Domaine du Clos des Poulettes
A little gem nestled in a burgundy vineyard setting
The Domaine du Clos des Poulettes is a Burgundian family property and more precisely a property from the Côte de Nuits. The vineyard covers approximately 16 hectares of vines which for 7 generations have been mainly transmitted by women. A story of women, yes but not only ! They all knew how to surround themselves with men of value, passionate about the vine and wine. Indeed, for example, the grandfather of the current manager, Lucien Audidier was the president of the French Academy of Agriculture and Commander of Agricultural Merit … Currently the property can produce up to 80 000 bottles each year, mainly Nuits-SaintGeorges, Côte de Nuits Villages, Bourgogne Côte d’Or, Bourgogne but also a few rare white wines from the Côte de Nuits (one hectare out of the existing 8 enjoying that name). The Domaine du Clos des Poulettes has also vines in Vosne-Romanée. Let’s meet together Hélène Michaut, from the current generation at the helm of the Domaine du Clos des Poulettes.
Why make wine ? Hélène Michaut: Like Obelix in the magic potion I fell into wine from my earliest childhood. It is a family story that has lasted for over seven generations. What I find absolutely extraordinary about this activity is that we produce a French product, from the earth and that we magnify it to bring it into the world of art and gastronomy. We are able to sell it all over the world to share and promote our beautiful region of Burgundy. It’s crazy to think that the Côte de Nuits accounts for only 0.2% of French wine production but that it is known and appreciated all over the world. Before coming back to the property, I worked in different trades which led me to meet many people practicing fascinating jobs. They were often better paid but I never really felt they took as much pleasure as a winemaker has to make his wine.
Why return to the property ?
H.M.: Unfortunately it was a sad family event that was the trigger. My eldest sister was due to take over the family domain, but following her death in 2009 things changed. I previously worked in the IT sector in London for 6 years and then Paris but I have always been there for the harvest and especially already at the time I couldn’t see myself without a bottle of Burgundy at my table. If things had changed otherwise I might have been able to manage the estate with my sister, but fate decided otherwise…
Could you describe in a few words what wine means to you ? H.M.: I would say that it is a magnificent product, that it is one of the most beautiful images of France. Finally, I would conclude by saying that it is a produce that requires a lot of work, attention and involvement both physically and emotionally.
What is the signature of the wines of Domaine du Clos des Poulettes ?
H.M.: Since I took over there has been a lot of changes compared to the style of wine my father made. He made good wines but very tannic wines which required waiting 10/15 years minimum to be drunk. Personally, I try to make wines much more on the fruit, finer, more subtle and undoubtedly more feminine. I want my wines to be able to provide pleasure quickly, to be drunk young as well as in 10 years.
I practice the sweetest extractions possible. The idea is not to crush the grapes at harvest and especially not to crush the seeds but to keep them whole. We want to gently extract the polyphenols, the color and as just as possible the tannins.
Where does the name of the property come from ?
H.M.: The name Domaine du Clos des Poulettes comes from the name of the plot that we own in Nuits St Georges (Les Poulettes, 1er Cru). Inside the walls of this plot there is only us. When I took over the domain I also made the choice to rename it (formerly Domaine de la Poulette).
There are two possible explanations for the name of the plot. The first is that the name comes from an old little house / hut where there were chickens (poulette in French). The other version is much more poetic and wants this name to have been given in opposition to Clos des Vaucrains which is next door and which produces more structured and powerful wines.
Do you have a specific project for the field ?
H.M.: Lots ! But we have already done quite a few. For example in 2014 I bought a winery which is located 50 meters away from the property. We have already renovated the interior of the winery and the vat room by putting in small stainless steel vats allowing us to make microplots and equipped with a pneumatic pigeage system. Now we have to do refurbish the outside and the little house next to the winery. The idea is to open up to wine tourism by offering a tasting room, a gîte…
Do you have an anecdote about the property ?
H.M.: In October, the first World Meurette Egg Championship took place at Château du Clos Vougeot, one of the signature dishes of Burgundy. It was a very nice, friendly, gourmet event… in short, like Burgundy ! I also learned that there are different recipes for dying eggs as well as different origins.
During this event many wines were tasted on the vintages 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 ? 2016 and 2017. I was very proud to see my Nuits Saint-Georges Les Poulettes 1er cru selected from the 2015 and 2017 vintages. The latter was also selected for the chapters of Château du Clos Vougeot. It is a very nice recognition for the work done ! In this honor I released a range of offbeat labels, recalling this championship.
• Domaine du Clos des Poulettes 8 Rue du Petit Paris, 21700 Corgoloin (France) www.poulette.fr