Thomas Morey

History of Domaine Thomas Morey

The history of Domaine Thomas Morey has its roots in the 17th century. In 1643, Claude Morey, originally from Paris-l'Hôpital, a small commune in Saône-et-Loire, settled in Chassagne-Montrachet where he worked as a vineyard hand, cooper, and barrel-maker. Since then, the generations have succeeded one another, inheriting plots, acquiring others, and passing on their expertise with consistency and passion. It was only at the end of the 19th century that viticulture became the family's sole primary activity.

Thomas Morey today represents the tenth generation of this illustrious winemaking lineage. After working for twelve years within the family estate of his father Bernard Morey — himself a legendary figure of Chassagne-Montrachet — Thomas decided in 2006 to strike out on his own and create his own domaine with his wife Sylvie. The first vintage signed Thomas Morey comes from the 2007 harvest, marking the beginning of a viticultural adventure that was praised from its very first bottles by the specialist press.

His reputation quickly spread beyond the borders of Burgundy. The ultimate consecration: the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti entrusts him with the upkeep of its precious vines in the legendary Montrachet Grand Cru, a supreme recognition of the meticulous care he brings to each of his 57 plots. Thomas Morey belongs to a new generation of Burgundian winemakers who combine family heritage and a modern vision, deliberately moving away from the oaky and opulent style that once dominated, in favor of a more precise, more mineral, more terroir-faithful approach.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Thomas Morey

Domaine Thomas Morey draws its strength from the diversity and exceptional quality of its terroirs. The vines, spread across seven villages of the Côte de Beaune, rest primarily on clay-limestone soils rich in minerals, characteristic of the great Burgundian appellations. These soils lend the wines a harmonious structure, beautiful aromatic complexity, and that taut minerality one associates with the great Chardonnays of the Côte de Beaune.

The vineyard is planted two-thirds with Chardonnay and one-third with Pinot Noir. The oldest plots, some planted in the 1950s and 1960s, bear witness to a deep attachment to the vine as a living heritage. This is particularly the case for the Bâtard-Montrachet vines, approximately 70 years old, whose root depth and phenolic maturity contribute to the extraordinary complexity of the Grand Cru.

From 2011, Thomas Morey began converting the domaine to organic farming, banning herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers from the entire vineyard. This eco-responsible approach led to the award of the Organic Agriculture (AB) certification in 2017. The vines are tended using the Guyot Poussard pruning method, with plowing carried out in all seasons to aerate the soils and encourage their microbial activity. Biodiversity is preserved throughout the vineyard, reinforcing the vitality of the soils and the authentic expression of the terroirs.

Winemaking at Domaine Thomas Morey

In the cellar, Thomas Morey applies a resolutely non-interventionist philosophy, founded on respect for the grape and the purest possible expression of the terroir. Harvests are done by hand, and the Chardonnays are picked first to preserve their natural acidity, which guarantees the freshness and tension that characterize his white wines.

Fermentation is entirely spontaneous, using indigenous yeasts present on the grapes themselves, with no addition of sulfur during this phase. This natural approach encourages an authentic aromatic expression and great complexity. For the white wines, aging is carried out on very fine lees, without bâtonnage, in classic 228-liter barrels and 350-liter casks, with a deliberately moderate proportion of new oak (approximately 20%) so as not to alter the purity of the fruit and the typicity of the terroir. The aging period is extended, between 16 and 18 months, with a spell in tank before bottling — a technique that refines the texture and length of the wines.

For the red wines, the grapes are entirely destemmed, then fermented with great delicacy in order to achieve gentle extractions that preserve the freshness and finesse of the Pinot Noir. The reds undergo neither fining nor filtration, allowing the wine to express itself in its full naturalness. The total sulfur content in the finished wines is limited to 35 mg/l, in keeping with the commitments to natural winemaking. This rigorous and discreet expertise lends the entire range a recognizable stylistic signature: fine, slender, energetic wines, in the image of a high-level athlete.

The Cuvées of Domaine Thomas Morey

White Wines

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru: The undisputed crown jewel of the domaine, the Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is crafted from vines over 70 years old. It is the most complex and most profound wine in the range, offering a dense and concentrated substance in which the richness of the terroir and the age of the vines are fully expressed. On the nose, delicate notes of white flowers, citrus, honey, and a light toasted minerality. On the palate, the wine combines power and finesse, with a long, refined finish of rare elegance.

