Maison du Vin Featured Grower
Domaine Michel Briday
Michel Briday father of the current owner, Stephane, only started making wine in Rully in the 1970s. He started off with 9 hectares, some of which he leased. By the time he handed the reins over to Stephane and wife Sandrine a few years ago this had grown to 12 hectares. Stephane took to the role of vigneron like a duck to water and is one of a new generation of vignerons in Burgundy.
Production:
As well as learning from his father, he also had a formal winemaking education as well as experience of winemaking outside of his home area. A number of years spent in Austrailia have helped him broaden his outlook, but his wines are unmistakably from the Cote Chalonnaise. Outside of wine he has a passion for such subjects as art and engineering. He uses these interests in his professional life, with eye-catching label design and creating his own cellar equipment.
Philosophy:
The aim of the estate is to present the wine to the consumer in as natural a state as possible. Stephane is trenchant in his views about the use of oak. For him, the fruit comes first. Oak is used to bring out the flavours not to dominate the palate. As he says himself: 'Oak in white wine? Like salt in soup, you shouldn't be aware of it.'
A message from Stephane:
Our domain was started in the 70’s, thanks to my father Michel, who began his vineyard as a tenant-farmer and sharecropper. Today, our property covers about 12 hectares. We work with total respect for the environment practising the "reasoned struggle", and try to use the technical advances to improve the quality of our wines without altering them. We elaborate wines combining framework and finesse, which can be drunk "today and tomorrow".
Tel: 01580 753487 / Fax: 01580 755627