DAMIEN MARTIN
Davayé, France
The Martin family seems to have an intrinsic enterprising spirit that runs through the bloodline. Damien's grandfather started Domaine de la Croix Senaillet, now run by our friends and Damien's uncles, Richard and Stéphane Martin at Matisco. His father Robert, sharing that audacious zeal, founded his own domain in 1975: Domaine de la Denante in Davayé. It was a mere 2.5-hectare affair at its inception, but Robert grew that to 10 hectares spread out over three appellations by the time Damien joined in 2010. And, true to his roots, when Damien came of age, the third-generation vigneron moved to begin a project in his own name, harnessing the now 20-hectare property to realize his own vision and vinifying in the familiar confines of Denante.
All of the Martin family's holdings lie in the pastoral fields between Roche de Solutre and Roche de Vergisson, the iconic twin jutting cliffsides that mark the southernmost appellations of Burgundy. Most of the fruit is sourced from the estate's vines just 150 feet from the winery door, excepting four hectares from 15km north in Verzé. Damien's style is all about tension, and it is clear tasting through his wines that few young producers exhibit such proficiency over these clay-limestone soils.
One of the ways Damien's vision of Mâcon differs from previous generations of his family is his fascination with terroir and how varying sites compare in expression. His father only made one wine per appellation, co-vinifying all his parcels into one cuvée. Damien vinifies parcels separately before blending, which he says allows him the ability to adjust in reaction to vintage conditions as well as how the wine is evolving after fermentation. One parcel adds fruit, another minerality, yet another acidity, and so on. He is meticulous about everything in differentiating plots: soil type, incline, vine age, etc. None of this is surprising upon tasting the wines: the focus is fully palpable.
The vineyards themselves are all certified sustainable, an action he took upon arriving at Denante in 2010. All vineyard work is undertaken by hand and mechanically (no spraying/chemicals) using the lutte raisonnée as the guiding approach. Ploughing is done only in alternate rows to allow those in between to diversify organically via cover cropping. Vine age averages around 20 years, but some of the older plantings have crossed the 60-year threshold. Chardonnay is the definitive focal point; it makes up 80% of the plantings with some Pinot Noir and Gamay holdings scattered.
All of the wines are fermented on native yeasts with slightly different ageing regiments. In general, Damien favors fermentation in stainless steel to draw out the purest expression of the fruit. Most of the wines are also held primarily in steel as well, though he often matures 10% in neutral oak for added body. Some of the higher end wines, such as the Pouilly-Fuissé, are fermented and aged entirely in wood, never new. The goal is always a rich, creamy texture and the articulation of pure, unadulterated fruit and terroir, without any discernable oak flavor. It's a style that exudes both class and approachability.
Wines