JEAN-MARC VINCENT

Santenay, Côte de Beaune

Change is constant. In Burgundy, it simply moves at a different pace.

Land rarely changes hands. Classifications stay fixed. Vineyard names have been written on maps for generations. When something shifts here, it usually begins in the vineyard.

Jean-Marc Vincent farms at the southern edge of the Côte de Beaune, in Santenay, where the limestone ridge that defines the Côte d’Or begins to turn and soften. The slopes widen slightly. Clay becomes more present in parts of the soil. Elevations vary more dramatically than further north. Historically, much of the fruit from this village was sold rather than bottled under a grower’s name.

A Village at the Southern Edge

Santenay has no Grand Cru vineyards. It is structured around its Premier Cru sites including Les Gravières, Beaurepaire, and Clos Rousseau. More than three hundred hectares stretch across shifting exposures and soils that move between limestone and marl. For decades the village was seen as practical Burgundy. The wines were sound. The farming steady. The spotlight elsewhere.

On our most recent visit, this tasting stood out to our team. Not because of reputation or classification, but because the vineyard decisions were evident in the glass. There was a consistency from site to site that pointed back to farming rather than cellar manipulation. That distinction led us back into the vines.

Jean-Marc and his wife Anne-Marie established their domaine in 1997 with vineyards inherited from Jean-Marc’s grandfather, André Bardollet-Bravard. Many of those parcels had previously been farmed under métayage agreements. Over time, the family reclaimed them and committed fully to estate bottling. The estate today farms approximately six hectares across Santenay, Auxey-Duresses, and a small parcel in Puligny-Montrachet. Several vineyards date to plantings from the late 1940s and early 1950s. In Auxey-Duresses, Chardonnay planted in 1937 continues to produce fruit.

Conversations That Shaped the Vineyard

Jean-Marc Vincent does not farm in isolation. Burgundy is a small region, and growers exchange ideas constantly. Over the years, conversations with producers such as Hubert Lamy, Olivier Lamy, Bruno Lorenzon, and Thomas Bouley influenced how he evaluated vine balance and density. These are growers known for exacting vineyard standards and long-term thinking.

The discussions were practical. What happens when vines compete more aggressively underground. How canopy decisions influence carbohydrate storage. How root depth changes water regulation in warmer vintages.

The result was not imitation. It was refinement.

Rethinking Vine Density

Traditional vine density in Burgundy typically ranges between seven and ten thousand vines per hectare. Jean-Marc began replanting certain parcels at approximately seventeen thousand vines per hectare.

At that spacing, root competition increases significantly. Each vine must search deeper for nutrients and water. Excess vigor is naturally limited. Berry size and cluster weight moderate without aggressive green harvesting. The vineyard regulates itself differently.

The financial commitment is substantial. Replanting doubles vine material. Labor increases. Machinery access decreases. At that density, most work must be done by hand.

The cuvée Les Vignes Denses reflects this decision directly. It is not a stylistic exercise. It is the outcome of planting geometry.

Tressage and Vine Physiology

Density alone does not define the vineyard. Canopy management completes the picture.

Most growers hedge vines during the growing season to control shoot length and maintain airflow. Hedging is efficient and widely practiced. It is also disruptive. When a vine is cut, it responds. Energy is redirected toward healing and regrowth. Carbohydrates that might otherwise support fruit ripening or root development are used to repair the wound.

Jean-Marc practices tressage.

Instead of cutting shoots, they are braided and woven into the canopy. The leaf surface remains intact. Photosynthesis continues without interruption. The vine does not receive the same stress signal that cutting creates. The goal is physiological balance.

Tressage requires timing. Shoots must be flexible enough to bend without breaking. Labor demands increase significantly. At high density, the work becomes even more deliberate, as spacing leaves little room for error or machinery.

Walking these rows, the difference is visible. The canopy appears guided rather than trimmed. The vineyard feels worked rather than maintained.

Farming Without Shortcuts

The estate moved toward organic farming in the early 2000s and continues to farm without chemical herbicides. Biodynamic principles inform soil management. Composting, cover crops, and microbial life are part of the long-term view.

Replanting is done through selection massale rather than relying solely on nursery clones. Cuttings are taken from existing vines within the parcel to preserve genetic diversity and continuity. This slows replanting but strengthens adaptation within the vineyard over time.

In the cellar, the approach remains restrained. Fermentations are carried out with native yeasts. Whites are pressed gently and often aged on lees without early racking. Extraction in reds is measured. Oak is present but not dominant. The cellar itself reflects generational continuity, passed down within the family rather than built as a modern statement.

Where Santenay Sits

Santenay’s position at the southern end of the Côte d’Or has shaped its reputation. Land values have historically been lower than in villages such as Vosne-Romanée or Puligny-Montrachet. That economic reality allowed growers to reinvest in farming rather than classification.

The limestone band that defines the Côte continues through Santenay. Exposures shift. Clay content increases in places. In nineteenth-century vineyard rankings, certain Santenay sites were regarded highly before modern appellation structures solidified. The classification did not follow, but the soils remain.

Today, specific Jean-Marc Vincent bottlings are often cited as benchmarks for the village. Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravières, Beaurepaire in both red and white, and Auxey-Duresses Les Hautés consistently draw attention. They reflect old vines and deliberate farming more than hierarchy.

During our visit, Jean-Marc returned often to the same point. The work he is doing now is not for immediate recognition. Replanting at seventeen thousand vines per hectare, practicing tressage across dense parcels, rebuilding soils through organic farming — these are decisions whose full results unfold slowly. He told us directly that he will never see the final expression of this work. It is intended for the next generation.

Jean-Marc’s wines reflect that scale of thinking.

Below are the wines currently available through Hart & Cru. Quantities remain limited and production reflects the size of the parcels themselves.

Current Release