Few names in the Northern Rhone garner more respect from the top bistros and wine bars in Paris than that of Jean-Michel Stephan, who has vinified over 30 vintages at his family estate in Cote Rotie. After an apprenticeship with Jean-Paul Brun in Beaujolais, JM dedicated his life to emulating the work of Lapierre and Gramenon on his own terroir, developing a unique approach to producing Syrah using techniques like carbonic maceration, single-plot vinification, and minimal use of sulfur dioxide.

Maison Stephan

Jean-Michel Stephan grew up in a Northern Rhone farming family. Alongside apricots and vegetables, his grandfather planted vines on valley land that, at the time, was deemed so minor it was simply bundled with commercial farmland. He spent his youth learning winemaking in Beaujolais under the renowned Jean-Paul Brun in Charnay. There, he was exposed to the natural winemaking philosophies of Marcel Lapierre and Jules Chauvet—ideas that would become the defining principles of his own style.

In 1986, Jean-Michel began planting vineyards in Cote Rotie, bringing in his first harvest in 1991. For those first few years, he sold his fruit to E. Guigal before finally bottling wine under his own label in 1994. From the very beginning, Jean-Michel farmed organically and vinified without any additives. By applying lesser-known techniques like carbonic maceration to Northern Rhone Syrah, he achieved singular, expressive bottlings that quickly earned a cult following.

Today, the 5-hectare domaine is composed of three main plots in Cote Rotie: Coteaux de Bassenon, Coteaux de Tupin, and a small parcel in the famous Cote Brune. Jean-Michel and his son, Romain, have also planted an additional 5 hectares of Syrah, Roussanne, Viognier, and Marsanne just outside the Cote Rotie appellation boundaries. Romain joined his father in 2017 and is slowly taking over the reins of the winery.

Domaine de la Cras was formerly a winery that had fallen into the hands of the city of Dijon; Marc Soyard was chosen from among many applicants to fill the winemaking void, primarily based on his vision for sustainable, organic winemaking, and his incredible experience with the legendary Jean-Yves Bizot.

Domaine de la Cras

"This is not your typical Napa Chardonnay. This is not your usual Chablis. This is something different, new, unique; something for the thoughtful drinkers. " -David

After his winemaking studies, Marc Soyard first experienced winemaking at the Vins de Viennes projact under Rhone legends Pierre Gaillard, Francois Villard & Yves Cuilleron. The Jura native then made his way to Burgundy where he became the vineyard manager for Jean-Yves Bizot, following his tutelage in the cellar as well.

Now, Bizot's hallmark was forever strong viticulture, trying to be as hands-off as possible, but this of course mandates a sharp eye in the vineyard to create the healthiest fruit possible, and thus allow the winemaking process to essentially guide itself. Around this time, the city of Dijon sought an up-and-coming vigneron to take on the Domaine de la Cras, a monopole of great potential within the city. Soyard was elected based strongly on his resume and potential, all for the small price of gifting a number of bottles back to the city each year.

Marc has elevated the land primarily, which can be called either Bourgogne or also Coteaux du Dijon, the only Domaine in Burgundy allowed to do so. The practices in the vineyard and the cellar are largely hands-off, serving to create a vibrant, biodiverse vineyard that will create pure, healthy fruit that in turn will largely need nothing added during the fermentations.

Some new wood is used, depending on the vintage and cuvée; oak is preferred from local forests, and some chestnut and acacia barrels have been utilized. Coteaux is sourced from the lower-elevation vineyards while Cras is from the steeper slopes; Cras will undergo a longer elevage as it is more intensely structured.

Soyard's Coteaux du Dijon Chardonnay "Cras" is no joke; the Cras comes from the steeper part of the slope, adding a brilliant snap to the wines which provides a beautiful verve to his longer elevage in oak, the freshness and breadth playing together perfectly. The clay-based soil with limestone underneath would normally be favored for Pinot Noir, but Soyard's ability to adapt each varietal to his land is adroit.

"Soyard's ability to squeeze in so much flavor will have you admiring his craft, and leaave you engulfed with enjoyment in every sip. " -David

Marc also owns two plots of his own in the Cote d'Or, one parcel of Bourgogne near Ladoix, and another in the Hautes-Cotes de Nuits.

After a career as a chef and sommelier, Francois Villard decided to exchange his knife and wine key for a pair of shears and overalls and set up shop in the Northern Rhone, producing his first few hundred bottles of Condrieu in 1992. Francois’ plots are split evenly between white and red, and he produces wine from a large swath of appellations in the Northern Rhone.

Francois Villard

After a career as a chef and sommelier in Vienne and Grenoble, Francois Villard started making wine from scratch, producing just 400 bottles of Condrieu in 1991. Today, he’s a seasoned expert in the Northern Rhone, making wine from a staggering range of appellations in both red and white. A relationship with Yves Cuilleron helped Francois find a foothold and gain experience making wine in the Rhone Valley. In 1989, he planted 4 hectares of vines in the Northern Rhone and slowly built up his domaine from there.

Francois has steadily evolved his style in the decades he’s been making wine, embracing whole-cluster fermentation and dialing back new oak use. He has also become a leading champion for Northern Rhone whites, which make up a full half of his total production. To achieve his signature rich, texturally complex style, he favors maximum ripeness—often picking much later than his neighbors—and even welcoming some botrytis for specific bottlings.

Francois prefers optimizing ripeness, picking later than many of his neighbors, and vinifies in a mixture of foudres and smaller barrels. He produces four different Condrieu bottlings, as well as reds from almost all major Northern Rhone appellations, including St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Cote-Rotie, and Cornas. His focus has shifted over time to produce wines centered on elegance and balance rather than power and flash.