It’s a shame that often in Burgundy, the caliber of a producer is measured not by their farming and winemaking, but rather, by the vineyards they own or to which they have access. Believe it or not, there are plenty of producers who make wine from Grand Cru vineyards that are not of Grand Cru quality. On the other hand, there exist many diamonds in the rough scattered throughout the Côte d’Or: producers who make outstanding wines of exceptional value from “inferior” villages or vineyard holdings. These are the producers I search for, hoping to sniff out the rising stars that go overlooked because they lack Grand Cru vineyards or holdings in the Côte d’Or’s more prestigious villages.

One of the most exciting talents I’ve found is Agnès Paquet, a young woman whose micro-production wines have earned her superstar-cult winemaker status among the top sommeliers in the best restaurants of France. She meticulously farms her vineyards throughout the Côte de Beaune in undervalued villages, like Auxey-Duresses, and crafts singular wines of exceptional value and quality that genuinely reflect their terroir. She is fighting to put these overlooked villages on the radar of Burgundy lovers with her deft touch in the vineyard and the winery and I am proud to be her ally in this battle!