Domaine Enivrance

History of the Estate

How was your Estate founded? Who founded it? What motivated you?

Nicolas Pieron – The Estate was founded in two phases. From 1950 - 1975, the vines belonged to Gabriel and Andrée Jaspard, who tilled the land on horseback and with picks. Their son Georges took over and then their grandson Damien from 2013 - 2019. I worked as a vineyard worker at Château de Vaux, then worked for two years in Alsace, then back in Moselle with Oury-Schreiber, to end up working for Damien. I made my first vintage called Enivrance, when I was still working for them as an employee in 2019. I took over running his vines and cellar when he decided to stop working, I then bought his equipment and on 1st January 2020 Domaine Enivrance was born.

What training do you have?

NP - I have no formal training in viticulture, I have a STAE Baccalaureate (Science and technologies of development and environment). A little fun fact for you, the only contact I had had with wine at that point was when I bought €4-bottles of wine for celebrating with my mates! I fell into wine by chance really when I started working at Château de Vaux after they had advertised a job vacancy. I stayed there for 8 years, and that is where I met Damien Jaspard.

Wine tourism services

What wine tourism services do you provide on the Estate?

NP – Last year, we organised a barbecue in the vines to bring people back together after the lockdown and to sell some wine. We went on a circular trail in the vines and then came back down to taste the wine. I also have a partnership with the gite des Coquelicots in Marieulles.

Projects

What future plans do you have for your Estate? 

NP – I have started the organic certification process and am implementing an agroforestry approach where trees are planted in the vineyards to bring life back into the soils and promote biodiversity. The trees protect the vines from hail, rain, and sun. The idea is to mimic the vines natural environment. The vine is a creeper after all and is a forest plant that likes “having its roots in the shade and the head in the sun.” I also try not to cut the grass and weeds to maintain as much life in the soil as possible and to give an aromatic diversity to the grapes.
I would also like to plant 1.2 acres of red wine vines at some point, however it is not on the books yet.

Current situation

What is your Estate’s surface area and geographic situation?
NP – The Estate has approximately 5 acres of vines that are already well established and have taken root in Vezon, on the side of a south-east facing hill overlooking the Seille Valley.

Could you tell us about your production? What sort of products do you sell on the Estate? How much do you produce, how many bottles?

NP – I produce around 9,000 bottles when it is a good year.
My production philosophy is to add nothing to them, no yeasts, no sulphites, just 100% pure grape juice ideally. I do not necessarily stop myself from adding things if it is needed, but ideally, I would prefer not to. These wines are called “natural” wines.
I have from 9 to 10 different vintages in total, of which 3 to 4 PDO vintages.
I mainly cultivate auxerrois (85%), 10% pinot noir and a small percentage of pinot meunier (non PDO).

How would you describe the three wines you have selected? 

NP – The first one is called “Julia” (after my wife). This wine is vinified without any additives, made from 100% auxerrois grapes, which is matured in oak barrels for 12 months. This is without a doubt one of my most successful vintages.
The second one is quite simply called “Pinot noir,” made from 100% pinot noir grapes that are also vinified without additives. The wine is then matured in vats to keep the fruity element of the wine. 
The third vintage is called “Andrée,” as a tribute to the person who planted the vines. I wanted to leave the Jaspard family’s mark on the history of the Estate. Andrée Jaspard worked in the vines all her life, and without her and her family, we would not be where we are now. Today she is 90 and even came to help me label the bottles in 2019. This wine is a blend of 90% auxerrois and 10% pinot noir infused in the white grapes’ juice.