Alice et Olivier De Moor

The History of Domaine Alice et Olivier De Moor

The story of Domaine Alice et Olivier De Moor began in the late 1980s, driven by a simple, uncompromising ambition: to make the wines they themselves would want to drink. Olivier has roots in Courgis, and beneath his grandparents’ house is the “old cellar” where he still ages his Chablis in oak barrels. Both graduates of the national enology school in Dijon, Alice, who is from the Jura, and Olivier met at a large Chablis estate before gaining experience with several Burgundy producers.

Olivier planted their first plots in 1989, in the sites now known as Bel-Air, Clardy and Rosette. In 1994, they chose independence and devoted themselves fully to their vines, adding leased plots near Saint-Bris. Their first vintage to be commercially released was 1995, and from then on there was no looking back. At a time when a natural approach was still considered unconventional in the Chablis region, their commitment to organic farming and making wine without additives drew condescending looks from some neighbors. But the couple’s determination and the steadily improving quality of their wines won over the skeptics.

Their organic conversion was formalized in 2005, and they obtained Ecocert certification in 2008. In 2007, they built a modern winery with a high ceiling, allowing them to work entirely by gravity, without pumping. In 2017, the estate grew by two hectares of Chablis Premier Cru vineyards in Mont de Milieu and Vau de Vey. And when frost and hail devastated 95% of their harvest in 2016, they launched a wine merchant venture called Le Vendangeur Masqué, allowing them to work with organic grapes from fellow growers across France. Over successive vintages, Domaine Alice et Olivier De Moor has become far more than an insider’s find: today it is an essential name for anyone looking to buy a fine Burgundy wine with incisive energy and uncompromising minerality.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Alice et Olivier De Moor

The vineyards of Domaine De Moor extend across several villages in the Chablis and Auxerre areas, each contributing its own geological and aromatic signature.

The Bel-Air and Clardy plots, within the Chablis appellation, have a shallow layer of limestone-and-clay topsoil over harder, fossil-rich limestone. Clardy stands out for its particularly well-draining soil and white clay. The Rosette plot, also planted in 1989, completes this trio of Chablis sites with a slightly fleshier, more approachable expression.

These Kimmeridgian limestone soils, rich in marine fossils—shells, sea urchins, crustaceans, ammonites and oysters (Exogyra virgula)—are the geological hallmark of Chablis. They give the wines saline minerality, natural tension and great freshness.

In 2017, the estate gained its first premier cru vineyards: Vau de Vey (0.92 hectares, with vines planted in 1953) and Mont de Milieu (0.82 hectares, with plantings dating from the 1930s and 1980s). These two exceptional terroirs offer added depth and verticality characteristic of the appellation’s great premier crus.

For Bourgogne Chitry and Bourgogne Aligoté, both from the plot known as “Champagne,” the soil consists of brown clay over Kimmeridgian marl, with some flint stones. This distinctive terroir gives the Aligoté a savory quality and tension that put it on a par with many crus.

The Saint-Bris Sauvignon Blanc plot has a northwestern exposure that allows the grapes to ripen slowly and develop optimal aromatic expression. Its soil consists of eroded material over Portlandian bedrock, with well-draining brown clay. The first vines in this storied plot were planted in 1902.

The entire vineyard is farmed according to certified organic principles. Grapes are harvested by hand into small crates to prevent crushing, and yields are carefully controlled. Since 2016, the estate has also incorporated regenerative farming practices, with a constant focus on biodiversity and soil health.

Winemaking at Domaine Alice et Olivier De Moor

The winemaking philosophy of Domaine De Moor can be summed up in one word: honesty. Olivier oversees the vineyards and even signs the labels by hand, while Alice takes charge of the cellar. This division of roles reflects how deeply the pair complement each other, guiding every stage of production with the same thoughtful rigor.

Winemaking follows the same philosophy as the vineyard work: slow, natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts in Burgundian barrels. The wines are transferred by gravity, without pumping. They are never filtered, and no sulfur is added during winemaking. A small addition of sulfites may, however, be made at bottling to preserve the wines’ vibrant expression and brilliance.

The Chablis wines and cuvées of greater character are aged in Burgundian barrels of various ages, so the oak never overpowers the fruit or terroir. The younger cuvées, along with the Sauvignon, are aged in concrete or stainless-steel tanks. The various cuvées are aged for 12 to 16 months.

In 2008, the purchase of a secondhand pneumatic press made it possible to press the grapes as gently as possible, preserving the juice’s integrity from the very start. Throughout the process, intervention is kept to a minimum: no acidification, no chaptalization and no fining. The De Moors’ Chablis wines stand out for their brilliance and unparalleled crystalline purity. On the palate, they are fluid and relaxed, with a spring-water clarity that leads to a saline finish.

