Mark Haisma

The Story of Mark Haisma

Mark Haisma’s story begins on the other side of the world, in Australia’s Yarra Valley. Passionate about viticulture since his student days, he honed his skills under the legendary Dr. Bailey Carrodus at the Yarra Yering estate in Victoria, where he spent ten formative years. There he developed his guiding philosophy: capture the purity of the fruit, express terroir with minimal intervention, and pursue freshness and precision rather than power and extraction.

His love of Burgundy’s great wines draws him across the world. He settles in France in 2007 and begins making wine in 2009 in the cellars of his winemaker friend Philippe Naigeon in Gevrey-Chambertin. Initially without vineyards of his own, he patiently builds a network of trusted growers: independent winegrowers who tend their vines with care and often sell their harvest to major négociant houses. Mark Haisma forges lasting partnerships with them, founded on shared standards in the vineyard and mutual trust.

Success comes quickly and decisively. As early as 2012, Jancis Robinson, one of the world’s most influential wine critics, praises his wines for their exceptional balance of fruit, expression, and freshness. Tim Atkin names him among 25 winemakers to watch. With this international recognition, Mark Haisma is able to build his own winery in Gilly-les-Citeaux in 2016, allowing him to work under optimal conditions while staying true to the hands-on spirit that has always driven him.

Mark Haisma’s Terroirs and Vineyards

Mark Haisma’s strength lies in his unique ability to source grapes from exceptional plots in some of the Côte d'Or’s most celebrated appellations. Working as a small-scale négociant, he selects grapes from partner growers who tend their vines carefully, often using organic or sustainable practices.

The area from which he sources grapes spans an impressive range of Burgundy terroirs. In the Côte de Nuits, he works with vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin, including the named sites La Justice, Croix des Champs, and En Pallud, as well as Morey-Saint-Denis with its prized Premier Cru Les Chaffots, and Nuits-Saint-Georges. In the Côte de Beaune, his grapes come from Volnay (La Cave), Pommard Premier Cru Clos les Arvelets, Chassagne-Montrachet, Saint-Romain (Le Jarron), Santenay, and Pernand-Vergelesses. This geographic diversity, from the clay-limestone soils of the Côte de Nuits to the more limestone-rich, crumbly soils of the Côte de Beaune, allows him to create a range of rare richness and variety that faithfully reflects Burgundy’s mosaic of terroirs.

The vines tended by his partners are often old, with naturally low yields that concentrate aromas and give the wines depth and complexity. Harvesting is always done by hand, with rigorous sorting of the clusters in the vineyard to ensure that only the healthiest, ripest grapes reach the winery.

Mark Haisma’s Winemaking

Mark Haisma’s winemaking philosophy can be summed up in a phrase he often uses himself: capture freshness and bring out the best in the aromas. In contrast to approaches that favor extraction, powerful tannins, and deep color, Mark works with great delicacy and the utmost respect for the fruit and terroir.

Fermentation takes place in large concrete tanks, a material he favors for its ability to maintain a stable temperature and preserve the grapes’ primary aromas. Fermentation proceeds slowly and gradually. Once it begins, intervention is kept to a strict minimum: few pump-overs and gentle punch-downs, often done by foot in the most traditional, hands-on way. This light-touch approach encourages gentle tannin extraction and preserves aromatic compounds.

For his red cuvées, Mark Haisma makes thoughtful use of whole-cluster fermentation, leaving the grapes on their stems. This gives the wines a spicy dimension, added freshness, and subtle structural complexity. The proportion varies by appellation and vintage: from 0% for a Volnay or Nuits-Saint-Georges to as much as 50–75% for a Gevrey-Chambertin or Morey-Saint-Denis, depending on what the terroir and the year call for.

The wines age for about 12 months in two- to four-year-old Burgundian oak barrels, never new or nearly new wood. This approach refines their texture and integrates the tannins without ever masking the terroir with overpowering oak. He takes a similar approach to his white wines: fermentation in used barrels and aging on fine lees without excessive oxidation, producing fresh, mineral wines with beautifully pure fruit.

