Bret Brothers & La Soufrandière | Mâconnais

Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume Bret always spent their holidays in Vinzelles, and had a dream to produce great wines there. In 2000 they took their family vineyards around Vinzelles in the Mâcon out of the local co-operative, and established Domaine de la Soufrandière. To start they paid more attention to the vineyards, lowered yields and selected more rigorously. They also converted to organics, and now biodynamically farm around six hectares in Pouilly-Vinzelles and Mâcon-Vinzelles, as well as organically working a further five hectares in Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé.

Both brothers studied oenology: Jean-Philippe in Dijon before working at Comtes Lafon and Ridge Lytton Springs; and Jean-Guillaume in Avise before an internship at Jean-Marie Guffens' negociant Maison Verget, and work with Newton in California. Organic and biodynamic farming which respects the soil life, and is in harmony with the environment is the key factor for them in making balanced, vibrant wines which reveal their terroir.

Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume set up Bret Brothers, the négociant side of Domaine de la Soufrandière, in 2001. To produce these wines they buy top quality organically farmed grapes from 40+ year old vines in small plots in the best sites across the Mâcon. All the vineyards are hand harvested by their team and the grapes vinified using natural yeasts, matured and bottled in house, with the same care and attention to detail as their estate wines. The brothers are committed to organic viticulture, which they believe produces more vibrant wines.

With Domaine de la Soufrandière and the négociant Bret Brothers division, Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume are making some of the most exciting wines in the Mâconnais today.

BRET BROTHERS & LA SOUFRANDIÈRE