Winery Overview
The son of a railroad worker, Gilles Ballorin started his domaine in 2005 after spending ten years working for some larger-scale operations, including a Burgundy cooperative and a Mercurey-based négociant. He had initially planned to complete his viticultural studies, gain experience at someone else’s domaine and, then, start his own domaine. His plans were accelerated when, quite early on, he was offered the chance to buy some vines. Domaine Ballorin was started with a miniscule 0.2 ha in Chenôve in 2005. By 2008, he was farming biodynamically with Demeter certification. Gilles now owns 6 hectares across 23 parcels in Morey St Denis, Fixin, Marsannay and Nuit St Georges. The captivating character of his wines convey the depth and dedication of his craftsmanship. Gilles’ devotion is further underscored by his perseverance through near-liquidation in 2011 and a disastrous 2016 harvest. As a new domaine, his winemaking is not constrained by past practices. But with no historical market, he must be impeccable in his craft and unrelenting in his standards. Gilles is a protégé of Philippe Charlopin (himself, a protégé of the legendary Henri Jayer).