Cottenceau

The history of Domaine Cottenceau

The story of Domaine Cottenceau begins with an early calling. Born in 1996, Maxime Cottenceau grew up in a winemaking family with deep roots in the village of Buxy, where his parents had cultivated the family vines for generations as members of the Buxy cooperative winery. Rather than continue that tradition, Maxime decided early on to take another path: vinifying and bottling the estate’s grapes himself instead of selling them. To prepare, he earned a BTS diploma in viticulture and enology, then spent two formative years apprenticing with Vincent Dureuil, the renowned winemaker of Domaine Dureuil-Janthial in Rully, considered one of the great masters of the Côte Chalonnaise.

This rigorous training under an exceptional mentor instilled in him uncompromising standards for vineyard management and precision in winemaking. In 2018, Maxime took the leap and established his own estate, gradually taking over the family’s 7.5 hectares of vines. He immediately chose organic farming and began the conversion in 2020, the year certification was obtained. Praised from its first vintages by the specialist press and wine enthusiasts (La Revue du Vin de France, La Passion du Vin and international importers such as Skurnik in the United States), the estate has established itself in just a few years as one of the Côte Chalonnaise’s most promising new discoveries. Its style, combining great Burgundian expertise with a modern, exacting approach, is regularly compared with that of his mentor, Vincent Dureuil.

Terroirs and vineyards of Domaine Cottenceau

Domaine Cottenceau’s vineyards cover 7.5 hectares (with plans to expand to around 10 hectares) across several Côte Chalonnaise appellations: Montagny (the heart of the estate), Givry, Mercurey and regional Bourgogne. The soils are characteristic of southern Burgundy—clay-limestone, Liassic marl and Jurassic limestone—giving the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir their distinctive minerality, freshness and elegance. In Buxy, the center of the Montagny appellation, southeast-facing slopes provide ideal conditions for ripening Chardonnay, the only grape variety permitted in the appellation.

Much of the vineyard is planted with old vines, a precious legacy of previous generations that lends concentration and aromatic complexity to the cuvées. Chardonnay predominates in the white wines, complemented by Aligoté in a few regional cuvées and Pinot Noir in the reds (Givry, Mercurey and Bourgogne). Maxime has converted the entire estate to organic farming, with certification for the 2020 vintage, an approach consistent with his work alongside Vincent Dureuil. The soils are worked without herbicides or chemicals, and all grapes are harvested by hand, with meticulous attention paid to each plot—an essential condition for producing the precise wines he seeks.

Winemaking at Domaine Cottenceau

In the winery, Maxime Cottenceau follows a precise, exacting approach to winemaking, strongly inspired by the style of his mentor, Vincent Dureuil. For the whites, pressing is gentle and gradual, followed by light settling. Fermentation takes place in French oak barrels using only the grapes’ native yeasts. Aging is deliberately long—up to 18 to 20 months depending on the cuvée—with very restrained use of new oak so that it never overwhelms the fruit or the terroir’s mineral character. The resulting whites have pleasing structure, remarkable freshness and finely etched clarity reminiscent of Dureuil-Janthial’s great Rully wines.

For the reds, Maxime favors a modern approach, seeking just the right ripeness and carefully managed aging. Winemaking involves minimal intervention, with fermentation using native yeasts to preserve freshness and drinkability. Since the most recent vintage, the winemaker has refined his aging methods and adjusted his vinification to produce reds that are less austere when young and more approachable on release. The wines are not excessively filtered, and sulfites are used sparingly. The result is a recognizable signature: exceptionally pure, food-friendly whites never overwhelmed by oak aging, and juicy, delicious reds with a precise character. A promising new name in Burgundy well worth following.

The cuvées of Domaine Cottenceau

Bourgogne Chardonnay Les Verchères: the estate’s signature regional cuvée, made from 100% Chardonnay grown in the Les Verchères lieu-dit. Pale gold in color, with an expressive nose of citrus, white flowers and a mineral hint; a fresh palate balancing roundness and liveliness. A cuvée that offers a first taste of the estate’s style, to drink young or keep for four to five years. A favorite of several wine merchants and critics.

