Domaine des Grands Pans

Domaine des Grands Pans is one of the most exciting new discoveries we have made in Auvergne for quite some time. Corinne and Jean-Marie Bonny work with just over one hectare in Saint-Sandoux, south of Clermont-Ferrand, and the small scale is entirely deliberate: it allows them to follow every detail in the vineyard and give the wines all the time they need in the cellar.

The story began in 2017, when they took over a steep vineyard that had lain fallow for more than 50 years. After two years spent clearing and restoring the land, they planted Pinot Noir and Savagnin in 2019 on the south-east-facing slope of clay and limestone. Savagnin was an unusual choice for Auvergne, but far from a random one. Jean-Marie has long had a fondness for the Jura, while the grape’s natural acidity and structure seemed an ideal match for both the soil and the climate here.

From the very first vintage, the wines have shown remarkable clarity and precision. The Pinot Noir is bright and juicy with fine tannins and plenty of energy, while the Savagnin displays a very different intensity: concentrated and vibrant with pronounced acidity, great length and a saline, mouth-watering finish. These are concentrated wines but always with freshness, precision and lightness of touch.

The vineyard is farmed organically with a focus on the long-term health of the vines. They are pruned using the Guyot-Poussard method and trained with a high canopy, while vegetation between and around the rows helps encourage biodiversity. In the cellar, the approach is based on indigenous yeasts, minimal intervention and long ageing in stainless steel and used Burgundy barrels.

A small proportion of the Savagnin is allowed to develop under flor in barrel for several years. But Grands Pans is first and foremost about something else: exploring what Pinot Noir and Savagnin can express on this particular little limestone-rich slope in Auvergne.