David Trousselle - Coteaux Bourguignons Rouge 2023 750ml (12.5% abv)
WINE CLUB SELECTION - SEPT 2025
Burgundian Gamay from a collaborator of Meursault legend Pierre Boisson - what else can you ask for in a late summer chillable red?
From vines planted in 1970 in Oches. The vineyard is in conversion to HVE, works soil in every other row, hand harvested. In the cellar, the fruit is all destemmed, 15 day fermentation/maceration with very gentle extraction. Aged for 12 months in oak barrels.
only 2000 bottles produced.
David Trousselle is a tiny producer in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune village of Orches. While the appellation is quite vast, his vineyards are extremely well located, nestled in a valley between St Aubin and St Romain. Trousselle is a fine viticulturist, and in fact, he was referred to us by Pierre Boisson of Boisson-Vadot, who is collaborating with Trousselle on a Boisson vineyard project in the Hautes Cotes for which Trousselle handles the farming. Given the location of Trousselle’s vineyards, Chardonnay does extremely well (think St Aubin and St Romain). Though the valley where he has his vines is also protected and warm enough that there are certain sectors where Pinot Noir can get ripe as well. From these vineyards adjacent to the cellar, all in the village of Bobigny, he produces both a single-vineyard Blanc (La Couleuvraire) and Rouge (En Cre). He also makes a tiny bit of Santenay Rouge from 3 small parcels totaling 0.3 hectare, and he recently purchased 0.4 hectare of Auxey-Duresses Rouge (in keeping with his desire for 'cooler' terroirs). All vineyards are farmed organically and were certified by ECOCERT as of the 2022 vintage. The vinification here is quite simple. Grapes are hand harvested, and brought to the cellar where they are sorted prior to fermentation. Whites are barrel fermented in the classical Burgundian fashion. Reds are de-stemmed, and then given a very gentle maceration/fermentation of 15-20 days and raised in barrel. In both cases, minimal new wood is used (10-20% max).
In Burgundy today, there is increasing interest in the so-called “lesser” appellations of Burgundy, as they offer tremendous value compared to the ever increasing prices in the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits. Arguably, Climate Change has also thrown an additional wrench into the mix, causing some to think twice about the potential hierarchy of these petites appellations. In fact, look no further than the Alto Piemonte for a example of the rediscovery of undervalued "lesser" wine regions with amazing potential! As with Roberto Conterno snapping up an historic estate in Gattinara, many top Burgundian producers now own or have their eye on vineyards, not only in the Hautes Cotes, but also in the Cote Chalonnaise and the Maconnais. Trousselle's early success has allowed him to expand and evolve his business. He and his wife recently new buildings for vinification and storage -- liberating them from the constraints of a tiny production room -- and they invested in new farming equipment and materials that facilitate organic farming. These improvements reflect the dreams and ambitious of this young, dynamic domaine. To us, Trouselle’s wines are not only beautifully rendered and amazing values, but they are also a glimpse into the future of Burgundy where over-achieving and under-appreciated regions will demonstrate their ability to shine.
region
varietal: gamay
style
farming/cellar: organic,
pairing