Courgis: July 2023

If there has been a new big name in Chablis in the last years, it would be that of Alice et Olivier de Moor. Their organic practices in the vineyards have demonstrated that even plots outside the Premier and Grand Cru appellations can produce wines with great concentration, razor-sharp acidity, and intense minerality. 

On a quick visit to Chablis, Alice de Moor herself led us on a tour of their cellar and introduced us to their wines.

The history of Domaine Alice et Olivier de Moor

The domain was founded by a couple who did not have a heritage of Burgundian winemaking in their family line. It was during Olivier’s studies in viticulture that he managed to acquire three hectares of abandoned vineyards from his uncle in Courgis, located within the Chablis appellation. Here, he began cultivating his own vines.

Both Alice and Olivier would pursue oenology studies later in Dijon, with the intention of entering the wine industry. Olivier secured a position at Brocard in Chablis, while Alice would also work for some time in Australia and Portugal. As their experience grew, so did their aspiration to own a winery. Eventually, in 1994 they opted to leave the relative security of employment at larger estates. Launching their winery was a significant and liberating milestone.

The reality was that the small three-hectare vineyard of Chablis they started with was not enough to sustain their living. As a result, the pair decided to expand. They secured a lease for a vineyard in Saint-Bris with 0.5ha of very old vines of Aligoté and 0.4ha of Sauvignon Blanc. Furthermore, in 1996 they took over a plot in Chitry, five kilometres away from Courgis, to plant more Aligoté and Chardonnay.

Their initial tenure in Saint-Bris was modest, but with just three hectares more under their care, the de Moors doubled their land. During their time there, they adopted an organic approach to farming, rejecting the use of herbicides and synthetic insecticides in favour of natural alternatives. They also shifted from mechanical to manual grape harvesting, with workers handpicking each grape cluster, a practice not commonly seen in most of Chablis.

The de Moors’ winemaking approach evolved in tandem with their adoption of organic practices in their vineyards. Within two years, the reliance on cultivated yeasts was abandoned, fining and filtering became practices of the past. Although they were officially recognized for organic farming only in 2005, their wines had been produced organically since the turn of the millennium. For Alice and Olivier, there is no other way. They believe that the finest wines come from preserving the grape’s intrinsic quality, free from what they see as the interference of modern technology and artificial additives.

A brief overview of their viticulture and winemaking

Apart from organic viticulture, their vineyard philosophy distinctly differs from that of their neighbours in terms of yields management. Indeed, they observe that the primary issue in Chablis vineyards is often low grape concentration, a result of producing too many grapes. Even in the best vintages, Alice and Olivier’s production is often half that of their neighbours, particularly those in cooperatives.

Over the years, their methods have been remarkably consistent. However, the impact of climate change has led them to explore several changes in their farming practices. These include the planting of trees, testing pergola trellises for better air circulation and sun exposure, and experimenting with cover crops. They have even started using chickens that forage through these grasses.

Within the cellar, there’s a strong emphasis on traditional winemaking techniques, with only a minimal use of modern technology. The decision of when to harvest grapes is based on their taste rather than using a refractometer. While fermentations usually occur naturally without any temperature control, during extraordinary situations, such as the 2020 heatwave, some temperature management is applied. Additionally, after the cellar’s expansion in 2007, wine is now transferred between containers using gravity, which significantly reduces the need for pumping.

Due to the cold temperatures in autumn and winter, the fermentations tend to be very long, taking months or sometimes years. They are carried out in different oak vessels — 228L Burgundy barrels, 500L demi-muids, foudres, as well as stainless or concrete tanks — chosen based on the size of that year’s harvest. Post-fermentation, wines are typically aged for one year. The wines undergo a natural malolactic fermentation and are aged on their lees, avoiding any stirring (known as bâtonnage). To finish, they only add sulphur during bottling.

Tasting their wines

The Aligotés

Alice and Olivier are among the best producers of Aligoté, alongside Domaine Ponsot and Sylvain Pataille in Côte de Nuits. In Chablis and Auxerre, the only producer that comes close is Domaine d’Edouard by Édouard Lepesme, who formerly worked with the de Moors and Pattes Loup.

While in most of Burgundy there’s a recognised distinction in quality between Aligoté vert and Aligoté doré, Alice and Olivier contend that these two types are genetically identical. Their experience suggests that Aligoté is typically labeled as vert (green) when it is productive but not particularly concentrated. On the other hand, if it is less productive, it tends to be more concentrated and referred to as doré (golden).

The Chardonnays

But of course, the star of Chablis is Chardonnay and Alice and Olivier make exceptional examples of this varietal.

In 2016, Alice and Olivier took another significant step by purchasing a one-hectare plot of Vau de Vey, marking their entry into the Premier Crus category. The vines were in poor condition by their standards due to decades of conventional agriculture techniques, including the use of pesticides and fertilisers. Undeterred, they set about converting the vineyard to organic practices over the next three years. Their efforts are now bearing fruit, with noticeable improvements in both soil and vine health. Additionally, later in 2016, they began renting 0.8ha of Chablis Premier Cru Mont de Milieu, closer to the Grand Crus of Chablis, from a friend.

In the last few years they have also been experimenting with different varietals through their négoce, Les Vendangeurs Masqués. With climate change they feel like diversifying their crops is important. They have been working with Roussane from the Rhône valley and a Riesling-Sauvignon Blanc assemblage from Alsace. Still, keeping our tasting strictly Bourguignone, we finished with their Saint-Bris, the only appellation that allows Sauvignon Blanc and Gris in Burgundy.