JEAN-BAPTISTE SOUILLARD
Jean-Baptiste knew from a young age exactly what he wanted to do. He closely watched his father's steps as the director of the region's largest cooperative, Cave de Saint-Desirat. After six diplomas in wine studies he went to work for Château Latour in Bordeaux and then to Comte Armand in Pommard, alongside Benjamin Leroux.
Producing wine from individual terroirs in Burgundy had a profound impact. After returning home he was disillusioned with the trend of blending vineyards. He also knew that appellations like Crôzes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph were capable of greatness but would continue to underwhelm with this practice essentially "watering down" great terroir. His choice was simple: Create a micro-production négoce operation where he would "follow the Cistercian method. One parcel = one wine.”
Jean-Baptiste’s vision was to only work with old vines on the very top of slopes, the "têtes de coteaux". Within Crôzes-Hermitage he also insisted on the northern granite soils, as opposed to the galets roulés more commonly found in the south where wines lack concentration and rigour.
On one hand the winemaking follows traditional methods like large portions of whole clusters for fermentation and ageing only in neutral wood. However, the style is one absolutely focused on crafting vins de garde. These are wines built on monumental stature with a rare elegance that's certainly the product of his experiences at Latour and Comte Armand.