Domaine de la Cadette
In the village of Saint-Père, along a small stream southeast of Vézelay, Jean and Catherine Montanet planted their first vineyards in 1987. Initially, everything went to the local cooperative cellar; the first bottles arrived in 1990. But Jean learned quickly, sought advice from colleagues like Bernard Raveneau, and realized that the cooperative was not the right place for him to express himself. In 1999 came the turning point: organic farming, in an area where almost everything was sold in bulk, an economically risky and culturally brave choice. Certification arrived in 2002. Around the same time, the Montanets left the cooperative and founded the domaine under their own name. Cadette is an affectionate play on words: in French, it means "the youngest," a tribute to Catherine, whose family contributed their vineyards to the project.
Their son Valentin joined the company in 2010 and now manages the domaine, carrying on his parents' philosophy with the same clarity of intent: organic viticulture, indigenous yeasts, natural winemaking, fresh, mineral, honest wines. The 13 hectares of vineyard are located on exceptional soils: the granitic massif of Morvan has uplifted layers of marl and limestone, bringing fossilized marine deposits to the surface. The clays here change color every few steps, from blue to gray to red, often on almost pure, shallow limestone. A terroir that has something of Chablis, its closest western neighbor, but with its own identity: a slightly cooler climate, generous sun exposure, and a balance between fruit and mineral structure that few corners of Burgundy can offer.
Vézelay obtained its own AOC in 1997, and then elevation to an autonomous appellation in 2017 for white wines, partly thanks to the pioneering work of the Montanets. Their wines, especially the Chardonnay de La Châtelaine, were among those that showed the world that Vézelay deserved to be on the same level as the great Burgundy appellations.
In the village of Saint-Père, along a small stream southeast of Vézelay, Jean and Catherine Montanet planted their first vineyards in 1987. Initially, everything went to the local cooperative cellar; the first bottles arrived in 1990. But Jean learned quickly, sought advice from colleagues like Bernard Raveneau, and realized that the cooperative was not the right place for him to express himself. In 1999 came the turning point: organic farming, in an area where almost everything was sold in bulk, an economically risky and culturally brave choice. Certification arrived in 2002. Around the same time, the Montanets left the cooperative and founded the domaine under their own name. Cadette is an affectionate play on words: in French, it means "the youngest," a tribute to Catherine, whose family contributed their vineyards to the project.
Their son Valentin joined the company in 2010 and now manages the domaine, carrying on his parents' philosophy with the same clarity of intent: organic viticulture, indigenous yeasts, natural winemaking, fresh, mineral, honest wines. The 13 hectares of vineyard are located on exceptional soils: the granitic massif of Morvan has uplifted layers of marl and limestone, bringing fossilized marine deposits to the surface. The clays here change color every few steps, from blue to gray to red, often on almost pure, shallow limestone. A terroir that has something of Chablis, its closest western neighbor, but with its own identity: a slightly cooler climate, generous sun exposure, and a balance between fruit and mineral structure that few corners of Burgundy can offer.
Vézelay obtained its own AOC in 1997, and then elevation to an autonomous appellation in 2017 for white wines, partly thanks to the pioneering work of the Montanets. Their wines, especially the Chardonnay de La Châtelaine, were among those that showed the world that Vézelay deserved to be on the same level as the great Burgundy appellations.
