Though I have been to the Côte Chalonnaise many times and have even written about the regional wines (the article was published by the Cave des Vignerons de Buxy after it appeared in Belgian magazine AWAY), there are still many treasures to be discovered in this rich wine producing region located between the Côte de Beaune to the north and the Mâconnais to the south. This became evident to me just a few months ago during our last trip to Buxy when we (unknowingly) rented the house of local vigneron, Laurent Cognard. An unexpected surprise which turned out to be one of the most delicious experiences — and perhaps the main highlight of our trip.
That first night when we met owner Perrine, she casually informed us there was a bottle of ‘her’ wine left in the fridge. With eyes wide and hardly able to contain my delight, I smiled and said: “Oh, your own wine. Where are your vineyards?” It turns out that she and her husband, Mr. Cognard, are local winegrowers operating from Buxy. A chilled bottle of their 2013 Montagny 1e Cru waited for us in the fridge.
Tired after a ten-hour car trip from our hometown in the Netherlands, I decided it was best to leave that special gift for the following day. I wanted to taste it with all my senses, and at that moment, it would’ve been a total waste.
So the next evening we lit a fire, polished some glasses, popped the cork and took a sip of the beautifully aromatic and well-balanced Chardonnay. Minerally with a long, fresh and slightly saline finish. I suddenly envisioned drinking this with a plateau de fruits de mer — pure perfection!
Laurent Cognard’s first footsteps in the wine world were taken in 1997 when he purchased his first 0.68 hectares in Mercurey. At first, he had to have another job to support himself, but his hard work paid off because less than a decade later, in 2006, he was finally able to dedicate his life completely to winegrowing, following in his father’s footsteps. Today he owns approximately 10 hectares in Mercurey, Montagny-lès-Buxy and Bissey-sous-Cruchaud. No pesticides are used in the production of his wines and the harvest is completely manual. Quite an added bonus, in my opinion.
Besides his classic whites (some named after his children), he also offers a refreshingly clean Aligoté, an earthy Pinot Noir and a sparkling Crémant, to name a few. His vaulted cellars are found in the center of the village of Buxy, about a five-minute walk from where we stayed.
We couldn’t leave without purchasing a few bottles, of course.
If you’d like to ‘meet’ Mr. Cognard, before planning a visit to this wonderful region, have a look here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCmX-gue4cg
