Domaine Coffinet - Duvernay

History and Terroir

A marriage that led to the birth of one of Chassagne's greatest specialists. Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay represents one of Chassagne-Montrachet’s most quietly compelling success stories. When Laura Coffinet and Philippe Duvernay established the domaine in 1989, they brought together two families with roots in Burgundian viticulture stretching back to the 19th century. The Coffinet family has tended vines in Chassagne since 1860, and over five generations, their small but remarkable holdings have been patiently refined into a jewel box of climats. Today, assisted by their son Bastien, who joined the estate in 2012, the family cultivates seven hectares of vineyards, all within the commune of Chassagne-Montrachet, encompassing an enviable mosaic of terroirs from Village level to the Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet. Their parcels include a particularly privileged pair of Premiers Crus, Dent de Chien and Les Blanchots Dessus, which brush against the hallowed boundary of Montrachet itself. The vineyards rest upon classic Jurassic clay-limestone soils that encourage deep rooting and natural concentration. Chassagne’s south-eastern exposure captures the full measure of Burgundy’s continental climate, balancing ripeness with refreshing tension. With vines averaging several decades in age, some approaching seventy years, the domaine’s fruit delivers a natural depth and complexity that speaks unambiguously of its place of origin.

Farming and Winemaking

Philippe Duvernay’s approach in the cellar reflects a thoughtful rejection of fashion in favour of authenticity. His guiding principle is to intervene as little as possible, allowing nature, not technique, to articulate the voice of each climat. Grapes are harvested by hand, sorted in the vineyard, and pressed gently in a pneumatic press. After a brief overnight settling, the juice descends by gravity into barriques, where native yeasts begin fermentation unhurriedly within the cool, stone cellar. For whites, fermentation and ageing take place entirely in barrel, with new oak used sparingly, around 30%, to frame rather than dominate. Reds, meanwhile, undergo whole-bunch maceration and indigenous-yeast fermentation, followed by élevage of up to sixteen months in oak (half of it new), before bottling without filtration. Such restraint allows the wines to retain a palpable sense of vitality and origin. The resulting Chassagne-Montrachet wines are marked by intensity and clarity, concentrated yet balanced, elegant yet enduring. Beneath their polish lies a quiet conviction: that true finesse is not imposed, but revealed through patience, respect, and deep understanding of place.