DOMAINE MICHEL BRIDAY

Stephane Briday is not someone who hides his enthusiasm.  He could have been the tour guide for his region. His childhood followed the rhythm of the harvest, with vines to be pruned or disbudded. He was only 11 years old when his father embarked on the adventure: to create a family estate, to have his own label and to forge a strong bond with his customers. The estate has certainly come a long way since then. The 6.5 hectares has expanded to fifteen but the early sparks of enthusiasm have not been extinguished. On the contrary, the new generation have gone beyond just maintaining it. “I take a lot of pleasure in my work. I am 200% a winemaker,” Stéphane Briday continues.

In 1988, the young man joined his father at the estate after some experience in the wine trade. Ever since then, he has been pacing up and down surveying his vines, closely watching his vats and casks, in an ongoing quest for quality. To know his plots, his “Climats” as the terroirs in Burgundy are called, means observing, “having your nose right in the foliage” and that is the motto of a true winemaker, Stéphane Briday summarises. “Wine is made in the vines,” as the sages of the region are wont to say.

For Sandrine and Stéphane Briday living with its terroirs means respecting nature above all else. Each intervention is carefully considered in order to encourage balance of the planting as much as possible in its environment. They want to guarantee this approach to their customers through the Terra Vitis certification, where application of specifications is controlled by an independent body.

The wines of the estate combine purity and delicacy for whites, well-structured and gourmand for reds. The 11 vintages of the estate, in regional, village or premier cru appellations, each have their secrets and beguile our senses into the magic of the great terroirs of Burgundy.