Les Champs de Thémis

New on the Irish market, the Côte Chalonnaise selection from Xavier Moissenet of Les Champs de Thémis. Organically farmed with minimal sulphur useage, they offer great value and incredible depth from such young domaine. As with most of Burgundy today, allocations are small with this domaine.

Originally from Nuits-Saint-George Xavier decided to move south to start his own project. He rents the land that is farmed organically in the vineyards around Bouzeron. Bouzeron in the Cote Chalonnaise is the only commune to grow ‘golden’ Aligote. All the vines are mature with some vines over 80 years old, the concentration and definition from the older vines gives huge complexity to the wines. What impressed Harriet about the wines, was the careful use of oak, elevating the fruit aromas and adding depth to the palate of each wine. Xavier works closely with the Chassin tonnellerie, ensuring that each plot has the perfect elevage.

Burgundy

FRANCE

The Champs de Thémis domain was created in 2014.

Themis, goddess of Justice and daughter of Gaia (the Earth) and Ouranos (the air, the wind) among the ancient Greeks, makes the link between my old profession of magistrate and my new activity as a winegrower.

All the vines of the estate are certified or in conversion to organic farming.

Viticulture

Organically farmed with minimal sulphur usage, they offer great value and incredible depth from such young domaine. As with most of Burgundy today, allocations are small with this domaine. Originally from Nuits-Saint-George, Xavier decided to move south tostart his own project. He rents the land that is farmed organically in the vineyards around Bouzeron. Bouzeron in the Côte Chalonnaise is the only commune to grow ‘golden’ Aligote. All the vines are mature with some vines over 80 years old, the concentration and definition from the older vines gives huge complexity to the wines. What impressed Harriet about the wines, was the careful use of oak, elevating the fruit aromas and adding depth to the palate of each wine. Xavier works closely with the Chassin Tonnellerie, ensuring that each plot has the perfect elevage.

Winemaking

He farms everything organically and has been trialling biodynamics on two parcels (1 hectare). ‘I think it is a good thing but I need to trial it to see if I can do it,’ he says. He works alone for most of the year. Moissenet says that organics is the future. ‘But there is a lot of resistance,’ he adds. ‘People are really against it, especially in Mercurey. It is difficult: we put some signs explaining organic farming in the vineyard and some got ripped out.’ Mercurey has 700 hectares, but there are only five or six producers doing organics. Winemaking is pretty natural, with wild yeasts.