Domaine De La Cras (Marc Soyard) L'Equilibriste Rouge 2023

Breathing new life into the Coteaux de Dijon, Marc Soyard has been quietly crafting his own legacy on the outskirts of Dijon.

Dijon might not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about wine. However historically wines from Dijon, especially around Chenôve, were well-regarded until phylloxera and other factors led to the loss of vineyard plantings in the area.

In 2013, the city of Dijon purchased a massive agricultural area of 160 hectares. Already planted with 8 hectares of vines, they sought a young winemaker with no existing family vineyards to take over the winemaking. The chosen winemaker would have the freedom to tend to the vineyards, produce and sell the wine. The only conditions were that the farming had to be organic and the vineyard be opened to the public for educational visits. As a form of payment, 2,000 bottles of each vintage would be paid to the city of Dijon for each vintage. This was a small price for such a fantastic opportunity.

Marc Soyard was chosen. He had then just spent 8 years working for Jean-Yves Bizot as the assistant winemaker and vineyard manager. Favouring a hands-off approach to winemaking and meticulous care in the vineyard, Marc has in just a few short years succeeded in showcasing Dijon's beautiful terroir and putting it definitively on the map.

Marc's style of wines echoes that of his mentor Jean-Yves Bizot but with a unique creativity, brightness and light-footedness that is entirely his own. Crafting wines that he loves to drink, his wines have a purity, freshness and elegance that is rare.