Press kit 2011 Contents

Introduction...... 5

The Women and the Men...... 7

Genuine, authenticated origin...... 9

The heart of the bedrock: wellspring of Bailly Lapierre...... 11

In the Bubbles family...... 12

Bubbles galore from ...... 14

Vive-la-Joie ...... 15

Our table wines: discovering origins...... 17

Bailly Lapierre in a few key figures...... 19

Visit us in the heart of the bedrock!...... 21

Crémant de Bourgogne, you said ?...... 23

Sculpture...... 25

APPENDIX

The Auxerrois region and the vine...... 29

Pinot...... 32

Memories...... 33

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 3 Bailly, our village here in , is the birthplace of the AOC Crémant de Bourgogne. Since 1972, in an underground quarry providing unique natural conditions, we have produced sparkling wines that belong to a world of enchantment. They come from superb noble grapes, hand-harvested then vinified and patiently matured. Our wines, sprung from the bedrock yet finely chiselled, carry one away with their intense, truly mineral freshness... century. th during the second half of the 18 of the half second the during th Based on the “Cassini” map made at the request of Louis 15 of Louis request the at made map “Cassini” on the Based

SAINT-BRIS-LE-VINEUX• -LE-FORT• COULANGES-LA-VINEUSE•

AND , CHAMPS, CHÂTILLON-SUR-SEINE, , ESCOLIVES, , JUSSY, MIGÉ, , , VAUX,

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 5 The Women and the Men

Our history is the story of how here in the Auxerrois, a region in the northern part of winegrowing Burgundy, men and women over generations have shaped the land on which our vineyards grow. It is this terroir –hard yet rewarding, famed for its quality from time immemorial– that binds us together.

Plowing, clearing the furrow along the row, planting, pruning all winter long... Seventy winegrowing families devote themselves to the vines year-round to ensure that the grapes, ripening in the best possible conditions, attain their finest expression. In spring and summer, they trim the canopy and debud the old wood (the vines’ reserves thus spared from useless growth). As summer turns to autumn, they harvest the grapes by hand and bring them in to the Caves Bailly Lapierre, their mutually-owned company.

Inheritors of a very long winegrowing tradition, these men and women first combined their efforts in 1972. At this time, together with others, they set up a project to create an appellation d’origine contrôlée –A.O.C.– “Crémant de Bourgogne”. In 1975, a statute officially recognised their wine: it became ’s first Crémant appellation (along with that of the Valley winegrowers).

Since then they have not ceased to refine their skills, both in vineyard and winery, their wines achieving even greater purity, balance and incisive finesse... the truly noble expression of this outstandingly original terroir.

In the villages that make up this small winegrowing area, where the geology of the soil hails from Kimmeridgian times and the landscape is shaped to the pattern of vineyards and cherry trees, our greatest pride is in making sparkling wines from the inimitable Pinot Noir grape.

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 7 Genuine, authenticated origin SAINT-BRIS-LE-VINEUX, CHITRY-LE-FORT, COULANGES-LA-VINEUSE, IRANCY…

Our Crémants combine the elegance of the grape varieties that have made Burgundy and famous with the delicate finesse of the perfect sparkle. Our wines benefit from an appellation d’origine contrôlée –A.O.C.– which attests to their outstanding level of quality, quality confirmed by the large number of awards won and ever-growing recognition worldwide.

Exactly as for still wines, it is the quality of the grapes and, thus, the quality of the work done in the vineyards which underlie the ultimate quality of Bailly Lapierre’s Crémants. Our goal is to retain in every bottle the inspirational outlook of the winegrower as he oversees the slow transformation of the fruit of his vines. In the long sequence of stages that brings forth Crémant from the grapes, each step is the object of the utmost care:

• hand-picked grapes • transport of the harvest in open-sided bins of 45kgs to eliminate any damage to the berries • airbag presses • must obtained on the basis of 100 litres of juice from 150kgs of harvest: 75% first pressing, 25% second or later pressings • both yeast and malolactic fermentations carried out, blending of separately-made wines, then preparations for bottling that is carried out after January 1st • extended maturing, 16-18 months on average, bottles inverted on racks in the unvarying natural cool and half-light of the underground cellars hewn out of the limestone bedrock. It is during this period that the wine’s natural sparkle develops • two-stage certification by the INAO (Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité): first the base wines, then the finished wines off the racks.

