Antoine Lienhardt Côte de Nuits-Villages Emphase

Antoine Lienhardt – Winemaker in Comblanchien (Côte de Nuits, Bourgogne)

Antoine Lienhardt represents a new generation of Burgundian winemakers committed to the purest expression of the terroir. In 2011, he took over the small family estate located in Comblachien, south of Nuits-Saint-Georges, in the heart of the Côte de Nuits. Until then, the estate had practiced conventional viticulture and did not bottle its own wines. After gaining experience in Chablis, Chambolle-Musigny, and South Africa, Antoine decided to start winemaking himself, producing his first vintage under his own name in 2012.

In 2014, a blind tasting of a wine from the renowned Domaine de l’Anglore marked a turning point in his journey. It was then that he discovered a completely new drinkability and vitality, and decided to radically change his approach to winemaking. From there, he shifted toward organic and biodynamic viticulture, applying a minimal-intervention approach in the winery. He has been officially working organically since 2016 (Ecocert certification since 2019) and has implemented sustainable practices such as groundcovers, tree planting between plots, horse traction, and working according to lunar rhythms.

He currently cultivates around 7 hectares, mainly spread in Comblachien, with plots such as "Les Essards," "Les Plantes aux Bois," and "Aux Vignottes," on very shallow calcareous soils, with old vines planted in the 1960s. He also purchases trusted grapes to produce select cuvées, such as Meursault and certain Grands Crus.

The harvest is done manually, and the red wines are fermented with whole bunches, without destemming, with gentle pumping over, and without fining or filtering. Aging takes place in used barrels or in amphorae and cement eggs, depending on the cuvée. His philosophy seeks to preserve the wine's energy and let the soil speak.

Regarding sulfites, Antoine makes a clear distinction: The whites are made without any additions, neither during fermentation nor bottling. For the reds, he acknowledges that a minimal dose of SO₂ is still needed at bottling to achieve the clarity and stability he seeks, without compromising the wine's expression.

The result is lively, elegant, deeply Burgundian wines with a silky texture, excellent freshness, and surprising aging capacity. Wines with soul, but also with a direct and sincere drinkability, which connects with a new sensibility both in the vineyard and in the glass.

Since 2017, Antoine has worked closely with his sister Héloïse, who is responsible for the management and marketing of the estate. Together they have consolidated a project that combines family roots, a contemporary vision, and a profound respect for the land.

Antoine Lienhardt's wines are rapidly gaining recognition among sommeliers, winemakers, and lovers of natural and terroir wines throughout Europe and beyond. An authentic Burgundy, without artifice, with a wealth of emotion in every bottle.