Mark Haisma’s Cuvées

Bourgogne Aligoté

A vibrant, generous entry to the range, this Bourgogne Aligoté reveals the true character of a grape too often underestimated. Made partly in tank and partly in barrel, it offers clear aromas of lemon, pear, and green apple, with a lively, mineral palate and crisp acidity that makes it irresistible as an aperitif or alongside seafood.

Red Burgundy

A blend of Pinot Noir from several Côte d'Or plots, this red Burgundy captures the region at its most inviting: delicate and light, with aromas of fresh cherry and raspberry, a silky texture, and immediate drinkability. An unpretentious wine made for pleasure.

Coteaux Bourguignons “A Bogan in Bogandy”

The most unconventional cuvée in the range, its name is a self-deprecating nod to his Australian roots. Blends of Pinot Noir and Gamay for the red, or Chardonnay and Aligoté for the white, these wines come from organically grown vines. They are lively, straightforward, and juicy, with thirst-quenching freshness. Wines full of feeling, without frills.

Saint-Romain Le Jarron (White)

A superb expression of Côte de Beaune Chardonnay, this Saint-Romain Le Jarron develops aromas of white peach, fresh hazelnut, and chalk, with pronounced minerality. The palate is taut and saline, with lovely length. An approachable white Burgundy with plenty of character.

Pernand-Vergelesses Les Pins (White)

An elegant, fresh Chardonnay with delicate floral and fruit notes over a mineral backdrop. Its lovely focus and finesse make it an excellent match for fish and poultry.

Santenay (White)

A more structured Côte de Beaune Chardonnay, with a rounded palate, aromas of white-fleshed fruit, and a subtle buttery note. A fine expression of white Santenay.

Chassagne-Montrachet (White)

From one of the Côte de Beaune’s most renowned villages for white wine, Mark Haisma’s Chassagne-Montrachet charms with its aromatic complexity: candied citrus, almond, and mineral and floral notes. The palate is full yet taut, with lovely aromatic persistence. 

Volnay La Cave (Red)

One of the most popular red cuvées in the range, this Volnay La Cave is Burgundy elegance distilled: juicy raspberries and wild strawberries on the nose, a silky palate, and fine, lively tannins. Remarkable tension and admirable depth of fruit. A great success in every vintage.

Nuits-Saint-Georges (Red)

The terroir of Nuits-Saint-Georges gives this cuvée its recognizable signature: ripe red fruit (cherry and plum), a denser, more vinous body than the Volnay, and fleshier tannins, yet always with the touch of freshness that characterizes Haisma’s wines. A red with aging potential.

Gevrey-Chambertin (Red)

Sourced from three complementary plots (La Justice, Croix des Champs, and En Pallud), this Gevrey-Chambertin is made with 40 to 50% whole clusters. It expresses the appellation’s savory depth through aromas of red cherry, raspberry, and flowers, with a firm, structured palate and a fine tannic framework. Aged for 12 months in used barrels, it gains complexity after a few years in the cellar.

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Fonteny (Red)

A remarkable Premier Cru from one of the appellation’s finest named vineyard sites. More concentrated and tauter than the village wine, Fonteny reveals aromas of red and black berries, with hints of licorice and spice. The palate is precise, with firm tannins and a long mineral finish. A wine of great stature that can improve with 8 to 12 years in the cellar.

Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru Les Chaffots (Red)

A signature cuvée and one of the most sought-after wines in the range, this Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru is made with a high proportion of whole clusters (up to 75%). Les Chaffots combines power and grace: complex aromas of black cherries, violet, humus, and sweet spices, a beautifully structured texture, silky tannins, and a deep finish. A wine that expresses Burgundy at its finest.

Pommard Premier Cru Clos les Arvelets (Red)

Pommard shows its full, elegant strength here. Clos les Arvelets offers aromas of dark fruit, leather, and earth, with a fleshy palate and firm but well-rounded tannins. An authentic wine for aging that expresses Pommard’s earthy character and comes fully into its own after a few years in bottle.