Fabien’s 7 hectares estate is producing, to exacting standards, wines from the Beaujolais and Mâconnais. His approach and standards require that the bottles are priced beyond the norms of these appellations – though they are hardly expensive in the context of Côte d’Or pricing.
He explains “Of-course it is hard to take a path such as this, as the négoce are strong – they sell 80% of all the wine from here, and they don’t want to see much change – but I am strong too, and I work with passion!”
Fabien started working with wine at a young age, assessing cellars to buy. He also worked making whites in Alsace before also working with vignerons such as Arnaud Ente of Meursault and Jean-Yves Bizot of Vosne. For at least 25 years, Fabien has been a distributor of virtually all the iconic domains of Burgundy – if the well-known auction houses of this world really knew their sources, they would be beating a path to this man’s door. This is exactly the answer to the (at first) puzzling question – why does his domain take a different name? “It’s because I represent lots of important domaines that I prefer the discretion, and I also think that my part in these bottles is small – I accompany nature but nature is why we’re here, plus we are a team too. I’m the guardian simply from the sense that I look after the things. Jules is for Jules Chauvet, Desjourneys added well. People come and ask to see Jules – and I like that!”
