Rebels of Wine : Domaine Sextant
Established in Saint-Aubin, Burgundy by Dominique and Catherine Derain, the two were early pioneers of organic, low-intervention wines in Burgundy. Biocert certified organic since 1989, they have been farming 5.5 hectares on their own and producing Aligoté, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from their vineyards in Saint-Aubin, along with plots in Mercurey and Gevrey-Chambertin.
For over ten years Dominique and Catherine have been assisted by winemaker Julien Altaber (above) and his partner Carole Schwab. While working under Dominique they started their own label called Sextant, making a range of slightly more adventurous wines from organic growers throughout Burgundy. After eight years at Derain, they purchased the estate from Dominique and Catherine and have been running it since. Dominique is still very present in the cellar, but you will see the names Julien and Carole on all of the wines. FYI the distinction with the labels is the Domaine is estate-grown and Sextant is from organic growers (négoce).
