Yann Durieux is an exceptionally talented winemaker who is making his mark in Burgundy. The fourth generation of a family of winemakers from Nuits-Saint-Georges, he vinified his first vintage solo aged 13 and later worked at Domaine Prieuré-Roch for several years. Sharing his winemaking philosophy and deep love of terroir, Yann saw Henry-Frédéric Roch as something of a father figure; Henry-Frédéric encouraged him to vinify his early vintages, 2008 and 2009, in the Prieuré Roch cellars.
Since 2010, Yann pressed on to reclaim his lost family vineyards in the Hautes Cotes de Nuits, and launched domaine ‘Recrue des Sens’. Here, where Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is his neighbour, he owns old parcels and works with tiny plots in magical terroirs not many have heard of. He is an entirely uncompromising artist – an iconoclast and an evangelist for working in harmony with nature. His wines are stunning for their purity, delicacy, freshness and utter pleasure they provide.
Yann has a deep understanding and love for this land, having followed in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, grandfather and father to make wine here. He is a perfectionist, and evangelical about working in harmony with nature, and his wines are stunning for their purity, delicacy, freshness and elegance. The Domaine name “Recrue des Sens” comes from Yann’s wish that we engage our senses deeply when we drink his wines. The acronym RDS is also Yann’s nod to his revolutionary manifesto of winemaking: it stands for résiste; désobéir; sans soumettre.
The grapes are picked by hand and whole cluster pressed, then fermentation is carried out only with natural yeasts, with no chaptalisation, and no additives at all. Yann does not rack during élevage, so that the lees can nourish the wine, and protect it against oxidation. He practises foot treading of the grapes to be constantly in touch with the progressions in the winemaking process. Yann’s philosophy can be summed up as a deep, unerring respect for the entire natural process of winemaking.
“The vines are cultivated organically and biodynamically. The Domaine does not practice foliage cutting; instead, all the vines are braided into bridges to manage the canopy. I want to limit and finally stop the use of copper in the vines. It is for this reason that the Domaine uses herbal remedies to support the health of the vines. This balance and reinforcement of the vines allows me to work more gently in the cellar. The Domaine’s wines are, without fail and always, made without any additives: chaptalisation, added sulphur and other practices offensive to good taste are prescribed at the Domaine.”
– Yann Durieux, Winemaker
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