It’s All in the Name: Domaine Pierre Vincent
BY NEAL MARTIN |
All winemakers must dream of running their own domaine, seeing their own name on a label. You can work at the most prestigious address and devote a lifetime to the most esteemed vineyards, but at the end of the day, it ain’t yours.
As its Technical Director between 2006 and 2016, Pierre Vincent took Domaine de la Vougeraie to a higher level before a high-profile move to Domaine Leflaive in 2017. He was a safe pair of hands in the aftermath of Anne-Claude Leflaive’s passing and the person who repaired the domaine’s reputation after incidences of premature oxidation. During both tenures, Vincent oversaw a raft of stunning wines. Nevertheless, when discussing his time working in Puligny-Montrachet, it was clear that despite the prestige of his position, irrespective of his talent and input, Domaine Leflaive will always be about Leflaive. He understood that as winemaker, he had to accept a less visible and less autonomous role behind gérant, Brice de la Morandière. That was clear whenever I visited. Vincent would stay in the background and answer questions only when I specifically directed them his way.
I accidentally learned of Vincent’s departure a long time ago. In May, it was announced that in partnership with two Lyon-based friends, Hervé Kratiroff and Eric Versini, Vincent had had acquired Domaine des Terre de Velle on the outskirts of Auxey-Duresses. This means that in 2023 Vincent made the wines at both domaines, as will be the case in 2024, while Leflaive searches for his replacement. After the 2024 harvest, Vincent is due to part ways with Leflaive to focus entirely on Domaine Pierre Vincent.
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Pierre Vincent is one of the most talented winemakers working in Burgundy. After producing a raft of great wines at Domaine de la Vougeraie and then Domaine Leflaive, Vincent is about to embark upon a new chapter in his career, the 2023s representing the maiden vintage of wines under his own name.