We stand here as a symbol, astride the historic border between the land of the Counts of Champagne and the Duchy of Burgundy.

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 9 The heart of the bedrock: wellspring of Bailly Lapierre The cellars are 50 metres underground, quarried deep in the heart of the famed Tonnerre stone, an enchanted, magical setting in which to watch over Bailly Lapierre Crémants as they age.

Located near the village of Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, not far from Auxerre in the valley, the ancestral wellspring of Bailly Lapierre since its very beginnings (in 1972) has been the ancient underground quarries, with subterranean galleries extending over more than 4 hectares (10 acres). They provide unique natural conditions that are ideal for the production of Crémants whose subtle effervescence makes them worthy of their name: • a naturally cool temperature at a constant 12°C, ideal for maturing and ageing • a naturally high level of moisture (about 80% humidity at the heart of the cellars) • soft diffused light that helps preserve the flavour and colour of fine wines. Stone from Bailly

During the Jurassic period 195 million years ago, the slow breaking-up of the Pangaean land mass gave rise to the Tethys Sea. Present-day France was completely under water. A few islands emerged, tropical in type, and the landscape would have been like the Caribbean as we know it: an island (now the Morvan), a coral barrier reef (Mailly-le-Château and Arcy-sur-Cure) and a shallow lagoon (Saint-Bris) forming a habitat for shellfish and ichthyosaurs. Slow sedimentation resulted in the build-up of great limestone deposits that erosion later cut away to form the Yonne valley and the limestone outcrops, more or less deep, that run from Courson-les-Carrières to Châtillon-sur-Seine. Thus the site at Bailly was born.

Bailly was early recognised for its stone which was first extracted in open quarries, as is clearly evidenced by the rock faces now hidden by vegetation. But the success of quarrying at Bailly was truly sealed when, in the , in 1186, acquired the site: Bailly would supply the stone for some of the greatest works in France’s architectural heritage -the Pantheon, Notre-Dame de , ... The changeover to underground extraction probably occurred towards the end of the medieval period or the beginning of Rennaissance, until quarrying finally ceased altogether at the beginning of the 20th century. At this point, the extraordinary natural conditions so suited to special conservation infused in the quarries a new life: mushroom cultivation first (1927-70), then wine cellars from 1972 onwards.

Thus, something akin to a second youth has come to Bailly’s renowned stone, basis of the subsoil and of the outstanding terroir, and exploited by man through long centuries.

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 11 The winegrowers at Bailly Lapierre grow and use the whole range of Burgundy’s finest grape varieties: Pinot Noir and Gamay for the reds, and Aligoté In the Bubbles family... for their whites. well-rounded fresh fine deep harmonious and fresh and fruity and mineral and original and balanced A delicate, longlasting sparkle whose purety reveals the lively freshness and aromatic quality of the original base wines... A balance that is the hallmark of Bailly Lapierre Crémants: from the bedrock... yet finely chiselled, carrying you away with their intense, mineral freshness. Truly an expression of Burgundy’s rich heritage.

In the unvarying coolness and soft light of the underground vaults and passages, the cellarmaster oversees the seried racks of bottles while the natural yet magical phenomenon gives rise to the sparkle and fizz.

Whichever of our brands you choose –Réserve, Rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Noir et Blanc and, specially for winelovers, original blends from Pinot Noir as well as our cuvées “Vive-la-Joie”–, you are sure to find a Crémant to set your taste buds RÉSERVE ROSÉ CHARDONNAY PINOT NOIR NOIR & BLANC going and match each moment A blend of the Appellation’s four grape This Rosé Crémant comes from lightly steeped A “Blanc de Blancs” exclusively from white A “Blanc de Noirs”, this is Bailly Lapierre’s The characters of Burgundy’s twin monarchs, of enjoyment and pleasure. varieties (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay, Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes. The first Chardonnay grapes, its maturity and balance hallmark wine –a white made from black Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, combine to give Aligoté), the wine is congenial, rounded variety brings a winey character, the second stamp it very much as a “northern” Chardonnay Pinot Noir grapes. In our villages, we love to a wine that, paradoxically, displays real and full, with a varied bouquet. A thirst- its unmistakeable aromas of red berry fruit. with a mineral edge. Everything about it is make our sparkle and bubbles from this great harmony and a fine balance. Intensely fresh, quencher, it is our easiest-drinking Crémant, A wine for easy enjoyment par excellence, elegant finesse, nothing boisterous. Along with variety which is so wonderfully at home here. fine, with definite fruit... clearcut, clean with a lovely freshness. it possesses a delicious softness free of its rich, well-rounded flesh and fruitiness, A Crémant of great character, its style full, deep anything sugary. Entirely fresh and with real it has incisively defined flavours and a truly and powerful, with a fruitiness in the mouth finesse, its mousse displays an almost frothy, winey taste... that conjures up a red... airy lightness...

