Historical

Caroline is the daughter of Jean-Marc Morey, from whom she received 2.50 ha to kick off her own domaine in 2014, and a further hectare in 2017, while also taking on the fermage of 3.50ha from a retiring Santenay producer in 2016. This makes a domaine of 7ha in all, run from the same winery as her husband, Pierre-Yves Colin. They have one vineyard team together, but then make their own wines separately.

Viticulture & Vinification

Her father went for ripe grapes and lees stirring, while she wants to intervene less. Her method is to press, keep all the lees except in a couple of cuvees which might tend to clumsiness otherwise, not stir, and use 350 litre barrels, with only a small proportion of new wood, 20% for the 1ers crus. Les Caillerets, from vines which run from top to bottom on the border between Vigne Derriere and En Cailleret, and the exciting new contract to farm 13 ares of Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet are the stand out wines.

Caroline is not interventionist in the reds either. She aims to pick early in the morning so the grapes begin cool, then lets them start to ferment naturally, using 20 to 50% whole bunch with relatively non-interventionist vinification: she is not looking for much colour extraction. The reds are bottled before the next harvest and will suit those looking for a lighter, finer style of pinot.

Vineyards

The red Champs Gains is particularly interesting. Do not blame Caroline for the decision to replant some of the Beaune Grèves in white – that happened in 1999 under a previous owner. The entire plot consists of 450m long rows running from top to bottom, with a small section in the middle switched to white.