Wine of the Week - Domaine de la Cras - L'Equilibriste - Burgundy 2023

Week 16, 2025

It's Easter and I've just run 7 kilometers. Eyes on the prize, because I knew: a Burgundy awaits me. That automatically makes you run (faster). Today it's time for Domaine de la Cras, a wine estate in Dijon. The story behind this bottle is just as good as the wine itself.

In 2013, the city of Dijon purchased a 160-hectare plot of land just outside the city limits: Domaine de la Cras. The previous owner had already built a wine cellar and planted 8 hectares of vineyards—5 hectares of red and 3 hectares of white—classified as Bourgogne AOC. There was room to plant an additional 13 hectares. When you think of Burgundy wines, you're more likely to think of Beaune than Dijon. And yet, Dijon once had a thriving wine culture. The city wanted to revive it.

Winemaker wanted

The city issued an open call: who wants to make wine here? The requirements were clear: they were looking for a young winemaker without family vineyards, someone open to education and visits , and willing to farm the vineyards organically. A dream, isn't it?

It was Marc Soyard. The man hails from the Jura, but not from a wine family. He learned his trade at Vins Des Viennes, the négociant project of Pierre Gaillard, Francois Villard, and Yves Cuilleron in the Rhône, and then went on to work at Domaine Bizot in Vosne-Romanée. A fine resume, indeed. Under Jean-Yves Bizot (and his wife, Claire Naudin, also a notable figure—she made her first sulfite-free wine in 1999), Soyard learned biodynamic farming in the vineyard and a minimalist approach in the cellar. He continues this approach at Domaine de la Cras. Unfortunately, I haven't tasted enough Bizot (and de la Cras) to make a proper comparison, but I've read on many websites that the styles are quite similar.

Interesting fact: Domaine de la Cras is the only one authorized to use the Coteaux de Dijon AOC. Every year, Marc Soyard pays rent to the municipality of Dijon: 2,000 bottles. A crazy deal.

Domaine de la Cras L'Equilibriste 2023

On the test table is Domaine de la Cras L'Equilibriste 2023. This bottle doesn't say Coteaux de Dijon, but the grapes come from the same vineyards as those used for the Coteaux.

In the cellar: 100% whole bunches, semi-carbonic maceration, maturation for 10–12 months in used wooden barrels, not filtered or fined, no added SO₂.

The color is darker than I expected—probably due to the use of whole bunches. The winemaking method creates an intense fruitiness: sour cherries, dark cherries, cranberries, lots of acidity, super juicy, spicy, licorice, and licorice. I love it! Domaine de la Cras wines are available in limited quantities through Pieksman Wijnen . For those who have never been to Dijon, it's highly recommended . Fill yourself with the heavenly gougères from Tartin'Art, then enjoy an aperitif at La Cave Se Rebiffe and sleep at Mama Shelter. You don't need anything more...