Jean-Paul Pando and his little domaine La Mutine are bringing a breath of fresh air to the hillsides of Vézelay. We love it!

If you've been following us for many years, you'll know that if there's one thing we're particularly happy about, it's introducing you to a new domaine. So, this morning, we're in an especially good mood as we welcome Jean-Paul Pando and his little domaine de la Mutine.

A winemaker based in Vezelay, in the north of our beautiful Burgundy region, it was as part of a reconversion, after a first life in the restaurant business, that Jean-Paul decided to launch his own business on his 2.5 hectares of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Melon de Bourgogne.

Created in January 2022, the domaine has just completed its second harvest and is now offering us its very first vintage with its 2022s. In the vineyard, work is done the hard way, with a pickaxe, by hand and with an old, out-of-breath tractor, all organic of course. In the winery, the same simplicity and authenticity are applied to the juices. Jean-Paul works with respect, using indigenous yeasts, without forcing the grapes, with as little intervention as possible, without filtering and often without sulphur;

His red Burgundy, vinified in whole bunches on shallow limestone soil, particularly appealed to us. Crisp, juicy, with just the right amount of terroir to enjoy over a few years. The Chardonnay Vézelay "Les Champs Cadet" is elegant and racy, very easy to drink. The Melon de Bourgogne surprised us with its tension and freshness, the envy of some more southern chardonnays. Last but not least, the more experimental Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend (85/15) will appeal to fans of high-energy wines.