750 ML 375 ML 1500 ML 750 ML 750 ML 750 ML 3000 ML 750 ML

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2010 - page 12 Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 13 And for winelovers on the lookout for something really unusual, in limited quantities, Outstanding bubbles our “Originals” - Crémants Originaux

Bubbles galore by Pinot Noir… intense deep fresh fruity and clearcut and pure and smooth and enticing Vive-la-Joie

750 ML 750 ML

RAVIZOTTE ÉGARADE GOGAILLE BAIGOULE VIVE-LA-JOIE VIVE-LA-JOIE ROSÉ

Here in Burgundy, Ravizotte is used in a Égarade, here in Burgundy, means a mysterious Faire Gogaille for a Burgundian suggests “Tuck Baigoule here in Burgundy means very • To the eye: very bright, a pale golden colour. • To the eye: a rose-hued gold with the slightest touch of orange. family for that little last-born daughter. The evening stroll (from the verb s’égarer meaning in and enjoy a hearty meal!”. This Crémant talkative! Made from Pinot Noir and Gamay, • On the nose: complex, with aromas of biscuit, ripe stone fruit, • On the nose : aromas of rose petals, biscuit, most zesty and refreshing of our Crémants, “to lose one’s way”). In close harmony with the displays a freshness full of fruit, allied to this Crémant’s initial aromas carry the strong scents of delicate blossom and sweet almonds. sweet almonds and cherry stones. with barely a trace of sweetness from the protected natural conditions that brought it forth a very smooth mouthfeel. The dosage is stamp of tart red berry fruit. In the mouth it • In the mouth: great purity and depth, with a subtle mineral touch • In the mouth: a light airiness, tender and subtle, with a delicious fresh feel, dosage, it expresses the clearcut purity of the (this Crémant is made from organically grown subtle, the wine sweetish but not heavy, its is full of fruit, vivacious and with hardly any and remarkable length. Well-balanced and substantial. the red berry fruit of the finish going on endlessly. original Pinot Noir wine. Depth and clarity are grapes harvested from selected plots, in accordance classic winey aromas of Pinot Noir mingling sweetness. Fruit-filled bubbles... the touchstone of this “ebullient” yet taut with the norms for green agriculture), it offers a with hints of certain sweet dessert wines. Underlying the birth of “Vive-la-Joie” lay a form of curiosity...This cuvée, in both white and rosé, we consider to be the flagbearer of our winery. Its Crémant which surprises with the force of its natural expression of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Irresistible bubbles... expression is the fulfillment of the skills and know-how we have developed and handed down since 1972, enriched and honed by the experience definite mineral edge. Noble bubbles... yet surprises with such concentration, depth and mineral edge. Outstanding bubbles... and research of one and all among us. It began with some astonishing discoveries in our vinothèque, the bottle library that is our living memory. Made from organically grown grapes Very often we have discovered the ‘joys’ of ageing wines – and such enjoyment! : our Crémants, when kept in certain conditions, develop a truly enhanced character. After laying in the racks for a number of months, a magical alchemy occurs. Through trial and error, we have found that the wines retain their lively freshness wholely intact provided we carry out four operations in combination: a scrupulous selection of the wine, fairly lenthy ageing, a recent dégorgement (clearing the sediment) and, prior to tasting, a period of several months during which the wines settle down. 750 ML 750 ML 750 ML 750 ML Our Crémants benefit admirably from such a combination, preserving a finesse and elegance that is rarely equalled. “Vive-la-Joie”, made with Burgundy’s two hallmark grapes, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, really is a wine for ageing ! A joy for winelovers with a taste for older vintages. Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2010 - page 14 Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 15 Our table wines: discovering origins Though our speciality is sparkling Crémant de Bourgogne, we would like to invite you to discover the other wines of our small region. Less widely renowned than their neighbours, the celebrated , these wines will surprise you by their fresh liveliness and elegance. The vineyards around Auxerre make up a veritable mosaic of terroirs, each bringing particular individuality to its Appellation. Extending over some 800 hectares (2,000 acres), retaining a human dimension thanks to its small area, the vineyards produce wine in the whole range of colours (red, white, rosé).

