Catherine & Laurent Delaunay, photo from Badet Clément

Laurent Delaunay of Maison Edouard Delaunay in Bourgogne (Burgundy) as well as Badet Clément and under that many estates and DVP or Domaines et Vins de Propriété joins the show to discuss his amazing story of loss and triumph in Bourgogne (Burgundy).

Laurent’s family wine ties stretch back to 1771 in the Loire, but the Delaunay name was made as one of the historic great houses of Bourgogne. The domaine began in 1893 and by the 1920s, the wines of the Delaunay’s could be found in top restaurants in around France and beyond -- The Ritz in London, Raffles in Singapore – and in the prestigious travel companies of the time -- the French Line, the Orient Express, Wagons-Lits, Cunard, Air France. The Delaunays also distributed the wines for producers like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and the Liger-Belair family (La Romanée), and helped create the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin in 1934.

But with many twists and turns, in 1989 the family lost control of the Domaine and Laurent Delaunay, fresh out of enology school, was forced to forge his own path with his enologist wife, Catherine. What the two managed to accomplish is mind-boggling and as you will hear, Laurent managed a feat in Burgundy few could.

This show is about Laurent but also some key facts about Burgundy – he is also the President of the BIVB, or the Bourgogne /Burgundy Wine Board. (Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne)

Here are the show notes:

Laurent gives us details on the remarkable rise of his career after the heartbreaking sale of his family estate, how he and his wife Catherine built Les Jamelles from absolutely nothing to a big, respected brand, and his unbelievably triumphant return to Burgundy and re-purchase of the Edouard Delaunay estate.
We discuss the DVP - Domaines & Vins de Propriété, a marketing and distribution company for more than 250 small, high quality, family owned brands in Burgundy, Beaujolais, Rhône, Provence, and Languedoc-Roussillon. Here is the link to see which brands Laurent’s group works with. I know I’ll be looking for them – he has great taste!

Edouard Delaunay wines

We discuss the Edouard Delaunay wines, their young, award winning winemaker, Christophe Briotet, and some of the flagship wines at each level. We discuss Laurent’s relationship with Total Wine in the US (his wines are distributed elsewhere, so if you aren’t in the States you can still get them!)

Christophe Briotet, photo from Maison Edouard Delaunay

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I ask Laurent to switch to his role as the BIVB president: I ask a bunch of questions I've always had about Burgundy...I mean Bourgogne...

Burgundy or Bourgogne? What should we be calling the region?
Once and for all, is Beaujolais part of Burgundy?
What is happening with climate change in Burgundy?
What does he think about the fact that the top wines are so expensive and the prices for many of the Village wines have gone up dramatically?
How do we do tourism in Bourgogne? He provided this Wine Tourism Guide published by BIVB that includes much information about visiting Bourgogne including a broad list of participating vignerons who welcome visitors

A fantastic show with one of the most modest, yet dynamic figures in French wine today! Go try Laurent’s wines of Edouard Delaunay—they are fantastic and he is a wonderful person!

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Ep 428: Laurent Delaunay of Maison Edoua...