Domaine Parent

The Parent family has made wine in Burgundy since the 17th century, spending five generations in Volnay before Claude Parent moved the family to Pommard in 1803. An earlier ancestor, Étienne Parent, was an export pioneer who is reported to have corresponded with Thomas Jefferson in the 1780s and is reputed to have sold him Burgundy. Jacques Parent, the 11th generation, took the reins young, with a first vintage in 1954, and founded the négociant arm Jacques Parent et Cie in 1974. His daughters Anne and Catherine took over in 1998, becoming the first women to lead the estate.

• Family in Burgundy wine since the 17th century, first based in Volnay
• Claude Parent moved the family to Pommard in 1803
• Ancestor Étienne Parent linked to Thomas Jefferson in the 1780s
• Sisters Anne and Catherine took over in 1998, the first women to lead

Domaine Parent has moved steadily toward natural farming. It began converting to organic viticulture in the 2000s and earned ECOCERT organic certification in 2013. Biodynamic practices followed from around 2010, and the estate reached full Demeter biodynamic certification in 2024. In its Grand Cru and selected Premier Cru parcels, the domaine works the soils with horses rather than tractors to limit compaction. The aim throughout is healthier soils and a clearer expression of each site in the glass.

• Began converting to organic farming in the 2000s; ECOCERT certified in 2013
• Biodynamic practices from around 2010; Demeter certification reached in 2024
• Top parcels worked with horses to limit soil compaction
• Focus on soil health and transparent site expression

From around 10 hectares, all within the Côte de Beaune, the domaine produces wine across more than 20 appellations and every level of the Burgundy hierarchy. Pommard is the heart of the estate, with a run of Premier Crus led by the famous Les Épenots, alongside Les Chaponnières, Les Croix Noires, Les Chanlins, and others. Beyond Pommard, the holdings reach up to the Corton hill, where the domaine makes both a white Corton, labelled Corton Blanc, and a red Corton from the Les Renardes climat, its two Grand Cru wines.

• Around 10 hectares in the Côte de Beaune, across more than 20 appellations
• Pommard Premier Crus led by Les Épenots, the estate's flagship
• Also Les Chaponnières, Les Croix Noires, and other Pommard climats
• Two Grand Crus on the Corton hill: white Corton Blanc and red Les Renardes

Pommard's reputation rests on clay-rich, iron-tinged limestone soils that yield some of the Côte de Beaune's most structured reds, and Domaine Parent's holdings reflect that, with calcareous clay and marl across its wider parcels. Pinot Noir dominates, producing the firm, dark-fruited, age-worthy reds for which Pommard is known. Chardonnay accounts for the whites, most prestigiously the Corton Blanc Grand Cru. The estate makes wine at every classification level, from regional Bourgogne up to Grand Cru.

• Clay-limestone soils give Pommard its structured, age-worthy reds
• Pinot Noir dominates; Chardonnay for the whites, led by Corton Blanc
• Wines made at every level, from Bourgogne to Grand Cru
• Calcareous clay and marl across the wider Côte de Beaune holdings

Harvesting is done by hand with careful sorting in the vineyard. The reds are typically given a short cold soak before fermentation with native yeasts, then aged in French oak for well over a year, with a moderate proportion of new barrels for the village and Premier Cru wines and a higher share reserved for the Grand Crus. Anne Parent leads viticulture and winemaking, while her sister Catherine, who also goes by Catherine Fages-Parent, manages the commercial side of the business.

• Hand-harvested with careful sorting in the vineyard
• Native-yeast fermentation after a short cold soak
• Aged in French oak, with more new wood reserved for the Grand Crus
• Anne Parent makes the wine; Catherine handles commercial operations