AOC Irancy, Red, Pinot Noir AOC Bourgogne Coulanges-la-Vineuse, The Irancy appellation covers 140 hectares (some 350 Red, Pinot Noir acres) actually in production, spread over the villages Standing on the left bank of the River Yonne, the of Irancy, Cravant and . In 2000, Irancy AOC Coulanges-la-Vineuse enables the Pinot Noir to gained recognition as an “AOC Village” and without reveal its character, an alliance of fruit and pliant a doubt is the most highly esteemed red wine from smoothness. northern Burgundy. Our Irancy offers you a whole spectrum of cherry aromas, is mouthwatering to the AOC Bourgogne Aligoté, White tasty and boasts a long fruity finish. Grown in the vineyards of the Auxerrois, the Aligoté variety on this terroir gives aromatic, lively wines, AOC Saint-Bris, White, Sauvignon full of charm. The Saint-Bris appellation covers 100 hectares (some 250 acres) now in production, situated on AOC Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Red the right banks of the Yonne valley around the The Pinot Noir has marched in triumph into village of Saint-Bris-le-Vineux. Recognition as an northern Burgundy and in the Bourgogne Pinot “AOC Village” was obtained in 2003. On this terroir Noir from Bailly Lapierre you will find once again at Saint-Bris, the Sauvignon grape generates a the fruitiness of the variety. truly floral and herby bouquet whilst losing none of its liveliness and unrivalled freshness. Such a curiosity in Burgundy where the Chardonnay reigns AOC Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre, Red, supreme. White The Appellation was defined in 1937 and reconfirmed AOC Bourgogne Chitry, White, Chardonnay in 1993. Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Bailly Lapierre The village of Chitry, between Chablis and Saint-Bris- can be enjoyed as a red or white wine, all offering le-Vineux, is one of the prettiest in the Auxerrois irresistible pleasure: region. On this terroir, Chardonnay displays rich • Côtes d’Auxerre whites display richness of aromas fruity aromas with a delicious minerally finesse. and a mineral stamp, • Côtes d’Auxerre reds possess lovely fruit, are harmonious in the mouth with a slight spiciness on the finish.

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 17 Bailly Lapierre in a few key figures • Our Company groups 430 winegrowers whose harvest goes into the production of our Crémant de Bourgogne.

• Our annual average output is 25,000 hectolitres, or nearly 3.5 million bottles (some 290,000 cases).

• Our permanent stock of 5 million bottles ensures the unvarying high quality of our Crémants. Bailly Lapierre in a few key dates • Our turnover, more than 15 million euros, continues to rise. • 1972 : founding of the Cave de Bailly • 1975 : birth of AOC Crémant de Bourgogne • We export one bottle out of 3, mainly to , • 1999 : birth of the Bailly Lapierre brand the USA and the UK. • 2010 : the Bailly Lapierre brand gets a “new look”

Iceland Norway Finland Great Canada Britain Denmark Sweden Russia Germany Ireland Benelux Czech Rep. Hungary France Switzerland Slovakia United States Macédoine Ch e� �ou � à Baill y, �epui� 1972, of America Japan China Notre village bourguignon de Bailly est le berceau de l’AOC Crémant de Bourgogne. NousL� y élaborons � depuis � 1972, dans�st une carrière de�ull pierre souterraine e qui offre ! Israel des conditions naturelles uniques, des vins effervescents d’un autre monde. Ils sont issus de raisins nobles, vendangés à la main, vinifi és et élevés patiemment. Taiwan