Montagny Les Bassets: a village-level cuvée from the Montagny AOC, made from 100% Chardonnay grown on southeast-facing clay-limestone soils. Pale in color, with an expressive nose of white flowers, orchard fruit and hints of citrus; a taut, precise palate with the mineral character typical of Montagny. An elegant, approachable white Burgundy.

Montagny 1er Cru Les Vignes Longues: a premier cru from the Montagny AOC, made from 100% Chardonnay grown in the Les Vignes Longues lieu-dit. Aged for an extended period in oak barrels. Bright in color, with a complex nose of yellow fruit, white flowers and mineral notes; a dense, deep palate with a saline character and a long finish.

Montagny 1er Cru La Vigne du Soleil: a premier cru from the Montagny AOC, sourced from the ideally exposed La Vigne du Soleil lieu-dit. Made from 100% Chardonnay, carefully vinified and aged. Pale gold in color, with an aromatic nose of ripe yellow fruit and white flowers and a structured palate marked by minerality.

Montagny 1er Cru Montcuchot: a premier cru from the Montagny AOC, sourced from the renowned Montcuchot lieu-dit, one of the appellation’s most prestigious sites. Made from 100% Chardonnay grown on clay-limestone soils. Bright in color, with an expressive, complex nose and a deep, long palate of finely etched precision. An exceptional premier cru that reveals Montagny’s full potential.

Montagny La Moullière: a single-plot cuvée from the Montagny AOC, sourced from the La Moullière lieu-dit. Made from 100% Chardonnay and vinified in barrels. Pale in color, with a floral, fruity nose and a taut palate balanced by fine minerality. A precise expression of its terroir.

Montagny Les Dazés: a single-plot cuvée from the Montagny AOC, sourced from the Les Dazés lieu-dit. Made from 100% Chardonnay and vinified with the same rigor as the other cuvées. Another expression of the estate’s Montagny wines, with a precise, distinctive character.

Givry Blanc Champ Pourot: a village-level cuvée from the Givry AOC, made from 100% Chardonnay grown in the Champ Pourot lieu-dit. Vinified and aged in oak barrels in the classic Dureuil style. Bright in color, with a complex nose of dried fruit, toasted grains, smoke, citrus, yellow fruit and spices (white pepper and ginger); a full-bodied palate with well-judged acidity and a long finish. A style clearly reminiscent of Dureuil-Janthial wines.

Givry Rouge Champ Pourot: a village-level red Givry cuvée, made from 100% Pinot Noir grown in the same lieu-dit. Bright ruby in color, with an inviting nose of crisp cherry, raspberry and a hint of sweet spice; a delicious palate of juicy fruit, fine tannins and abundant freshness, with a finish that invites another glass. A Burgundy Pinot Noir that makes an impression from the first sniff.

Mercurey Rouge: a village-level cuvée from the Mercurey AOC, made from 100% Pinot Noir. Deep ruby in color, with an expressive nose of red and black fruit and spices; a structured, delicious palate bearing the estate’s precise signature. A Mercurey with a modern, approachable style.

Bourgogne Pinot Noir Chazelles: a regional red Burgundy cuvée made from 100% Pinot Noir grown in the Chazelles lieu-dit. Light ruby in color, with a fresh nose of red fruit and a smooth, refreshing palate. A delicious introduction to the estate’s wines.

Bourgogne Aligoté: a regional cuvée made from Aligoté, a Burgundy grape variety that is often overlooked. Pale in color with green highlights, it has a nose of citrus, green apple, toasted hazelnut and acacia-like floral notes. The palate is lively yet relatively soft, with appealing fruit; still fairly simple at this stage, but remarkably precise. A reliable choice at a particularly attractive price.