Renaud Boyer comes from a family of winemakers, but he is an anomaly in Burgundy. Located in Meursault with vineyards spread between Saint-Romain, Beaune and Puligny-Montrachet, he became a vigneron from a matter of opportunity.

Renaud trained as an engineer, but late in 2001 he was offered to take over the vineyards of his cousin Thierry Guyot of Saint Romain, vineyards which were already being farmed in organics since 1986. He proceeded to change directions, studied viticulture and oenology in Beaune then did a 4-month internship in South Africa. He took over his grandfathers’ former cellar, a very simple space he still uses to this date. At the beginning of 2005 he began work on the 5 hectares in Saint Romain and Puligny by hand and horse.

His father also makes wine and has vines located in Meursault, which in time will become Renaud’s. A huge opportunity as it is impossible to buy land. He and his father work separately and have very different outlooks and approaches, his father works the vines with conventional methods and having worked in negoce houses works in the cellar with a very technical approach

Renaud Boyer has no intention of adapting his wines or methods to the expectations of his father or the expectations of Burgundy. In the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits, not many choose to work naturally. With land being so expensive they are risk adverse.

Of course, there has been mistakes along the way, but with the help of several like minded winemakers Patrick Meyer, Pierre Overnoy and Philippe Jambon, these friends have provided, and continue to do so, advice and council. Renaud chose a natural path without concessions wanting to focus on the vineyards, 90% of a wine is made in the vineyard. In Burgundy less than 10% of land is farmed in organics.

As you would expect his work in the cellar is kept to a minimum. The Chardonnays are directly pressed slowly, over 6-7 hours. Pinot noir is whole bunch macerated for normally 3 weeks, he does no pump-over and only one pigeage at the end of maceration. Renaud is not looking for extraction or colour, instead choosing purity and favouring immediacy.

He works with gravity for transfer to barrel where the wine rests for 12 months minimum. All wines are unfined and unfiltered and sulphur usage was ceased in 2008. Renaud will not release wine into the market unless it is stable.

 Annual production is between 20,000 to 25,000 bottles, 40% being from his holdings in Saint Romain. From the chalky fossilised soils of Saint Romain, the stony limestone plot of Les Reucheaux in Puligny Montrachet to the clay heavy soils of Beaune, these are pure wines.

Renaud Boyer is honest and uncompromising, he follows his heart and beliefs, not the way you are supposed to make wine in Burgundy.