The Cuvées of Domaine Alice et Olivier De Moor

Chablis L’Humeur du Temps

This is the estate’s introductory cuvée, and already a statement of style. From plots in the Chablis appellation, it expresses the Kimmeridgian limestone of Courgis with disarming candor. On the nose are notes of white flowers, damp chalk and citrus. The palate is fluid, with direct tension and a lingering saline finish. L’Humeur du Temps is a pared-back Chablis with admirable, incisive energy, exceptional clarity and brightness. Drink it young to enjoy its vibrant fruit, or wait two to five years for deeper minerality to emerge.

Chablis Bel-Air and Clardy

A blend of the estate’s two historic plots, planted in 1989, this cuvée is the heart of the range. Bel-Air brings roundness and balance; Clardy, with its highly draining white clays, contributes tension and liveliness. Together, they produce a beautifully structured Chablis with greater complexity and the ability to age for five to eight years. This is a mineral, flinty Chardonnay with pronounced texture, from plots within the renowned Chablis appellation. A wine for the table, perfect with seafood, delicate fish and aged goat cheeses.

Chablis Rosette

From the site of the same name, this Chablis has a slightly different profile from the previous two: with riper, fleshier fruit, Rosette remains vibrant, with more body and immediate appeal but no less persistence, and elegant bitter notes on the finish. It may be the estate’s most approachable cuvée for a curious wine lover exploring the great wines of Chablis. It has good aging potential of four to six years.

Chablis 1er Cru Vau de Vey

Vau de Vey (0.92 hectares) is planted with vines dating from 1953, giving it the concentration and complexity of old vines. This premier cru embodies the pure verticality of Chablis: a lively, precise opening, mineral development with notes of warm flint, iodine and white flowers, and impressive length on the palate. This terroir is renowned for its finesse and verticality. A wine built for long aging, ideally left to rest for eight to twelve years to reveal its full potential.

Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu

Mont de Milieu (0.82 hectares) includes vines planted in the 1930s and 1980s, with an exceptional average age that is immediately apparent in the glass. This premier cru has a slightly fleshier, more vinous profile than Vau de Vey while retaining the precision and directness characteristic of the estate. A complex nose combines white peach, fresh almond and struck flint. The palate is full and saline, with remarkable length. Superb aging potential of ten to fifteen years. 

Bourgogne Aligoté

The Aligoté from Domaine De Moor is one of the range’s great revelations. From the “Champagne” plot in Chitry, on Kimmeridgian marl flecked with flint, it transcends any preconceptions about this grape variety. These Aligoté wines offer a prized savory quality in wines worthy of cru status. Lively and finely etched, with a taut, saline finish, it pairs perfectly with oysters, shellfish and seafood starters. 

Bourgogne Aligoté 1902

An exceptionally rare cuvée, produced only in the best years and in very limited quantities, Aligoté “1902” comes from old vines in Saint-Bris planted that year—vines more than a century old. Extraordinary concentration, depth of fruit, refined tension and incomparable length: this is Aligoté at its expressive peak. 

Bourgogne Chitry

Bourgogne Chitry is remarkable for its purity, precision and intensity of flavor, as well as the radiant appeal of its ripe fruit. From the same “Champagne” plot as the Aligoté, this Chardonnay expresses Chitry’s limestone with a generosity and precision that make it a wine of character, at the crossroads of Chablis and Bourgogne Côte d’Or. 

Vin de France (formerly Saint-Bris Sauvignon)

From the Saint-Bris Sauvignon Blanc plot, where some vines date back to 1902, this wine is now sold as Vin de France. The plot’s northwestern exposure allows the Sauvignon to ripen slowly and develop optimal aromatic expression. Rich and full-bodied, with unusual complexity for a Sauvignon, it deliberately breaks with the grape’s conventions to offer something deeper and longer-lasting. Olivier takes the same approach as with his Chablis wines: low yields, measured ripeness and a wine with a distinct personality.

Le Vendangeur Masqué (wine merchant venture)

Since 2009, Alice and Olivier De Moor have operated a wine merchant venture called “Le Vendangeur Masqué,” producing additional cuvées from organically grown grapes in the Chablis and Bourgogne Blanc appellations, as well as from other French wine regions depending on the growers they meet and the vintage. These wines may include blends of Clairette from the Drôme, Chardonnay from southern Burgundy or the Ardèche, Riesling from Alsace, and Sauvignon Blanc and Aligoté from the estate’s own plots.