Domaine Launay Horiot

Domaine Launay-Horiot is a wine producer based in the village of Pommard, in the Côte de Beaune subregion of Burgundy. It makes a range of Pinot Noir based wines from the Pommard and Gevrey-Chambertin appellations, the latter further north in the Côte de Nuits.
Xavier's approach to winemaking is an unusual union of romanticism and attention to detail: he harvests the grapes in small boxes to ensure that no fruit is squashed; the grapes are never crushed; and fermentation lasts just under a month in cold cellars, during which he plays the wine classical music. The playlist no doubt includes Bach's famous Cello Suite, the 2nd Movement of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto & Là Ci Darem La Mano from Don Giovanni, such is the nobility, power and sheer sex appeal of these gorgeous wines!

The domaine covers around four hectares (10 acres) of vineyard although prior to an inheritance dispute in the early 2000s, the wider family holdings covered over 10 hectares (25 acres) across Pommard and Gevrey. The domaine is overseen by former fighter pilot Xavier Horiot.

Despite its base in Pommard, the estate's flagship wines are the Chambertin and Latricières-Chambertin grands crus although Pommard is also well-represented with labels from the Les Rugiens-Bas, Les Chaponnières and Clos Blanc premier cru vineyards.

All grapes are hand-harvested and undergo a pre-ferment cold soak for around one week. Punchdowns (pigeage) and pumpovers are employed during fermentation and after pressing, the wines are aged for between 12 and 16 months in oak. Portions of new barrel used in the wines varies depending on site and vintage, from as little as 15 percent to up to 75 percent new oak.