Domaine Agnès Paquet

The route to wine was not such a predestined affair for Agnès Paquet as it is for many vignerons in Burgundy. Though the Paquet family had owned some vineyards in the Côte de Beaune since the 1950s, they were far from an established dynasty of land-owners, nor had they ever dabbled in growing or winemaking themselves.

The decisive moment for Agnès came when, aged 21 and fresh out of a business degree, the family considered selling their holdings and with a healthy dose of both courage and naivety she decided to take the leap into this new vocation. Perhaps even more impressive was the dexterity with which as a young, female vigneronne, she navigated the heavily patriarchal landscape of Burgundy in the 1990s to establish her own domaine in Auxey-Duresses in 2000. For over two decades now the domaine has been a source of some of the most elegant and refined wines to be found in Auxey-Duresses, with a notable drive and purity being the hallmarks of this address.

The whites here are pressed straight to barrel where they spend between 10 months and 2 years depending on the cuvée, with no bâtonnage to retain the sense of tension.

For the reds Agnès takes a pragmatic approach to whole bunch, using up to 50% on certain cuvées. Foot-treading is used to ensure a delicate and gentle extraction, with fermentation carried out in concrete, followed by 10-12 months in barrel.