La Pierre Ronde - Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne

History of La Pierre Ronde – Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne

Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne's journey is far from linear, and that may be what makes it so rich. A 1999 graduate of École Polytechnique, one of France's most prestigious institutions, he began his career as a business restructuring consultant, before a long-standing passion for wine took over. During his student years, he frequented the Polytechnique wine club and received tasting training from Philippe Bourguignon, crowned best sommelier of France in 1978. This attraction would only grow.

Determined to reorient everything, Antoine obtained a master's degree in viticulture-oenology in Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), then a national diploma in oenology, to which were added a master's degree in agronomy at AgroParisTech. His practical initiation began at Zind-Humbrecht, an emblematic estate in Alsace, where he spent eight months as a vineyard worker. An experience in Argentina completed this world tour of wine before he arrived in Burgundy in 2007, attracted by biodynamics and the complexity of Burgundian terroirs.

It was at Domaine Leflaive, in Puligny-Montrachet, that he forged the essence of his vision. For eight years, he worked alongside Anne-Claude Leflaive, a pioneering figure of biodynamics in France, with whom he co-founded the École du Vin et des Terroirs in 2008, a training space dedicated to Burgundian winemakers wishing to deepen their knowledge of natural practices. In 2012, he published a reference work on the subject: What's So Special About Biodynamic Wines, translated and distributed to a wide audience of enthusiasts.

After the death of Anne-Claude Leflaive in 2015, Antoine left the estate and created his own consulting structure, named La Pierre Ronde, in 2016. He then accompanied numerous Burgundian winemakers in their conversion to biodynamics, while taking charge of winemaking at Château de Chassagne-Montrachet for the 2019 and 2020 vintages. Strengthened by these experiences, his convictions and a solid network, he took a new step in 2021 by producing his own wines under the La Pierre Ronde label.

Terroirs and Vineyards of La Pierre Ronde

La Pierre Ronde does not own its own vines: Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne selects his grapes with absolute rigor from a restricted circle of partner winegrowers, all committed to organic or biodynamic agriculture. This négociant-vinificateur approach, far from being a constraint, becomes an asset: it allows Antoine to choose the best terroirs and the best parcels, regardless of appellation, based on an intimate knowledge of the region.

His sourcing focuses primarily on the Côte de Beaune, one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world, which stretches about 30 kilometers between Ladoix-Serrigny and Cheilly-lès-Maranges. The soils are predominantly clay-limestone, but each lieu-dit creates a particular microclimate, a specific exposure, a distinct soil depth that gives each wine its own character.

Among the terroirs worked by La Pierre Ronde are the vines of Ladoix-Serrigny, at the foot of the mythical Corton hillside, where old Aligoté vines sink their roots into particularly well-drained limestone soils. In Saint-Romain, the vines of the lieu-dit Les Jarrons grow on the hillside, on soil where limestone rock outcrops, offering vivid minerality and natural freshness. In Meursault, the lieu-dit Les Perchots, in Village appellation, produces Chardonnays of great aromatic richness, fine and velvety. In Nantoux, in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, the vines rise above 400 meters altitude, giving them remarkable mineral tension and crystalline freshness. Rully, in the Côte Chalonnaise, completes this geography with parcels like the lieu-dit Fromange, whose predominantly clay-limestone soils produce wines of beautiful salinity. Beaune Village, finally, brings its ruby touch to the estate, with Pinot Noirs of beautiful depth.

Winemaking at La Pierre Ronde

Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne's philosophy in the cellar can be summed up in a few words: not to obstruct the expression of terroir. Each winemaking decision is guided by the desire to faithfully translate, without artifice, what the vine has expressed, vintage after vintage.

The grapes, exclusively from organic or biodynamic viticulture, arrive at the cellar with the assurance of healthy and living raw material. Fermentations take place with indigenous yeasts naturally present on the grapes, without adding exogenous yeasts, which favors the expression of the nuances specific to each terroir. No chemical inputs disturb this dialogue between the fruit and the place.

Aging constitutes the stylistic signature of La Pierre Ronde. Antoine combines several types of containers with almost scientific precision: 350-liter barrels (his preferred size, larger than the traditional 228-liter Burgundian pièce, for gentler and less woody aging), oak foudres from the Stockinger and Rousseau coopers, renowned for their impeccable quality, and Tava-type terracotta amphorae, used for both fermentation and aging. This trio of containers allows each wine to develop its own complexity: the foudres bring nervousness and preserve freshness, the barrels offer fine structure, and the amphorae provide aromatic openness and a singular texture, airy and expressive.

