Domaine Bertagna ... A wine lady!

Winegrower Burgundy

Domaine Bertagna ... A wine lady !
Were vines grown in Moselle before Burgundy?It is difficult to say, since traces of Roman vineyards have been found in both regions. During the 4th century, the poet Ausone sang the praises of Moselle and its vineyards, whilst the reputation of Burgundy wines shone far beyond their region of origin.Eva Reh-Siddle represents the seventh generation of Moselle winegrowers. She was born amongst these breathtaking viticultural landscapes. She had a choice however: she could either continue cultivating the family vines planted on the vertiginous slopes swooping down to the Rhine’s tributary, or come to Burgundy to grow Pinot, a variety still known as “Burgunder” in the area in which it originated. Nonetheless, profound, historical affinities exist.

Domaine Bertagna
Rue du Vieux Château
21640 Vougeot
Tel : +33 3 80 62 86 04
Fax : +33 3 80 62 82 58

www.domainebertagna.com

Eva’s grandfather, a wine professional, Francophile and amateur of Great Growth wines, purchased his first vines in Burgundy in 1954. In 1982, Eva’s father bought Domaine Bertagna in Vougeot. It is an extraordinary domain whose buildings look out onto Clos de Vougeot and its vines stretch into the legendary land of this Great Growth. The domain will soon cover a total area of 21 hectares, with seven First Growths and five Great Growths. Besides the Vougeot vines in Great Growth and First Growth, the domain also owns vines in the mythical areas of Chambertin, Clos Saint Denis, Chambolle Musigny, Vosne Romanée, Nuits Saint Georges and Aloxe Corton, with two Great Growths: Corton Great Growth Grand Lolières and Corton Charlemagne. In addition, Domaine Bertagna owns vines too in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits.

Robert Tinlot: What drew you to Burgundy?

Eva Reh-Siddle: I spent my childhood in vineyards. The winemaking profession was something very familiar to me and I felt at home here.

Why did you not decide to stay in Moselle, where remarkable wines are made in the most magnificent natural landscapes?

Burgundy is a region I have known well since I was born and for me it symbolises the excellence of wines and skill. I studied at the University of Dijon. I like the way vines are divided into the categories of AOC, villages, First Growth and Great Growth. It enables each small plot, called a “climat” in Burgundy, to reveal the characteristic qualities of the land. It is possible to show exactly what one is capable of when making wine individually for each “climat”. I prefer the AOC system in France to the one used in Germany that bases its hierarchy on the method of grape harvesting and richness in natural sugar, because in one vineyard there can be a range of very different wines, but they are often far too sweet. The plot of land is considered in the French system, sometimes intuitively. The work carried out, the care given to each “climat” and the grapes produced here must highlight the true character of the terroir and then winemaking must take into account the characteristics of the grape varieties. It is this wealth of terroir expression that appeals to me. I would not have liked to settle anywhere else. This domain corresponds ideally to my expectations.

Tell us about your role within the company.

I am the Managing Director of the firm.
I take an interest in all areas of activity, from vine growing through to sales. One thing I deal with in particular is maintaining the vineyard in excellent condition. Our vine growing is completely supervised, but organic methods do not interest us a great deal; one day perhaps we might move on to biodynamics. Our yields are very low, on averag 37 hectolitres per hectare. We pick our harvests by hand and if necessary, we do green harvesting before in the summer months. We use a sorting table and completely de-stem the grape bunches. For winemaking we use small vats so that each “climat” can be dealt with individually. Our aim is to give our style to the wines: not too woody, 30% maximum in new oak barrels, no pumps are used and we only do fining if necessary, not systematically. Our red wine is bottled after 18 months and after 12 months for our white wine, for which we only have a very small production. We put a lot of effort into the presentation of our wines. In particular, for sealing we are extremely loyal to cork, which is both natural and perfectly adapted to our wines.

With such high standards of quality, I am sure your customers are extremely loyal.

Exports represent 30% of our sales; the remainder is sold to French restaurants, wine shops and individual customers who come to buy directly from the domain, who are the most loyal buyers. We have a hotel on the domain, so we have the advantage of being able to accommodate our customers. Our export markets are the USA, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Russia, Belgium, the United Kingdom and a few other countries. I travel extensively to visit customers all over the world, but it is always such a great pleasure to return to Burgundy.Robert Tinlot