Winery of the CRAS

The former owner had already built a cellar and planted 8 hectares of vines (5 hectares for red and 3 hectares for white) on land classified Burgundy AOC, with the possibility of planting 13 more hectares.

A call for proposals was issued to determine who would be responsible for winemaking. The main criteria were:
1. Organically farmed vineyards
2. The winemaker had to be a young viticulturist without an existing family vineyard
3. Agreement to open the Winery the public for educational tours.

In 2014, the "winner", Marc Soyard was chosen. The city of Dijon gave him the opportunity to live on Winery, to look after the vines, to produce and sell his own wines. Marc Soyard has to pay a rental fee to the city of 2000 bottles per year. The city of Dijon has chosen other young farmers to manage other projects on the remaining 140 hectares of Winery de la Cras.

But who is Marc Soyard? Originally from a non-wine growing family from the Jura, Marc worked for six years at Winery Bizot in Vosne Romanée as a vineyard manager. He also worked in the cellar with Jean-Yves Bizot to better understand the winemaking process. It is therefore only logical that Marc has adapted to Winery de la Cras the same natural philosophy learned at Winery Bizot. Thus, all the vines are cultivated organically with biodynamic practices.

Depending on the vintage, the red wines are made from partial or 100% whole clusters. The entire winemaking process is carried out using natural yeasts and with minimal sulfur addition. Aging involves a traditional combination of new and used barrels, along with numerous experimental approaches. Winery official appellation Winery Bourgogne AOC, but the Winery la Cras is the only producer authorized to use the “Coteaux de Dijon” designation. Winery la Cras produces two reds and two whites. The “Coteaux” cuvée comes from the lower-altitude vineyards, while the “Cras” cuvée comes from the steepest, best-exposed vineyards at higher elevations. Marc Soyard also personally owns two small plots of Pinot Noir further south in the Côte d’Or—Bourgogne Rouge vines near Ladoix that he calls Hermaïon and a second plot in the Hautes Côte de Nuits.