Domaine Rapet Pere et Fils, sustainable viticulture in BurgundyDomaine Rapet Pere et Fils is a Burgundy winery based in Pernand-Vergelesses, between the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune. Founded in 1765, it now owns 20 hectares of vineyards located in the communes of Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny Les Beaune, Chorey Les Beaune, Aloxe-Corton and Beaune.
At the reins of the winery are Vincent and Sylvette, who manage the vineyards with a certified sustainable approach, which is based on three fundamental principles: biodiversity, fertilisation management by analysing each vineyard plot to provide it with exactly the modification it needs, which allowed in 2018 to reduce the use of fertilisers by 50%, the same goes for pesticide control. Underlying all this is the idea of making wine with respect for the terroir. The company produces both white wines, mainly based on Chardonnay, although an interesting Aligotè stands out in the range, and red wines exclusively based on Pinot Noir.
For the whites, the grapes are picked by hand and the extremely soft pressing is carried out with a mechanical press that works for at least three hours, to delicately extract the best must. This is followed by a 24-hour dèbourbage at low temperatures, then the must is collected in 30% new barriques where it ferments and remains to refine the wine with several battonage before being bottled after 12 months in oak. The red wines are characterised by a strong fruitiness due to the fact that the grapes are harvested when fully ripe, and a soft tannin. The red wines from Domaine Rapet are fermented for 15 days in small barrels made of 20% new oak.
