One of Burgundy’s great strengths is its remarkable ability to reinvent itself through successive generations. A prime example is Domaine Bruno Clair, a worthy successor and latest iteration of the storied Burgundy estate, Domaine Clair-Daü.
Domaine Clair-Daü was founded in 1919 by Joseph Clair, the grandfather of today’s manager, Bruno Clair. By the end of the Great War, on the heels of phylloxera, depression, and war, Burgundy was in a sad state. Vineyards were badly neglected, and many parcels were abandoned. Joseph revitalized the vineyards, often replacing exhausted Gamay and Aligoté vines with the nobler Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
After Joseph’s son, Bernard, joined Domaine Clair-Daü in 1939, the father and son team created one of Burgundy’s most prestigious wine estates, with over 38 hectares of prime Côte-de-Nuits vineyards, including choice parcels of Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Bonnes-Mares, Musigny, Clos St-Jacques, Clos Vougeot, and Dominode.
After working alongside his father Bernard, Bruno branched out and founded his own domaine in 1979. Following Joseph Clair’s death in 1971, internal family disagreements led to the breakup and sale of Clair-Daü. With judicious planning, Bruno managed to acquire more than half of the coveted Clair-Daü vineyards, with Louis Jadot acquiring much of the remainder. Bruno successfully rebuilt the domaine, integrating Clair-Daü parcels with his own, and establishing Domaine Bruno Clair as one of the top estates in Burgundy. Recently, Bruno has begun to step back, allowing his children, Edouard, Isabelle, and Arthur, to carry the torch forward.
The estate today, headquartered in Marsannay, spans 24 hectares, including choice parcels of many of Burgundy’s finest vineyards. The viticulture is organic, with many biodynamic principles in application. The winemaking process begins with careful hand-harvesting to select only the finest grapes.Following a cold maceration of five to six days, fermentation proceeds over indigenous yeasts, with increasing stem inclusion. During cuvaison, which typically lasts between two to three weeks, the cap is managed with gentle punch-downs (pigeage) and occasional pump-overs (remontage) to ensure even extraction.
After fermentation, the wines are gently pressed using a pneumatic press, then transferred to French oak barrels (François Frères, Taransaud, and Rousseau) for aging, with a thoughtful balance of new and used wood—typically around 20-30% new oak for the premier and grand cru wines. The aging process can range from 12 to 18 months, depending on the vintage and the specific cuvée. If necessary, the wines are lightly fined and filtered before bottling.
