Interview with Arthur Clair

June 18, 2020

by Eléonore Lafarge

Can you give us an overview of your domaine? How long have you been working at the domaine?

Domaine Bruno Clair is a 25 hectares (61.7 acres) based in Marsannay-la-Côte. The majority of the appellations of the domaine are in Marsannay and Gevrey-Chambertin but we farm parcels spread over seven villages of the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune.

I started working at the domaine in 2017, after my studies. However, I always helped my father during summers and during the harvests. 

Did you make some changes in the vineyard and cellar work when you took over?

When my brother Edouard took over, some changes were made in the vineyards and in the cellar as well. I agree completely with these changes and always try to make things better. 

All our parcels are now farmed organically, even though we do not have any certifications. 

We are always engaged in dialogue with my father and my brother. For example, since we are trying to make fine wine with more complexity, we made the decision to add more whole clusters since 2015.

Do you have new projects for the domaine? 

The next important project we have is to build a new winery after the 2020 harvest. This renovation is necessary because we need more space and therefore we would be more organized. 

Have you always wanted to be a winemaker? Was it an obvious choice to take over the winery or did it take a few years to realize you wanted to be a winemaker?

I always love working outside, with plants or animals. Before choosing to pursue a career in viticulture and oenology, I tried agriculture, which I thought I would enjoy. Then the choice was obvious considering that my father gave me his passion for the vineyards and family traditions. 

What is your general winemaking philosophy?

To me, respecting our soils and terroir is very important. We have to keep life in our soils. For many years, chemicals have been used in Burgundy. Since my father started to plow in the 90’s, we are able to work with soils with biodiversity. 

Another important thing is the selection of the plants we use. This selection will influence the quality of the grapes and hence the wine. Therefore, I try to be very careful with the rootstock I choose for the different parcels. 

Do you have a favorite vineyard to work in? 

I have two favorite vineyards: Clos Saint Jacques in Gevrey-Chambertin and La Rue de Vergy in Morey-Saint-Denis. The landscapes in these two vineyards are amazing. 

With this complicated situation, can you still work in the vineyards and the cellar?

We have been able to adapt to this unexpected situation without any damage to our work in the vineyards. 

Considering the pandemic, we cannot welcome customers for tastings and I have to admit that I miss talking about the wines, our viticulture techniques and philosophy. 

What is being done in the vineyards and the cellar right now?

In the vineyards, we are doing the trellising.  

In the cellar, we are doing some analysis to follow on the cuvées which haven’t completed their malolactic fermentation. 

Does climate change make it more difficult to work in the vineyards now compared to the generations before? Later frost? More hail? 

Climate change has an important impact on the harvest dates and maturity of the grapes. Before, winemakers had more struggles to reach good maturities, whereas today, we have to be careful not to let the grapes over ripen. The grapes have, now, a lot of matter, it is important to make sure the wines don’t have too much tannins or alcohol or are too “heavy”. So, the extraction is lighter than before.