For red wines, Antoine uses partial whole-cluster maceration (0 to 50% whole bunches depending on the vintage), followed by one to two weeks of maceration with indigenous yeasts. The wines are then aged in barrels and amphorae for ten to twelve months, then blended and aged for a few additional months in tank before bottling. Sulfur is only added when necessary, in strict respect of the living. The result is a range of airy, precise and vibrant wines that international critics have quickly identified among the best emerging productions from Burgundy.

The cuvées of La Pierre Ronde

Bourgogne Aligoté Vieilles Vignes

It is made from old Aligoté vines approximately 60 years old, planted on the slope of Ladoix-Serrigny, at the foot of the Corton hillside. Vinification takes place partly in amphorae (about 30%) and partly in large barrels, which gives the wine a texture that is both round and airy. On the nose, we discover delicate lactic notes, a slight toastiness on the lees, yellow fruits like mirabelle plum and touches of almond paste. On the palate, the attack is round and generous, before a return of crisp acidity and a slightly saline and rhubarb finish come to balance the whole with elegance. 

Bourgogne Aligoté

More accessible, this first Aligoté from younger vines offers a fresh and crisp introduction to the house style. Lively, lemony, with beautiful tension, it proves ideal for aperitifs or seafood.

Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Chardonnay 

Sourced from vines cultivated at over 400 meters altitude in the commune of Nantoux, this Chardonnay is distinguished by remarkable mineral tension and natural freshness carried by outcropping limestone subsoil. Partial aging in new barrels (25%) provides a backbone without ever weighing down the wine. Notes of white flowers, citrus and flint, with a straight and long palate.

Coteaux Bourguignons Chardonnay Jeunes Vignes

A delicate and accessible introduction, made from young Chardonnay vines. A fresh and balanced white wine, without excessive oakiness, it reflects the philosophy of precision that characterizes the entire range. 

Rully 

In the Rully appellation (Côte Chalonnaise), this lieu-dit Chardonnay reveals a particularly saline and energetic profile, almost iodized, which makes it perfectly suited to seafood. Elegant and precise, with intense vivacity and a long, fresh finish, it recalls by its structure the best whites of the Côte Chalonnaise.

Saint-Romain "Les Jarrons"

The lieu-dit Les Jarrons, at the bottom of the Saint-Romain hillside towards Auxey-Duresses, produces a pure Chardonnay, slightly reduced on opening, but deep and intense once aired. Its limestone minerality is in the foreground, carried by a straight and tense palate. 

Meursault Village "Les Perchots"

This Meursault Village constitutes one of La Pierre Ronde's essential references. From the lieu-dit Les Perchots and some neighboring parcels, it is aged both in oak barrels and Tava amphorae, in order to combine the structure of wood and the aromatic openness of terracotta. The result is of remarkable finesse: intense nose that perfumes the room on opening, refined palate, mineral, slightly saline, with notes of white fruit, honey and beautiful persistent freshness. 

Beaune Village rouge

For the reds, Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne delivers a Beaune Village of beautiful depth. Made with a variable proportion of whole bunches depending on the vintage, it develops aromas of fresh red fruits, undergrowth and sweet spices. Aged in barrels and amphorae, it combines finesse and freshness, in a pure Burgundian style, without excessive power.

Bourgogne Pinot Noir "Cuvée Amphore"

Vinified and aged entirely in amphorae, this Pinot Noir expresses a particularly direct and emotional expression of fruit. The texture is silky, the wine airy, almost translucent, with tannins of great delicacy.

Meursault Premier Cru "Les Charmes Dessus"

When Antoine accesses the Premiers Crus, he demonstrates the full potential of his vision. This Meursault Les Charmes Dessus, in Premier Cru appellation, develops striking aromatic complexity: fine toastiness, candied citrus, acacia flower, with a palate that is both ample and tense, of admirable length.

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

The pinnacle of the range, this Grand Cru from the mythical Corton hillside testifies to La Pierre Ronde's level of ambition. Made from grapes chosen with maximum rigor, it combines power, minerality and length in a rare balance. Slow and precise aging in foudres and barrels, without haste.