Nos vins sont bruts et ciselés, ils vous emportent vers une fraîcheur intensément minérale… Maynard. : Olivier - Photos www.madeinmouse.com United Arab Hong-Kong British Virgin Islands Emirates Barbados

QUAI DE L’YONNE HAMEAU DE BAILLY Singapore 89530 SAINT-BRIS-LE-VINEUX FRANCE WWW.BAILLY-LAPIERRE.FR Brazil

L’ABUS D’ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ - CONSOMMEZ AVEC MODÉRATION

Countries where Bailly Lapierre Crémants are exported New Zealand

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2010 - page 18 Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 19 Visit us in the heart of the bedrock! To enable people to discover for themselves the magic of our cellars, we are open to the public all year round. Whoever they may be -from the local area, tourists from France or farther afield-, whether they come by coach, car, motor-bike, bicycle or boat, we welcome more than 20,000 visitors each year.

Take a guided tour to find out all about our people, the stone and the secrets involved in creating our bubbles...

The Shop

After your guided tour, take the time to come and share with us your feelings about the experience, ask any questions and tell us what you would really like.

Our shop is open all year round: • on weekdays: 8a.m. - 12 noon and 2p.m. - 6:30p.m. • on weekends and national holidays: 10a.m. - 12 noon and 2p.m. - 6:30p.m.

In July and August: • on weekdays: 8a.m. - 6:30p.m. non-stop • on weekends: 10a.m. - 6:30p.m. non-stop

Closed only on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

As well as our wines and crémants from Burgundy, we have on offer a range of “produits du terroir” -small- scale traditional farm produce, unusual gifts inspired by wine, good food and Burgundy’s heritage.

Guided for individual visitors Every day from March 12 2011 - November 13 2011, between 2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (start of last visit). From November 14 2011 - March 2012, visits on weekends and national holidays only, between 3:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Group guided tours Groups of 20 or more, only by prior booking all year round. Please let us know by telephone about your provisional booking option at least 2 months before your chosen date and then confi rm your reservation in writing at least 3 weeks before that date. When a group is more than 30 minutes late, the visit will be cancelled unless you warn us beforehand of any delay. On request, guides are available in English, German or Dutch.

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 21 Crémant de Bourgogne, you said? • Grape varieties: upside down in special bins placed on a rotating Pinot Noir, Gamay (reds), Chardonnay, Aligoté base which gives 1/8 of a turn every 6 hours for 3 (whites). days, at the same time progressively righting the bottles. By the end of a week, a deposit will have • Harvesting: settled in the bidule under the capsule. Hand-picked grapes transported in open-sided crates of 45kgs to prevent any damage to the berries. • Dégorgement : The neck of the bottle, immersed in glycol at -25°C, • Yield of must: freezes and the deposit and the bidule are held Juice obtained on the basis of 100 litres from 150kgs in the lump of ice that forms. When the capsule is of grapes. undone, the pressure in the bottle expels the ice cube along with the bidule and its sediment. The • Vinification : bottle is then topped up with liqueur d’expédition, The selected musts, conveyed to the fermenting the wine reserved for the purpose which makes tanks, are transformed into the base wines (still the last taste adjustment (demi-sec, extra-dry, wine: with no bubbles) which are then blended. brut or extra-brut), and its final cork fitted. With its accessories and label in place, the bottle is ready • Tirage : for sale. The very long period between the grapes The base wines are filtered prior to bottling, which arriving in the winery and the final sale explains is carried out after the addition of the liqueur de the enormous number of bottles –some 5 million– tirage (sugar and yeast). At this time, closure is with a that are kept in the cellars. bidule, a hollow stopper fixed just under the capsule. • Two-stage certification by the INAO (Institut • Maturing on racks: National de l’Origine et de la Qualité) : The bottles are placed on special racks to obtain the first, base wines, then finished wines off the racks. sparkling mousse : the sugar and yeast added to the still wine renews fermentation, which takes place • Dosage - sugar levels in the bottle and must by law last a minimum of 9 The amount of sugar in a Crémant determines its months. At Bailly it goes on for 16-18 months and dosage: gives birth to the sparkle. The bubbles are entirely • Demi-sec: sugar level between 32 g/litre and 50 g/litre natural, with no addition of gas, the resulting • Extra-dry: sugar level between 12 g/litre and 17 g/litre pressure reaching some 6 bars. • Brut: sugar level < 12 g/litre • Extra-brut: sugar level between 0 g/litre and 6 g/litre • Remuage : (in accordance with regulation (EC) n° 607/2009 of the The added yeast forms a sediment that must be commission of 14 July 2009) removed. To do this, the bottles are arranged

