COUNTRY :
France
REGION :
Burgundy
PRODUCTION :
François Ecot
François was a familiar face in the New York natural wine importing scene until he said goodbye to all that and returned to the vines.
He now calls his grandfather’s house in Mailly-le-Château (eastern Burgundy, south of Auxerre and north of Vézelay) home and has a small garage-like vat room that was a stone barn in another life. Here he uses a mixture of large wood, plastic, and concrete tanks to create his magic.
In addition to the traditional Pinot and Aligoté that the region is known for, François works with indigenous grapes, including Gamay, Pinot Beurot, César, Pineau d’Aunis, and Abouriou. He also rents a plot of Mercurey 1er Cru, that he bottles as an unclassified cuvée.
Most of his sources are either purchased or rented (including some plots in Fleurie) and so he bottles under the L’Insolent Négoce moniker. The vineyard that he does own is near his house and was abandoned for eighty years before he resurrected it. Many of the heritage grapes planted there are sourced from other natural winemaking colleagues, including Dominique Derain, Marc Pesnot, and Christian Chaussard.
François has been lovingly referred to as the “Willy Wonka of Winemaking” due to his inventive ideas about fermentation and his wines are very much alive and vibrant.
La Pipiola
Region: Burgundy
Grape: Xarel-lo
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking:
Aging: in barriques
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
Six Cépages
Region: Burgundy (grapes purchased from Epineul & Regnié)
Grape: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Pinot Beurot, Cesar, Pineau d’Aunis, Abouriou
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone, granite
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: two of the varieties were purchased and the rest came from Francois’ own plots in Mailly-Le-Chateau. Whole bunch co-fermentation with indigenous yeast in a mix of steel and amphora vessels. Bottled with no fining, filtration or added sulphur.
Aging:
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
Sapucaï Blanc
Region: Burgundy (grapes from Penedès)
Grape: xarel-lo & muscat de alexandria
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking:
Aging:
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added Added S02: none
Sapucaï Rouge
Region: Burgundy (grapes from Catalunya)
Grape: tempranillo, syrah, merlot, carignan
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: grapes were purchased from Catalonia. Fermented with indigenous yeast in a mix of steel and amphora vessels. Bottled with no fining, filtration or added sulphur.
Aging:
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
“Consolent”
Region: Burgundy
Grape: Gamay
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: whole cluster, spontaneous fermentation in barriques with indigenous yeasts, carbonic maceration
Aging: in barriques
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
“Troma-Onirique”
Region: Burgundy
Grape: Aligoté
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in barriques with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in barriques
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
“Fratrie”
Region: Burgundy
Grape: Cinsault, Gamay
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: whole cluster, spontaneous fermentation in barriques with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in barriques
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 10 mg/L
“Vinothropocene”
Region: Burgundy
Grape: Chardonnay
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in stainless steel
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 2 mg/L
“Trogne”
Region: Burgundy
Grape: Grenache
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in concrete with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in barriques
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
“Songes”
Region: Burgundy
Grape: Gamay, Aligoté
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in concrete and barriques with indigenous yeasts
Aging: 8 months in barriques
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
“Lubie”
Region: Burgundy
Grape: Gamay
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in concrete with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in barriques
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
Rouge
Region: Burgundy
Grape: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Pinot Beurot, Cesar, Pineau d’Aunis, Abouriou
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: whole cluster, spontaneous fermentation in concrete with indigenous yeasts
Aging: 12 months in foudres
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
“Wooly Bully”
Region: Burgundy
Grape: Gamay
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic, biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: whole cluster, spontaneous fermentation in barriques with indigenous yeasts, carbonic maceration
Aging: 8 months in barriques
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none