David Trousselle

Burgundy, France

At a Glance
  • Trousselle is located in the Hautes Cotes de Beaune, in a protected valley between St Aubin and St Romain
  • David Trousselle produces tiny quantities of a single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Haute Cotes. Additionally, he makes a Santenay Rouge from a 0.3 hectare parcel. 
  • With gentle, indigenous yeast vinifications, elevage in mininal amounts of new wood, Trousselle makes beautiful, textured wines that offer a glimpse into the future of Burgundy where lesser known and appreciated appellations have their time to shine

David Trousselle is a tiny producer in the Hautes Cotes de Beaune. While this appellation is quite vast, his vineyards are extremely well located, nestled in a valley between St Aubin and St Romain. Trousselle is a fine viticulturist, and in fact, he was referred to us by Pierre Boisson of Boisson-Vadot, who is collaborating with Trousselle on a new Boisson vineyard project in the Hautes Cotes for which he handles the farming.

Given the location of Trousselle’s vineyards, Chardonnay does extremely well (think St Aubin and St Romain). Though the valley where he has his vines is also protected and warm enough that there are certain sectors where Pinot Noir can get ripe as well. From these vineyards adjacent to the cellar, all in the village of Bobigny, he produces both a single-vineyard Bourgogne Blanc (La Couleuvraire) and Bourgogne Rouge (En Cre). He also makes a tiny bit of Santenay Rouge from 3 small parcels totaling 0.3 hectare, and he recently pruchased 0.4 hectare of Auxey-Duresses Rouge (in keeping with his desire for 'cooler' terroirs). 

The vinification here is quite simple. Grapes are hand harvested, and brought to the cellar where they are sorted prior to fermentation. Whites are barrel fermented in the classical Burgundian fashion. Reds are de-stemmed, and then given a very gentle maceration/fermentation of 15-20 days and raised in barrel. In both cases, minimal new wood is used (10-20% max).

In Burgundy today, there is increasing interest in the so-called “lesser” appellations of Burgundy, as they offer tremendous value compared to the ever increasing prices in the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits. Arguably, Climate Change has also thrown an additional wrench into the mix, causing some to think twice about the potential hierarchy of these petites appellations. In fact, look no further than the Alto Piemonte for a example of the rediscovery of undervalued "lesser" wine regions with amazing potential! As with Roberto Conterno snapping up an historic estate in Gattinara, many top Burgundian producers now own or have their eye on vineyards, not only in the Hautes Cotes, but also in the Cote Chalonnaise and the Maconnais. 

Trousselle's early success has allowed him to expand and evolve his business. He and his wife recently new buildings for vinification and storage -- liberating them from the constraints of a tiny production room -- and they invested in new farming equipment and materials that facilitate organic farming. These improvements reflect the dreams and ambitious of this young, dynamic domaine. To us, Trouselle’s wines are not only beautifully rendered and amazing values, but they are also a glimpse into the future of Burgundy where over-achieving and under-appreciated regions will demonstrate their ability to shine.