Gandines, Domaine des

Domaine des Gandines was founded by Joseph Danachet in 1925, and is now run by his grandson, Robert along with great-grandsons Benjamin and Florent. The estate is located in the south of Burgundy, in the middle of the Maconnais region. Their over ten hectares are planted with predominantly Chardonnay, with an average vine age of 55 years. The estate is named after their very first vineyard planted, “Les Gandines.”

Benjamin and Florent’s shared philosophy is one of respect for the environment and a passion for producing great Chardonnay. The estate became certified organic in 2005, and they have been farming biodynamically since 2011, believing that these methods are more in line with how their ancestors farmed. They avoid the use of herbicides or chemicals, plow the soil to support the growth of mushrooms and microorganisms, eliminate grass without the use of weed killers, and hand-harvest their grapes. They press the grapes whole-cluster, ferment with native yeasts, and add minimal sulfur at bottling. Gandine’s dedication to methods that are as ecological as possible has allowed them to produce wines that are more rich, beautiful and complex, elevating the Chardonnay grape to the level it deserves.