Pascal Marchand, the soul of Domaine Tawse, arrived in beautiful Burgundy in 1983 to participate in the harvest, a life-changing experience that necessitated his resignation from his original career as a poet. However, his artistic DNA remained with him, leading him to boldly adopt many cutting-edge concepts. For example, after working at Domaine Comte Armand in 1987, he implemented biodynamic vineyard management the following year, 1988, ahead of many renowned wineries, even Domaine Leroy. After a brief stint at Domaine de la Vougeraie, he decided to pursue a bigger dream in 2006 and started his own wine business. In 2010, he formed a joint venture with an old acquaintance, Canadian tycoon Moray Tawse, and they subsequently acquired several Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards, culminating in the purchase of Domaine Maume in 2012, thus establishing Domaine Tawse.
In 1985, at the age of 23, Pascal Marchand made a phone call that would shape his life. On the other end of the line was Henri Jayer, the God of Burgundy wine! Pascal wanted to learn more about the cold soaking method invented by Mr. Jayer. Mr. Jayer graciously invited him for a detailed discussion, sharing the ins and outs of using cold soaking in detail. They often visited each other's winery, cellar, and vineyards, and of course, they also tasted different vintages of Vosne Romanée Premier Cru Cros-Parantoux and Grand Cru Échézeaux together!
Pascal learned from him how to care for the vineyard without agricultural or chemical treatments, how to control vine yields to improve grape quality, how to choose different oak barrels to enhance the quality of the wine, and why he favored 100% destemming and minimizing pigeage.
Pascal said that what Mr. Jayer taught him most was the down-to-earth, step-by-step approach to vineyard care. A good vineyard produces good grapes, and good grapes produce good wine. He believes Mr. Jayer's true greatness lies in his refusal to consider himself a great winemaker, considering himself merely a winegrower who enjoys tending his vineyards.
【Winemaking】
In the film "Grand Cru," about his winemaking career, he explains that producing top-quality wines requires perseverance, such as adopting biodynamic and organic farming methods. This perseverance involves considerable risk, and it is only through these risks that grapes can produce top-quality wines. Perhaps his poetic pursuit of perfection is the reason he produces top-quality wines year after year.