Based in Savigny-lès-Beaune, François de Nicolay is a self-taught winegrower who co-manages the family estate, Chandon de Briailles, alongside his sister Claude, while also producing négociant wines under his own name. Two distinct activities, certainly, but highly complementary… When and how did you join the family estate? After studying business, I quickly set up a […]
Few people have had the chance to taste the wines of Château Rayas. Those who have are invariably deeply moved by them. Where does this irresistible allure come from? To unravel this mystery, wine specialist Laure Gasparotto and art historian Jérôme Neutres have co-authored the first book dedicated to this mythical Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate and its […]
His wife suggested they should get into distilling — and he took her at her word. Together, they created the first range of sesame-based spirits, with varying levels of smokiness, paving the way for an entirely new category… How did you move from semiotics into distillation? I never stopped working in semiotics. Even today, I […]
An unusual journey for this native of the Paris region, who began making wine from A to Z at the age of 14 and who now releases, together with his wife Lucile, their first four Burgundian cuvées thanks to the support of Athenaeum. In total, 2,292 freshly labelled bottles, ready to be distributed… You were […]
The 65th Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges Wine Auction will take place on 8 March at the Château du Clos de Vougeot. This is an opportunity to shine a light on a relatively little-known event that the house of Albert Bichot has been making more accessible since 2009, by offering the chance to purchase its cuvées starting from a single bottle… How […]
The great-great-nephew of Jules Lavalle (1820–1880), Olivier de Cayron is co-author of Athenaeum’s brand-new publishing project: a compelling biography of this Burgundian physician, botanist, geologist and manufacturer. In 1855, Jules Lavalle authored “Histoire et statistique de la vigne et des grands vins de la Côte-d’Or“, the seminal work that would later serve as a reference when […]