We all have Burgundy in mind as the great terroir par excellence, those wines that everyone desires, names of great Domaines and Parcels that we all associate with the prestige of the wine world. But behind those big names, there are always people, people who, moved by passion, work every day to maintain the reputation and identity of the place they represent.

People, all of them with their defects and virtues, but few are capable of combining wisdom, experience and humility as our interviewee today does.

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Jean François Chaveriat, one of those men who has dedicated his life to wine and who, after more than 20 years working as Chef de Cave at Domaine Chantal Lescure, we can say is the living history of Burgundy.

Good morning François, first of all thank you very much for granting us this interview, I must admit that it is one of the most special for us.

Please, tell us how your love story for wine began and why you decided to dedicate yourself to it.

My history with wine begins in 1984, after training in agriculture, I decide to focus on viticulture, the adventure begins with a domain of Marsannay la cote.

There I discover the fascinating work of the vine and winemaking.

Then I went to work for a merchant from Burgundy who caused the encounter with the Chantal Lescure estate, this merchant bought the entire harvest from this estate, and I was in charge of the vinification of the harvest.

In 1996, when Mrs. Chantal Lescure passed away, her children decided to take over the farm and direct it towards quality.

As we understand it, when you arrived at Chantal Lescure you decided to convert to organic farming, why did you make that decision and how was this trend experienced in the region?

When I started working on the farm and, in agreement with the owners, we decided to convert production towards organic farming.

This decision that I led and provoked was for me and continues to be the only way to produce wines with identity and authenticity. At that time in 1997, organic was not in fashion and it was very risky, but the result was exciting.

many viticulturists did not dare to take the step and many criticized us.

we work on a great variety of terroirs, it seems fundamental to me to reveal them, this method of working close to the ground, the plant and the living thing, is confirmed today as the only one capable of enhancing these terroirs.

we take care of the plant, the soil and ourselves.

We cannot deny that Burgundy has changed very quickly in recent years, how have you experienced that change and above all, what do you think of the wave of speculation that exists around Burgundy wine.

In the world of wine, Burgundy is recognized and appreciated for this variety of expression and finesse, unfortunately this vineyard is tiny on the scale of the planet, its rarity and growing demand make it a speculative product,

this phenomenon is accentuated in recent vintages due to climatic events that reduce harvests.

soon, unfortunately, the TRUE lovers of these wines will no longer be able to drink them, because they are too expensive and therefore reserved for a very wealthy clientele who, unfortunately, appreciates them for their price rather than for the emotion they can provide . this is my vision of wine.

After Burgundy, what other wine region in the world is there that you are passionate about and in which you would have liked to work?

This phenomenon that is accentuated year after year pushes us to discover and appreciate other vineyards, I really like the wines of these less prestigious vineyards in France and in the world, the Loire, the Jura, the Savoy, but also the great terroirs of Spain

of Spanish origin on my mother's side (Aragon) I enjoy the great terroirs of Priorat, Ribera del Diuero, and I have very good memories of a short trip to the Sierra de Francia where I discovered the RUFETTE grape variety, elegant and fresh as a Pinot !!!

And to finish, please tell us which is the most special wine you make for you, and what would you choose if you could only drink one.

To finish, if I had to drink one last bottle, I would certainly choose our beautiful VOSNE ROMANEE SUCHOT cuvée, from a delicate vintage like 2007 or 2008, which were not considered at their true value, but which stood out for their finesse and their energy, they have deliciously interpreted this wonderful terroir!!!!!