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 23 Sculpture

From 1993 to 2002, Caves Bailly Lapierre held an annual sculpture exhibition during which visitors voted to designate the best work of art. The award-winning sculptor was then commissioned by Caves Bailly Lapierre to produce a work carved directly into the rock.

• La Déesse du ban des imagiers (The • Le Pierreux (The Stone Cutter), Goddess of the Sculptors’ Stone), Yves Varanguin Yves Varanguin In the Middle Ages, sculptors were known as The quarrymen, or stone cutters, cut large blocks “image-makers”. Top quality stone free of defects from the rock face and afterwards cut each block into was reserved specially for them. slabs. First, they chipped a deep furrow all round the outside of the block by hurling a pointed lance at its sides. Then they knocked wooden wedges into • Le Coche d’eau (The Riverboat), the furrow between the back of the future slab and Yves Varanguin the block and, to prise the slab free, soaked the In earlier days, this boat plied between Auxerre and wedges. Several hours later, under the pressure from Paris. It took 4 days to reach the capital downstream the swelling wedges, the slab split free. The stone is whereas 5 to 6 days were needed for a horse, easily worked when it contains its “quarry water” plodding along the towpath, to haul the vessel back but as it dries out a chemical reaction takes place, up against the current. forming a protective calcified coating. (picture on the left) • La Porte de la Paix (The Door to Peace), • L’Imagier (The Image-maker), Michel Yseboodt Robert Motti Through its wall drawings with contemporary A relief representing the hill above Bailly and the designs, this door speaks of art and beauty and at the cellar entrance. On the other side, in the round, a same time, by its couple symbolising all mankind, sculptor puts the finishing touches on a statue. it is an encouragement to peace. The vine plant and the barrel conjure up wine and the convivial • La Crémantaise (The Lady of the Crémant), pleasures we enjoy as we share a delicious wine. Jean-Pascal et Séverine Najean The first painted sculpture in our cellars. • Le Pressoir d’Henri (Henri’s Wine Press), • Bacchus, Joël Berthelot The sculptor’s father with an old-style screw press. Daniel Cornillon The Roman god of wine and his motto: In vino • La Salle des Banquets (The Banqueting Hall) veritas. Nowadays, banquets are no longer held here but exhibitions, craft shows and other similar events, notably the Christmas Market.

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 25 Appendix

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 27 The Auxerrois and the vine

In taking hold in Burgundy, the vine has moved northwards beyond the limit of its “natural” growing conditions. It has prospered here thanks only to the diligent care and effort of the winegrowers allied to the particularly favourable geology. The success of the great Burgundian vineyards is the outcome of a longstanding mutual interplay dating back to at least the late (Gallo-) Roman Empire, between man, the grape varieties he has painstakingly selected and nurtured, and the terroir to which they have adapted.

Let us go back to the 19th century. The principle of sharing out the common land had been adopted by the Convention (the French national assembly resulting from the Revolution) but over the following century it was put into effect only gradually and partially. The measure, wherever effective, led to cultivation by its new owners of land that had previously been given over to grazing or merely left unused. The consequent change in the landscape also derived from technical progress and improved commercial transport: as livestock farming developed, cultivated pastureland appeared, with hedgerows to enclose the herds. As new crops such as oil seed rape and the potato were introduced, others such as rye or an intermix of rye and wheat declined; new methods were employed to improve soils and crop rotation evolved, leaving less land fallow each Vineyards year. And the first steam engines appeared, replacing human labour for some work. Canals and later the railways facilitated the export of wine and cereals, thus fostering their development.

th Simplified land use map of the Yonne département (data: IFEN and IGN) As to production, the 19 century saw the Auxerrois vineyards reach their apogee. Prior to the from Landscape Atlas of the Yonne outbreak of phylloxera, between 1880-1890 here, the Yonne département was one of France’s Survey carried out for the Burgundy Regional Government Council (DIREN) and the Public Works Service of the Yonne (DDE) main wine-producing regions, with 40,000 hectares (some 100,000 acres) of vines –10 times the By Agence Folléa-Gautier, town and country planners, July 2008 present area! The phylloxera crisis brutally eliminated the vineyards from the landscape and led to the planting of orchards for apples and other fruit (to replace the grapes whose wine went for distilling).

