous, using only indigenous yeasts, and vinifications follow absolutely traditional procedures: use of whole bunches and aging in piece, the 228-liter Burgundian barrique, for several months. Meticulous artisanal creations, which have caused Renaud Boyer to be compared several times to a luminary of Burgundian naturalness, such as Henry-Frederic Roch was.