Domaine de la Creuze Noire Saint Veran 2022《ZF568》

Martin, owner of Domaine de la Creuze Noire, was born into a traditional winegrowing family in Burgundy, with three generations of his ancestors cultivating wine grapes. In 1984, Martin separated from his brother and founded Domaine de la Creuze Noire with just five hectares of vineyards in Beaujolais. In 1989, Martin met Christine, a beautiful woman from another winegrowing family. The following year, they married, and Christine brought four hectares of vineyards to the winery, located in Saint-Veran and Pouilly-Fuisse, Maconnais. Since then, the couple has produced both white and red Macon wines, bearing the Domaine de la Creuze Noire name.

In 2015, their only son, 21-year-old Loic, returned from his studies and joined the winery, writing the family's future with his passion for wine.

Burgundy has a typical continental climate. While it produces some of the world's most expensive red and white wines, its winegrowers often face extreme weather conditions. Early spring frosts and autumn hailstorms often devastate an entire year's harvest without warning. Consequently, Martin, a member of a Burgundy grape-growing family for generations, often says, "Nature determines everything; we are merely its servants." His philosophy in vineyard management is to maintain ecological balance and keep the vines in the healthiest possible condition. When faced with extreme weather conditions, he accepts nature's will with a relaxed attitude, avoiding unnecessary rescue efforts. He believes that occasional crop failures are normal, and that any salvaged grapes are of poor quality, so it's better to wait for the next good year. In 2018, the winery was successfully certified by the French environmental agency as a "Haute Valeur Environementale," which roughly translates to "High Environmental Value Farmer."

The Saint-Veran appellation lies at the southernmost tip of the Maconnais region, bordering Beaujolais. Its terroir, from north to south, differs significantly from that of Pouilly-Fuisse. The topsoil is primarily fossiliferous limestone. In the west, the soil is blue limestone overlain by a gray marl; on the eastern slopes, it's marly; and on the left bank of the Gronne River, it's covered by a flint-laden clay-limestone. The region's altitude ranges from 250 to 450 meters, with vines primarily planted on southeast-facing slopes that receive ample sunlight. As the southernmost region of Burgundy, the region enjoys a mild climate and is relatively immune to spring fog.