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 29 The Auxerrois and the vine

“An agricultural garden”

In the Landscape Atlas of the Yonne, the area of hillside vineyards around Auxerre is defined as “agricultural gardenland”, forming landscapes of great quality. In this area, the places where the vine flourishes are limited to only certain locations. Though the slopes around Chablis are almost exclusively devoted to vineyards, south of Auxerre the vine is scattered here and there, growing only on hillsides overlooking both banks of the River Yonne. This sporadic appearance of vineyards in the landscape enhances their remarkable impact and value.

Around our villages the vine goes hand in hand with other farmland (meadows, crop fields, woodland and fallow), and the cherry orchards especially stand out as their silhouettes shaped by pruning combine with the often bare ground to form an outstanding and unusual display.

In the context of the Yonne, an agricultural département where big open fields dominate the farmland, the region around Auxerre strikes the eye very differently: here the landscape is of another order, made up of much smaller plots that combine in a jigsaw, rich in colour and visual texture, where the vine and orchards (whether for apples, pears, cherries or, indeed, hazelnuts) have pride of place. A particular feature of such crops in their cultivation is their need for human labour. The people often go up to the fields on foot to prune or harvest, bringing to the landscape a kind of “lived in” feel suggestive of expansive, fertile gardens.

These “agricultural gardens” in the Yonne are to some degree survivals that have come through past crises (notably the phylloxera invasion) to endow the present-day landscape with a stablility and visual depth that are a hallmark of perennial plant cover. Furthermore, besides their particular value as landscape, these “agricultural gardens” are important because they have become rare, covering only small, very localised areas in the département.

There are kitchen gardens, too, gardens in the stricter sense which contribute to the endearing impact of our village landscape.

Source : Landscape Atlas of the Yonne, a survey carried out for the Burgundy Regional Government Council (DIREN) and the Public Works Service of the Yonne (DDE) by Agence Folléa-Gautier, town and country planners, July 2008

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 31 Pinot Memories unknown author

