Domaine Christophe Vaudoisey

The Vaudoisey family has been cultivating vines in the village of Volnay since 1804. Now in its ninth generation of winemakers, the estate is currently managed by Christophe Vaudoisey and his son Pierre. Christophe and his wife Laurence took over the management of the property in 1985, continuing a lineage that has spanned over two centuries in the Côte de Beaune. In 2009, the family modernized their operations by constructing a new cuverie at the base of the village, situated on land that was once a garden within the Les Mitans Premier Cru vineyard. This development allowed for more precise vinification while the family continued to receive visitors at the original family house in the center of Volnay.

The estate manages approximately 12 hectares of vineyards located across the communes of Volnay, Pommard, Meursault, and Monthélie. These holdings are dominated by clay and limestone soils typical of the region. The viticultural approach follows lutte raisonnée, which is a sustainable farming philosophy that limits chemical treatments to those deemed essential for the health of the vine. Vineyard management includes pruning and manual sorting of grapes at the time of harvest to ensure quality. In the cellar, the winemaking team typically de-stems all the fruit before beginning fermentation. The resulting wines undergo aging for 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels. To maintain the aromatic purity of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the proportion of new oak is generally limited to 25 percent.

The domaine is recognized for its portfolio of Volnay Premier Crus, including Les Mitans, Clos des Chênes, Le Ronceret, and Les Caillerets. These wines are valued for their aromatic complexity and the silky texture associated with the Volnay appellation. In addition to these reds, the estate produces white wines such as Meursault Les Vireuils and regional Aligoté. Their Pommard holdings, including the Premier Crus Les Chanlins and Clos Micault, provide a robust and structured contrast to the Volnay cuvées. The wines consistently earn accolades in prominent guides such as the Guide Hachette and Bourgogne Aujourd'hui, with recent vintages such as 2021 and 2022 receiving high marks for their balance and terroir expression. Roughly 70 percent of the production is sold within France, while the remainder is exported to markets in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan.