In Burgundy, Philippe Cordonnier Single-Handedly Establishes His Estate

Philippe Cordonnier does not come from a family of winemakers. Yet, driven by passion and determination, he has patiently built his winery in the town of Corgoloin in Burgundy. Today, Philippe grows his own grapes, harvests them, and makes his own wines.

2009: Philippe Cordonnier embarks on his wine-making journey

Philippe discovered winemaking at the age of 16. During his 9th-grade internship, he spent a week in the vineyards of a neighboring estate and never wanted to leave. “I spent a week at an estate, I loved it right away, and I decided I wanted to work in the vineyards. I worked there for four years during my apprenticeship at the Beaune wine school. Then I stayed on,” the winemaker tells us.

In 2009, he and his wife decided to move. They moved a short distance away from the estate and found an 80-acre vineyard to lease. This marked the beginning of his career as a winemaker.

“I was working part-time for another winemaker on the side. With these two jobs, I was able to gradually build up my own vineyard,” explains Philippe.

The estate has been developed step by step: “From 2009 to 2014, I took my entire harvest to Maison Bichot in Beaune because I didn’t have the facilities to make wine under the right conditions. During that time, I was able to purchase the equipment and build my winery in time for the 2015 harvest.”

Today, the Philippe Cordonnier estate covers 2.5 hectares and includes a cellar, a modern wine-making facility, a shop, and vineyards spread across several appellations.

Philippe Cordonnier: “My goal: to have perfect grapes”

Philippe’s vineyard is cultivated using sustainable methods and with the utmost respect for the terroir. “My philosophy is to work without herbicides or insecticides. I work the soil by plowing and using a pickaxe,” says the winemaker.

As the Burgundian winemaker points out, there’s no secret to tending your vineyard properly: “I’m out in my vineyards every day. I know exactly what’s going well and what isn’t.”

The secret to a successful campaign? “You have to manage the size and yield, and thin out the clusters to prevent rot. Every step is important. My goal is to have perfect grapes,” explains Philippe.

A key requirement for making good wine: “Having a very healthy harvest to limit the amount of SO2 in the wines,” says the winemaker.

The wines of Domaine Philippe Cordonnier: the distinctive character of Burgundy’s terroirs

“I want to make wines that reflect who I am. I let nature and the grapes take their course: whatever comes of it, comes of it,” is the winemaker’s motto.

Add to that the incredible good fortune of working with rich, unique terroirs that are ideal for growing perfect grapes: “My vineyards are located in the Burgundy, Burgundy Aligoté, Côtes de Beaune, Haute Côtes de Beaune, and Côtes de Nuits Village appellations.”

The wines are vinified separately in small tanks. To ensure the quality of the wines, Philippe has invested in a modern winery—including a cooling system and a sorting table—combined with a warm, family-friendly atmosphere: “I harvest the grapes with friends and family. Everything is harvested by hand, in small crates of 15 to 20 kg. The grapes are sorted a first time in the vineyard and then a second time in the cellar.”

The wines are then aged in barrels for a few months to refine their profiles. Philippe strives for the perfect balance: “I don’t want to make a wine that’s too oaky. I want to preserve the fruit’s balance. I introduce oaky notes that should complement the fruit.”

The results speak for themselves: red wines with silky tannins, a fresh and fruity rosé, and a white wine with toasty and buttery aromas. The 2015 wines—his first vintage—have already won medals at competitions, proof that wine lovers appreciate this Burgundian winemaker’s wines.

Our "Coup de Coeur" selections from Domaine Jouvente:
.Bourgogne Aligoté "Vieilles Vignes" 2017 - White
.Bourgogne "Pinot Noir" 2017 - Red
.Côte de Nuits-Villages 2015 - Red

The Philippe Cordonnier Estate: A Commitment to Wine Quality and Ambition

“For the next vintage, I’d like to stop filtering and fining. I feel that these practices distort the character of the wine. The fewer additives you use, the more natural it is, and the better the wine. It should be allowed to develop on its own,” explains Philippe.

He is also considering an expansion project. This is a more complicated undertaking because Burgundy vineyards have become inaccessible: “Buying vineyards here is impossible,” the farmer notes. For a winemaker in Burgundy, access to land is a pipe dream; so there is only one solution left: “I’d like to set up a wine-trading business, buy grapes, and make wine from them. I would only work with growers I know who have high-quality vines. That’s the best compromise,” concludes Philippe.

Undoubtedly a successful domain creation.