The first mention of Pinot in the Yonne, in 1393 PREFACE In writing these memoirs which summarise the life of a small townsman of Burgundy from 1844 to 18X4, that is to say throughout the Second Empire and on into its successor, the Third Republic, I have no greater pretention than “Letter of remission taken from the JJ-146 No. 400 to show, however inadequately, how the winegrowing population lived out their lives in our villages and to rescue from disappearance certain of the events that I witnessed. Charles, by the Grace of God King of France, do maketh it known to all here present and in tyme to come, we have received the humble petytion of Thevenin Pertuisot, winegrower residing at St Bris en Auxerrois, his age being Chapter 1 eighty years or thereabouts, said petytion containing that, in the harvest tyme lately fynished, the said petytioneer OLD SAINT-BRIS caused to gather on a certyn day at the feast of St Remy, or thereabouts, several harvesters which he had hired, one I was born at Saint-Bris on February 24th, 1844. of them named Jehannin Roede, his age fyfteen years or thereabouts. And they took themselves to the vine that is Documents from our local history are lacking in Saint-Bris which is a pity because this small settlement, standing as it the petytioner’s, for picking the grapes. And the aforesayd petytioner said to these harvesters of whom was the said does between the Champagne region and Burgundy, must have been the site of some very important events. Jehannin, that they should put the pinos apart wythout other grapes. But this notwythstanding, the said Jehannin It is claimed that at the time of the everything related to the history of our pays (our region), public as put the other grapes wyth the pinos for which the aforesayd petytioner was sorely angry twice over lest his wines well as private documents left up to then in the care of the Church authorities, was transferred to a neighbouring village be worth less. And wyth this the aforesayd petytioner took up a cudgel and hit the said Jehannin a blow to the –Cravant, so they say- never to return to their place of origin. head. And in a trice, this Jehannin fell onto the ground. After this blow, said Jehannin went about this town of St Whatever the facts, it can be assumed on the basis of still surviving remains that Saint-Bris was for a long Bris wyth no blood nor any wound, and about four days after the said blow did he departt this life. period not only a small settlement but a fortified citadel exposed to the frequent fighting between the lords For this cause did the aforesayd petytioner take hymself awayy from this place and went where, it is not known, of Champagne and Burgundy because it stood on the very borders between the two: Saint-Bris was Burgundy and never will dare to return, fearing lest he will not have from us our pardon and pity. For whych reason We, whereas Chitry was Champagne. Even today there exists in Chitry an extensive vineyard plot called « Champagne having considered these things, given the age of the aforesayd petytioner who has been all the tyme of good living » which lies, in fact, right along the Saint-Bris village limits. and well known, wythout arrest and convyction for another misdeed or reproach, and he having no hatefulness The two villages thus had a strategic role to play, as shown by the “Castle” at Chitry, formerly a tower that is nowadays whatsoever against the said Jehannin, so have We acquitted, pardoned and dismyssed this event and case told nothing but a pile of stones, and the escape tower adjoining the church which is what has given the place its name of hereabove, with no sentence nor fine and We restore him to his good reputation and standing and impose on this “Chitry le Fort”; while at Saint-Bris there are the remains of old defensive walls and towers which ensured its safety. event everlasting silence by our prosecutor, present and to come. Apart from the struggles between lords who watched jealously over their prerogatives, there were also wars of religion : We give the command to our bailiff of and Auxerre that he should give leave to the aforesayd petytioner to use between catholics and protestants, jansenists and jesuits (ultramontanes and gallicans), there were conflicts which, as and benefit for all tyme to come far as violence is concerned, were a match for the political conflicts. wythout molesting hym in any way whatsoever, neither in his body nor his belongings. On this matter, the story goes that our hamlet of Bailly came into being as a result of religious persecution which forced And so that this will be set down and established forever, We have fixed our seal to the present, excepting our rights a group of heads of the family to leave the village and settle 2 kilometres away at a place called “Auceps” where there is in all other things. still a spring and a decrepit wall. But not feeling sufficiently safe at this place, they went over the hill and set up on the banks of the river, thus founding the hamlet of Bailly. Done at Paris in the month of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand three hundred and nynty three, the For a long period Saint-Bris was surrounded by strong walls whose remnants can still be seen, though the elements wear them away and destroy them day in day out. fifteenth of our reign. Until the Revolution, Saint-Bris had three churches : that of Saint-Bris which is the present-day church, one of Goix–les- Present by the summons of the King the patriarch Lexande, the archbysshop of Bezançon, the bysshops of Langres, Saint-Bris and one of Grissy-les-Saint-Bris. The church of Goix-les-Saint-Bris stood in the middle of the outlying district of and others severally of the Council. and the one of Grissy not far from where there is still the statue of being Stoned. When the Three Estates were summoned to convene before the Revolution, the names of the three curch incumbents were listed by name and with their positions. I have seen this document with my own eyes. Some very interesting remains of old Saint-Bris can still be seen in the Senoy woods. Their shapes are of old towers and ditches which by their number and the extent of their perimeter show that there was a kind of stronghold at the place which would have played a significant role either in the struggles between the lords of Burgundy and Champagne or as forts where the robber barons and highwaymen, who at certain periods existed in large numbers, could hole up in. What makes this version very likely is that, in response to the violent misdeeds of these thieving cutpurses, a royal order prescribed the dismantling of these vultures’ forts. What survives of them today is carefully maintained by the present owner Mr Henri Soisson and lovers of antiquities find great interest in these remains. …

Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2010 - page 32 Bailly Lapierre - PRESS KIT - 2011 - page 33 : Olivier Maynard, Stéphane Perche, Victor Picon, Bailly Lapierre, X - Printed on recycled FSC certified X - Printed on recycled papers. Picon, Bailly Lapierre, Victor Stéphane Perche, Maynard, : Olivier

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