Domaine Pierre Damoy

Domaine Pierre Damoy is a Burgundy wine producer located in Gevrey-Chambertin. The family-owned domaine was founded in the 1920s and has been managed by Pierre Damoy since 1992. Passed from successive generations, it is the fifth generation who currently manage the estate under the guidance of Pierre’s grandson, also of the same name. It is best known for producing Pinot Noir from its Grand Cru vineyard holdings, in particular the Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru vineyard.

The domaine covers around 11 hectares (27 acres) of vineyard land spread throughout Gevrey-Chambertin's grand cru vineyards of Chapelle-Chambertin, Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze and Le Chambertin. Damoy owns a portion of Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze as well as Chapelle-Chambertin. Vines at both sites range from 60-80 years old. Damoy also holds a small area of land in the Chambertin vineyard, and produces Pinot Noir from Marsannay, as well as Bourgogne Blanc and Rouge from vineyards in Fixin and Couchey.

For the vinification process, grapes are harvested manually and picked relatively late. The fruit is sorted during picking and once again at the winery, then macerated for up to 15 days. Pinot Noir is fermented in open top vats and punched down by hand. The wines generally age on the lees for 18 months with grand cru wines barrel maturing in up to 100 percent new French oak.

Damoy resists the bio and lutte raisonnée labels, preferring instead to describe his vineyard management as “durable viticulture”. Working with vines that range in age from 60- to 90-years-old, Damoy ploughs his vineyards regularly for weed control, eschews herbicides and uses copper minimally. In 2002 he completely renovated the winery and installed equipment able to handle the fruit as gently as possible.

In the winery, all fruit is destemmed and undergoes a long cold maceration before fermentation. The cellar now possesses sufficient space to ferment fruit from each block separately and the wines are aged for 14-18 months in 70%-100% new oak for the crus and 30%-50% for village and premier cru. The wines are released without fining or filtering. In addition to Clos de Bèze, Damoy produces wine from Chapelle-Chambertin, Chambertin and the monopole Clos Tamisot, which is located behind the family residence. Fruit is also purchased from vineyards in Couchey and Fixin to produce a Bourgogne.