Qvevri not Qvevri by Ivan Omelchenko

Frédéric Cossard inherited his love for wine from his grandfather, who used to grow grapes for personal use. While working as an engineer in the milk industry, Cossard travelled to Burgundy and explored different wines. Eventually, he decided to make a switch.

Without any family connections in the wine industry or external financing, it was difficult for him to find vineyards in the region. After difficult negotiations with the bank, Cossard established Domaine de Chassorney in Saint Romain in 1996. Today, he cultivates over 10 hectares in various Burgundian villages under the name Domaine de Chassorney. Additionally, he purchases grapes that he sells under his own name: Frédéric Cossard. He provides personalized guidance to growers for taking care of their vines and works alongside them in the vineyards to ensure that the work is carried out to his high standards.

From the start, Cossard has grown his grapes organically and has since incorporated many biodynamic methods. Drawing from his experience of making raw, unpasteurized cheese, he applied the same philosophy to winemaking. He describes his winemaking method as "homoeopathic," focusing on tailored treatments and remedies for each parcel of grapes. He does not add any chemicals, including sulfites, and the fermentation process is spontaneous, without temperature control, and can last several months.

The wines are aged in barrels for one year, during which they are not racked or stirred. Cossard does not use any fining or filtration in his wine production, and the barrels are sterilized with ionized negative oxygen molecules instead of chemicals like sulfites.

Recently, Cossard has started experimenting with qvevri as an alternative to oak. Some of his wines come in two variants - qvevri and regular - as he aims to achieve perfect micro-oxygenation in the wines, binding the phenolics into a compact, age-worthy structure while retaining early approachability.

Thanks to Ivan Omelchenko (and his cafe sekwasa), we have the opportunity to witness the difference between these two methods.

Domaine de Chassorney Saint-Romain Combe Bazin 2020

Unlike the qvevri version, this bottle is clean, traditional and ready to be consumed today. A charming bouquet of bruised apples, cider, chalk and lemon. Vibrant, well-structured, round, almost perfectly balanced, sophisticated and delicious.

Domaine de Chassorney Saint-Romain Combe Bazin Qvevris 2020

Mineral and oily. Stone fruits and canned pineapple. A bit complex, but too young and requires more time to develop. Today it feels like it has too much vacationing space. Yet demanding and interesting. Long aftertaste, mineral profile. A tropical version of some Jura wines. Salty and a bit bitter.

Domaine de Chassorney Saint-Romain Rouge Sous Roches 2020

Sour cherry, red flowers, underbrush, pickles and white pepper. Too young, and needs a few years to develop. Racy acidity, juicy, a bit elevated. Interesting wine.

Domaine de Chassorney Saint-Romain Rouge Sous Roches Qvevris 2020

It's interesting to witness how drastically this wine differs from the non-qvevri version. It's also green and requires more time to develop, but at the same time, it's more ready for consumption. Bubble gum, strawberries, sweet cherry, brett. Sardines in olive oil. Round, sophisticated and juicy. Say hello to umami.

Domaine de Chassorney Volnay Rouge 2018

Wow, what a sexy bouquet. Raw meat, red flowers, pickles, cherry. A beautiful bouquet, complex and multilayered. It's still too young on the palate, and tannin is grippy and green, but it's delicious even today. Long and flavorful aftertaste. Nuanced.

Domaine de Chassorney Volnay Rouge Qvevris 2018

And yet again, qvevri usage turns a rather traditional Pinot into something completely modern and interesting. Restrained bouquet with notes of fish sauce, strawberry, bubblegum, peonies and earth. Oily structure married to umami. Sexy and nice to drink today. I still prefer the regular version.

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