The history of the estate begins in the 1850s with the Nié-Vantey family, who owned vines in many vineyards throughout the Cote de Beaune, many of which were sold due to the phylloxera crisis. When Beaune-based merchant Georges Lochardet married Marcelle Nié they collectively owned 20 hectares of vines. Their granddaughter Brigette inherited a portion of the estate which became Domaine Heitz-Lochardet in the 1980s when she married Christian Heitz. The domaine sold their grapes to Maison Joseph Drouhin, with whom they had a long relationship due to the quality of Domaine Heitz-Lochardet’s grapes. The vines were farmed organically under Brigette’s care. Armand Heitz, Brigette’s son, studied oenology in Switzerland. He has led the family to expand the estate to encompass more appellations. Heitz collaborated with his brother-in-law, Augustin Ceyrac, on Domaine la Combe Vineuse, 6 hectares of vines located in Julienas.

While the estate uses organic and biodynamic farming techniques, they focus heavily on agroecology or regenerative agriculture, which aims to improve biodiversity, enrich soils, improve the health of the ecosystem, and capture carbon in the soil. By mimicking patterns of resilience in nature, this method of agriculture leads to a balanced and sustainable permaculture. The wines are made with the intention of letting the exceptional quality of their grapes shine. Oak use is specific to the wine and judicious. The red wines utilize whole bunch fermentation which allows Armand to craft more complex, finer wines. The whites are allowed to have a high level of turbidity which increases complexity and texture.

BLANC DE NOIR – $43.95
This Blanc de Noir is made of 100% Pinot Noir from the Coteaux Bourguignon appellation. After harvest, the grapes are directly pressed so the colour remains in the skins and is not transferred to the juice. Thereafter, the wine is treated like a white wine. While the wine feels like a white wine, with freshness and supple texture, the flavour profile still has notes of red berry fruit.

CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE – $48.00
While they currently purchase the grapes from vineyards near Rully, this wine will move to estate production in coming vintages. This cuvee is composed of 100% Chardonnay. The wine is made and matured at the estate in oak, lending a subtle spice characteristic and pleasant toasty note. The wine is pleasant ripe with flavours of peach and yellow apple and creamy bubbles.

BOURGOGNE BLANC – $48.00
This wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris from prestigious vineyards in the villages of St. Aubin, Meursault, and Pommard. It undergoes full malolactic fermentation and spends about a year in oak. It has good minerality, notable richness on the palate and a citrus-driven flavour profile.

BOURGOGNE ROUGE – $47.75
With vines located next to some of the most prestigious vineyards in Pommard and Meursault, this 100% Pinot Noir shows the richness and complexity of the terroir on which it is grown. It has deep, dark fruit with a savoury finish. As an exception from his general philosophy, the Pinot Noir has been de-stemmed, allowing for silk elegance.

FOLIE SAUVAGE – $42.00
As the translation on the tech sheet says, this wine is “Wild Madness”! It is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir from Coteaux Bourguignons and 50% Gamay from Beaujolais Village from the Combe Vineuse property. It has the bright, sweet fruit typical of Beaujolais and a bracing acidity from the Pinot Noir. Nice and fresh!

MEURSAULT LA BARRE – $97.25
Grown on the shallow Comblanchien limestone and clay soils found in Meursault, this Chardonnay is an elegant expression of the terroir. The wine spends 11-12 months in oak with regular lees stirring. It would age beautifully for 5-7 years, but is currently showing notes of lemon curd, browned butter, baked apple and a touch of salinity.

POMMARD 1ER CRU CLOS DES POUTURES – $115.75
This wine comes from a monopoly in Pommard. Pommard is thought to have been originally planted by the Gauls over 2000 years ago. The soil in the vineyard is composed of silty clay which contributes to its silky, supple, fine grained tannins. This Pommard has depth and elegance before power. It is complex and lush, showing ripe strawberry and heady floral note, though would age gracefully.

BEAUNE 1ER CRU BOUCHEROTTES – $106.25
Planted on the shallow soiled, South East facing terrace of 1er Cru vineyard Boucherottes, the exposure allows the Pinot Noir to develop density while still maintaining finesse. The whole cluster fermentation makes for an intense wine, but the terroir still shows through. It has a kiss of new oak, showing smoke and spice. The finish is exceptionally long. This has a 10-15 year cellaring potential.