Frèdèric Cossard started from scratch in the world's most prestigious wine region.

If you don’t come from a family of wine farmers or get help from outside financiers, finding vineyards in Burgundy is difficult. Cossard inherited the love for wine by his grandfather, who used to grow some grapes for home needs. As an engineer in the milk industry, Frédéric traveled through Burgundy, trying wines at the same time. From his experince making raw, unpasteurised cheese, he believed in using the same philosophy in wine making.

He started Domaine de Chassorney, located in Saint Romain, in 1996, after tough negotiations with the bank. Today he grows over 10 hectares in several villages in Burgundy, which he sells under the name Domaine de Chassorney.

He also buys grapes that he sells under the name Frèdèric Cossard. He provides growers with a guide on how to look after the vines his way as well as joining them in the vineyards to make sure the work is carried out to his standards. 

Cossard has grown organically from the beginning and today he is using many biodynamic methods as well. He prefers to call his method homeopathic as he focuses on tailored treatments and remedies for each parcel. He adds no chemicals whatsoever including sulfites. Fermentation is spontaneous without temperature controll and can last several months. The wines are left on their lees for one year and they are not racked or stirred during this time.

He generally ages his wines in barrels and there is no fining or filtration made. The barrels are sterilized with ionized negative oxygen molecules instead of chemicals such as sulfites.

Making natural wines without additions requires skill and accuracy to make sure the purity of the grapes is kept at all stages. That is  something that Frédéric Cossard is really mastering as his wines are bursting with life and energy. These Burgundies are truly fascinating and rare natural wines.