Domaine Ludovic & Emilien Bonnardot
Ludovic Bonnardot comes from a very long line of vignerons; he can trace his roots back to 1470! In the present day, Ludovic was inspired by his mum, who trained under Jules Chauvet and worked in favour of natural wines. He also has a passion for soft fruit and wanted to establish a raspberry growing farm in eastern Europe. The family domaine still produces blackcurrants in Burgundy.
Ludovic embarked on his solo wine journey in Rajac, Serbia in 2004. Five years after the war, vignerons were using their intuition and instinct, plus sheer resourcefulness in winemaking. Ludovic got the wine bug and his love for natural wine making there. He worked a short time with Emmanuel Giboulot in Burgundy, in 2005, before starting his own Domaine from scratch in 2006. In 2012 he incorporated his Domaine with his family vineyards and in 2013 twinned with his brother.
Ludovic and his brother now farm 16.5 hectares across a stunning collection of vineyards in Maragnes, Santenay, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet and Pommard, complemented by Hautes-Côtes and the family vineyards behind the Citeaux Abbey in Bonnencontre. The first four vintages were made at the family property, but an opportunity presented itself to move in a bigger cellar in Saint-Aubin. Most importantly the brothers share this cellar with Pierre Fenals from Maison En Belles Lies. Pierre has been an extraordinary vinification buddy for Ludovic, helping him to tweak his skills and to perfect the whole bunch usage and vinification with minimal use of sulphur.
The Wines
The 'En Cheignot' plot is on the western side of the Hautes Cotes du Beaune with the village of Auxey-Durresses due east. The vineyard sits just underneath a cliff at 400 meters above sea level, with no top soil and pure limestone patches. You're met with with such soft and elegant textures in this wines with a limestone freshness to the core, all wrapped up with a silky butterscotch finish. The Vineyards are all farmed organically and there is little to no sulphur use in the cellars.
Sourced from a single south-east-facing parcel below Morgeot, “Les Grandes Terres” captures the refined power and mineral precision of Chassagne-Montrachet. The 2023 has a restrained, slightly reductive profile that gradually reveals some citrus peel, white flowers, and ripe orchard fruit. The Limestone dominant soil brings both density and tension, with a chiselled palate marked by crystalline precision, controlled oak integration, and a distinctive bitterness that sign the finish. Focused, classy, and tightly wound in youth, this is a sophisticated Chardonnay with depth, freshness, and excellent ageing potential.
Great things come to those who wait, like our Puligny Montrachet allocation from Bonnardot. These are high in demand and are the smallest production of the Domaine. This Premier Cru La Garenne is on the Blagny side, a little higher up the slopes and therefore lighter soil giving more finesse, than power and weight.
Saint Jean is such a peaceful vineyard. The perfect picnic spot with a tiny brook singing softly at the bottom and the vines are basking in the sunshine looking at the cliffs above the historical Hamlet of Santenay. This is where the sites are all situated, right up next to the Church, a little further up in the valley with more breeze and perfect limestone. All whites at Bonnardot are ethereal, charming and on the mineral front with a saline finish. Ludovic uses oak ageing with the lightest touch as well. Santenay whites especially like this one, should be more popular and should have a space in every wine lovers cellar.
The vineyard of Bonnardot’s Chassagne where inherited by Ludovic's Mum from her godfather. A beautiful plot situated just underneath the Abbaye de Morgeot. It’s a sunny and stoney plot, a little jewel that is organically farmed with use of biodnamie as well. For the winemaking, Ludovic likes a light touch in the cellar, as natural as possible with no use of sulphur, yet the wine is as ethereal and delicate. Buy while you can.
Pure and expressive, this old-vine Aligoté Doré comes from the “Sur Le Bois” parcel in Maranges, rooted in clay and chalk soils. The 2022 shows impressive texture and vitality, balancing creamy orchard fruit with bright acidity and chalky minerality. Sappy and energetic, with notes of citrus, fresh pear, and subtle white flowers, the palate is both generous and precise, finishing long, saline, and refreshingly pure. A beautifully crafted Bourgogne Aligoté with depth and character.
From a small south-facing parcel in Santenay, “Saint Jean” is a beautiful and precise wine grown on limestone-rich, stony soils. The 2023 vintage combines purity and tension with remarkable energy, offering citrus blossom, lemon zest, white peach, and subtle stone fruit layered over a distinctly saline mineral core. Focused and vibrant, the palate is driven by freshness and chalky precision, with lees ageing adding texture and depth. Long, elegant, and crystalline, this is a finely detailed Santenay with impressive balance and terroir definition.
Produced from a tiny 0.18-hectare parcel of 80-year-old Chardonnay vines in the Premier Cru “La Garenne,” this wine comes from high-altitude southeast-facing slopes at 360 metres, where thin, stony clay-limestone soils deliver precision, tension, and mineral definition. The old vines naturally produce low yields and exceptional fruit concentration while preserving freshness and transparency. The 2023 shows a classic Puligny profile: restrained and highly precise, with aromas of citrus peel, white flowers, fresh hazelnut, and crushed stone. The palate combines flesh and concentration with remarkable linearity and tension. Fine dry extract grip, chalky and vibrant tension give the wine both structure and energy, leading to a long, saline, and distinguished finish. A pure and age-worthy Premier Cru defined by finesse, terroir expression and precision.