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Embrazées: This premier cru embodies the precise and taut style of Thomas Morey. Les Embrazées offers an expressive nose of white peach, hawthorn, and chalk, extended by a palate of great finesse, carried by a beautiful acidity and remarkable aromatic persistence. Aged 16 to 18 months in casks with a low percentage of new oak, this wine reveals the full depth of the Chassagne-Montrachet terroir.

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vide Bourse: Considered one of the most mineral premier crus in the range, Vide Bourse stands out for its calcareous tension and sustained length on the palate. An exemplary wine of minerality, with definite aging potential.

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Truffière: Located at the border with Puligny-Montrachet, this premier cru expresses remarkable aromatic complexity, blending floral, mineral, and fruity notes in a taut and precise palate.

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Dents de Chien: This hillside climat produces a wine of great purity, with beautiful tension and fresh aromas of citrus and flint. A terroir wine in all its splendor.

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Baudines: Les Baudines offers a generous and fruity expression — peach, apricot, notes of mango — in a perfect balance between richness and freshness. An accessible and pleasant premier cru, an excellent companion at the table.

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot: Morgeot is one of the largest and most renowned premier crus of Chassagne-Montrachet. Thomas Morey's version stands out for its roundness and depth, carried by notes of white-fleshed fruits and an elegant mineral finish.

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes: Les Chenevottes offers a lively, floral, and precise wine, faithfully reflecting the freshness of the northern terroirs of Chassagne-Montrachet. A premier cru that seduces with its straightforwardness and aromatic frankness.

Chassagne-Montrachet Village (white): Thomas Morey's village appellation is a fine entry point into the world of the domaine. Elegant, balanced, with notes of white fruits and a beautiful tension, it is a wine of immediate pleasure, ideal for discovering the Morey style at an accessible price.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Truffière: This premier cru from Puligny-Montrachet affirms Thomas Morey's talent on one of Burgundy's most prestigious appellations. La Truffière delivers a wine of great finesse, with aromas of toasted hazelnut, white flowers, and chalky minerality, with a precise palate and a finish of great persistence.

Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Le Puits: A gem of the range for discerning connoisseurs, this premier cru from Saint-Aubin demonstrates that the less publicized appellations of the Côte de Beaune can produce wines of exceptional elegance. Mineral, taut, endowed with a striking purity, Le Puits competes without hesitation with many premier crus from Chassagne or Puligny.

Saint-Aubin Village (white): A wine of beautiful freshness, with a calcareous minerality characteristic of Saint-Aubin. Accessible and refined, it represents the best value for money in the range for a white Burgundy purchase.

Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves (white): This rare white premier cru from Beaune brings a gourmand and fruity touch to the range, with a beautiful roundness and a lightly oaked finish. A wine of character, typical of the Beaune style.

Red Wines

Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves (red): An emblematic figure among the domaine's reds, this premier cru from Beaune delivers an elegant Pinot Noir with a subtly smoky nose and silky tannins. A wine of fine structure, without filtration or fining, that ages remarkably well.

Santenay 1er Cru Clos Rousseau: This premier cru from Santenay reveals all the character of this southerly terroir of the Côte de Beaune: taut fruit, fine tannins, a well-balanced palate with notes of tangy red fruits and undergrowth. A red of beautiful maturity and great elegance.

Santenay Vieilles Vignes: Sourced from old Pinot Noir vines, this Santenay offers superior aromatic concentration, with notes of black cherries, tobacco, and gentle spices. A gourmand and persistent red.

Maranges 1er Cru La Fuissière: This premier cru from Maranges, often underestimated, wins over with its sincerity and freshness. Thomas Morey draws from it a vibrant red, with fine tannins, typical of a Pinot Noir carefully raised in a limestone terroir.

Chassagne-Montrachet Village (red): The domaine's Chassagne-Montrachet red is a fine example of Pinot Noir from the Côte de Beaune, combining fresh fruit and depth with a beautiful persistence on the palate. A refined red, representative of the domaine's style.