Olivier Bernstein

Olivier Bernstein is a new breed of Burgundy wine négociant , a so-called micro-négociant. He has already received critical acclaim; both Jancis Robinson and Allen Meadows wrote jubilantly about his wines: (..."potentially of the top Grands crus of the 2007 vintage" ...."a new name but one that is unlikely to be overlooked for long")

2007 was his first vintage for which he bottled about 800 cases of 10 different wines. He firmly focussed only on Burgundy Premiers and Grands Crus from the best plots and very old vines. Naturally, production of each wine is tiny, considering the low yields coming from old vines. Olivier’s range consist of two white  Premiers Crus wines (Meursault), four red Premiers Crus  (Cazetiers and Champeaux from Gevrey-Chambertin,  Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots and Chambolle-Musigny les Lavrottes) and four red Grands Crus (Mazis-Chambertin, Bonnes Mares, Charmes-Chambertin, Clos de la Roche).

Bernstein comes from a family of music publishers, but left a promising corporate career to study oenology in Beaune. After a brief stint with the late Henri Jayer during the 2002 vintage, he moved to Roussillon to found his own Domaine, Mas de la Deveze. He returned in Burgundy in 2007 to establish a négociant business.

Bernstein selects the fruit himself; his maitre des chais,  Richard Seguin, frequently visits the wine growers that supply the grapes, to ensure that the grapes are grown to Bernstein's requirements. The vinification takes place at his winery in Gevrey-Chambertin. His wines mature  in 100% new oak barrels (fût neuf) that are specifically made to his specifications. The wines are bottled by hand without filtering and fining.