Domaine Michel Mallard

 Visiting Domain Michel Mallard was a real treat. This is a family operation, founded by Michel's grandfather and managed by Michel. He is very passionate about his wines and their terroir. After tasting the wines, we became passionate about them as well!

Michel Mallard

Michel releases the wines several years after the vintage, when they are ready for drinking. While this is beneficial for us - wine consumers - it is great for the winery as it softens the ups and downs in grapes quantity and quality between good and bad years. For example, 2021 was a terrible year, due to frost, more than 50% of the crop was lost. With the practice of selling wines from several vintages at any given time, the downside of the bad vintage will not be too tough on the business. 

The wines are mostly matured in 350 Ltr. barrels, most of them are not new. This leads to a very delicate impact of the oak on the wines.  Michel prefers his wines relatively young, in order to enjoy the fruit and flowers aromas. 

Our Favorite Wines

2018 Ladoix 1er Cru, Les Grechons - One of the best Chardonnays we've had in the last 2-3 years. We felt that this is a top notch expression of the grape. It has a complex and interesting combination of minerals, nutmeg, apples and flowers. The finish is long and excellent. 

2017 Corton Grand Cru Le Rognet - Excellent red, it feels different for a reason: 70% new oak, 75% whole clusters. It feels very flowery, cherries, strawberries and just a slight nut aroma. You can savour this wine for a long time due to it's satisfying finish.

2016 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru La Toppe au Vert The wine was a bit closed, but the potential was really there with a clear sense of flowers and an excellent finish. It was a clear winner in the game of "Is it worth carrying it back home?".

The Excellent Wines

2019 Ladoix Le Clos Royer Blanc An excellent white (Chardonnay of course). Very appealing aromas of flowers, nuts, peaches and apples with a good, long finish. 

2020 Ladoix Les Buis Aromas of Ink, strawberry. Shows how it's too early to drink and justifies the policy of releasing this in a year from now to the market. 

2019 Ladoix Les Buis Olives, cassis. A really fresh wine with a nice finish. It's an excellent early drinking wine.

2018 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Serpentières Opens with complex spices, cassis and has a clear mineral backbone in it. Very balanced with a long, excellent finish. 

2017 Ladoix 1er Cru La Corvée Has ink, spice and red berries. It is one of the more elegant wines we tasted here.

2017 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru La Toppe au Vert Red plums, has immense deepness in it. Very satisfying finish

2017 Corton Grand Cru Les Renardes This wine has true elegance, smells like an amazing perfume. It's structure says very clearly: keep me for many years. 

2017 Corton Grand Cru Les Maréchaudes Red currents along with hints of leather and tobacco makes this excellent wine one that I would drink in the next 4-5 years.   

2019 Corton Grand Cru Les Renardes is a very flowery wines with cassis and strawberries. A wine to follow through its development.