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 a number of years, you'll know that if there's one thing we're particularly excited about, it's introducing you to a new domaine. Last year, we were extremely proud to introduce you to the wines of Jean-Paul Pando and his little domaine La Mutine. And for this new encounter with his 2nd vintage, the pride hasn't waned ^^.

A winemaker who settled in Vezelay in 2022, 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.

In the vineyard, the work is done the hard way, with pickaxes, by hand and with the 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.

We were particularly taken with his red Burgundy, vinified in whole bunches on shallow limestone soil. It's crisp and 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 digest. 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 stripes.