Clarisse de Suremain

Clarisse de Suremain is the daughter of a violinist and has played classical piano herself from the age of 4 to 24. However, after going to business school, getting her master’s degree and working for two years for a consulting company, Clarisse realized that she was living a life that was too far from what she really wanted. As she is also the niece of Eric de Suremain from Château de Monthelie, who has 30 years of experience in biodynamics, the road to the world of wine was paved.

Her studies in viticulture in Beaune were – in her uncle’s spirit – followed by what was basically three years of working in the vineyards for biodynamic winegrowers. Clarisse especially emphasizes the work for David Didon as her most important mentor in biodynamic farming. In 2019, she got hold of her first plot of Aligoté followed by plots in Pommard and Volnay, all of which are grown organically. Little by little, the acreage has grown – Clarisse has also inherited a plot of land from her grandfather in Monthelie – and today covers 2.5 hectares. She supplements her own yield by buying grapes from areas just north of Beaune and Chablis.

The cellar work is inspired by natural producers in Burgundy, and Clarisse does what she can to avoid using sulphur throughout the process. Hence, the style of Clarisse de Suremain is unmanipulated, but with an impressive purity, precision and freshness. There is a seriousness about the wine, which can easily be enjoyed now, but will only gain from ageing or with air to unfold.