Claire Naudin: Higher Reaches of the Côtes
Photo courtesy of Jojo Madrid
Most of Burgundy is structured based on hierarchy. Village, on to Premier Cru, then Grand Cru, each rung a little further up the hill and a little further up in price. Climb high enough above those famous slopes, though, and the hierarchy starts to blur. Up in the Hautes-Côtes, where the land sits cooler and the parcels carry no grand reputation, one winemaker has spent 3 decades arguing that this is where some of Burgundy’s most honest wine is actually made.
The Winemaker and the Land
Claire Naudin runs Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand from Magny-lès-Villers, the one village that straddles both the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune and the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. She studied geology and agronomy, worked vintages in Australia and New Zealand, and took the family estate over from her father Henri in 1994. The domaine now spans roughly 22 hectares, the bulk of it in regional and village-level Hautes-Côtes parcels, with smaller, prized holdings in Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Échezeaux.
What sets Claire apart is less her address than her ethos. She has farmed organically since the 1990s. However, she refuses official certification. She fears rigid standards flatten the unique differences she aims to preserve.
Claire openly criticizes the AOC system. She argues it adapts too slowly to a changing climate. Because of this, several cuvées carry the looser Vin de France designation instead. Her cellar approach stays equally consistent. She relies on native yeast and minimal sulfur. The wines undergo long aging on lees. Wherever vintage allows, she leaves them unfined and unfiltered.
Named by Nature: The Wines & Philosophy
Walk through her range, and you will notice a trend. Most Hautes-Côtes cuvées take their names from vineyard wildflowers.
Options include Orchis Mascula (wild orchid), Viola Odorata (violet), and Myosotis Arvensis (forget-me-not). Others feature Bellis Perennis (common daisy) or Clematis Vitalba (wild clematis).
These aren’t made-up marketing names. Her father identified these parcels long before the region gained prestige. To Claire, these flowers reflect the vineyard biodiversity shaping her philosophy. That same restraint applies across her entire lineup, including grand cru Échezeaux and Premier Cru Les Damodes. Naudin’s wines are famous for their transparency, delicacy, and intense character.
She prioritizes seasonal terroir over predictable, standardized flavor profiles. Critics often notice a distinct trademark in her bottle. They call it honesty.
Photos courtesy of Jaime Jalandoni
Powerful and Aromatic Wine
“The signature of our wine can be summed up in two words: aromatic power,” explains Claire, telling us that she isn’t into wines that are taut in the extreme. “The unique features of the Pinot varietal and its rich aromatic potential allow us to obtain wines that reflect the terroir, powerful and harmonious. For the whites, I strive for excellent maturity and aromatic complexity, without fear of the sugar levels. Our Chardonnays are rich and textured.”
Claire Naudin, iDealwine interview
THE WINES
THE WHITES
Bourgogne Aligoté Mallon 2023
Named for Raphaël Mallon, the artist behind its original label, this Aligoté comes from parcels in Magny-lès-Villers and Villers-la-Faye on clay-limestone soil. Citrus peel, white flowers and a saline edge make this an approachable entry into Claire’s range.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2023
Pear, chamomile and a chalky finish reflect the brighter, higher-altitude character Claire prizes in her Hautes-Côtes de Beaune fruit.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2023
Citrus zest and orchard fruit carry through a linear, nervy palate, cooler in profile than its Beaune counterpart and built for the table rather than the cellar.
Le Clou 34 2023
Claire’s signature Aligoté, sourced from five parcels planted between 1934 and 1953 on under a hectare of land. Exotic florals and stone fruit fold into a dense, persistent palate built on extended lees contact and very low sulfur.
Aligoté A023 2023
A newer addition to Claire’s Aligoté lineup, made along the same low-intervention lines as Le Clou 34, with a leaner, more citrus-driven profile.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Clématis Vitalba 2023
Named Clematis Vitalba for the wild clematis growing through the vines, this comes from Les Tilles, the parcel Claire considers one of her finest Chardonnay sites. Whole-cluster pressed and aged on lees for about a year: white flowers, citrus pith and a stony finish.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Clématis Vitalba 2022*
The 2022 shows slightly riper stone fruit alongside the same briny drive and bright acidity that define this cuvée.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Bellis Perennis 2023
Named for the common daisy, this Chardonnay comes from the climat En Daisez, at the top of the slope between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune. Vanilla and baking spice from partial new oak frame ripe orchard fruit.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Bellis Perennis Élevage 2022
A more extended expression of the same Bellis fruit, gaining additional texture and spice from more time spent in barrel.
THE REDS
BiNaume Le Gamay de Bully 2024
A joint project between Claire and her husband, Vosne-Romanée producer Jean-Yves Bizot. Fermented whole-cluster with light extraction, this Gamay leans closer to Burgundian Pinot Noir in feel than to Beaujolais, full of crunch and spice.
Côte de Nuits-Villages 2023
The most classical wine in Claire’s range, built for structure and cellar potential, with darker fruit and firmer tannins than her Hautes-Côtes reds.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2023
Red cherry and crushed flowers define this entry-level Pinot Noir, made the same way as every wine in Claire’s range: native yeast, gentle extraction, no shortcuts in the cellar.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Orchis Mascula 2023
Named for the wild orchid and sourced from Hautes-Côtes de Beaune sites her father singled out decades ago, this was the first of Claire’s flower cuvées and remains one of her most recognizable wines. Red cherry, wild strawberry and rose petal ride on grainy tannins.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Myosotis Arvensis 2023
Myosotis Arvensis, or forget-me-not, is the namesake here, drawn from a mix of young and mature vines across several Hautes-Côtes de Nuits parcels for a Pinot Noir that leans toward immediate charm rather than structure.
Côte de Nuits-Villages Viola Odorata 2023
Sourced from five lieux-dits around Corgoloin, some vines over a century old and among Henri’s favorite parcels, this violet-scented Pinot Noir carries rose petal, red berries and savory spice through a haunting finish.
Côte de Nuits-Villages Viola Odorata 2022*
The 2022 offers a touch more density while keeping the same violet, red berry and spice signature that makes this cuvée Claire’s emotional centerpiece.
THE CRUS
Aloxe-Corton Vieilles Vignes 2023
Partly sourced from vines planted in 1910 on the lieu-dit Les Crapousuets, a slope steep enough to have escaped the 1956 frost that devastated much of Burgundy. The result is concentrated and floral, full-bodied yet kept in check by Claire’s restraint.
Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes 2023
From vines bordering the Vosne-Romanée appellation, Les Damodes combines the backbone typical of Nuits-Saint-Georges with a perfume that leans toward its famous neighbor.
Échezeaux Grand Cru 2023
Hand-picked in the morning from the parcel Les Rouges du Bas, this is the only wine in Claire’s range vinified with full stems. Fifteen days of cuvaison, gentle pigeage and fifteen months in barrel with 60% new oak give a Grand Cru built on perfume and transparency rather than sheer weight.
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