In 2013, the city of Dijon purchased a 160-hectare agricultural property called Domaine de la Cras, located just outside the city limits. The former owner had already built a winery and planted 8 hectares of vineyards (5ha red and 3ha blanc) on land classified under the Bourgogne AOC, with a possibility to plant an additional 13 hectares. An open call for proposals was held to decide who would take over the winemaking, with the primary criteria being that the vineyards had to be farmed organically, the winner had to be a young winemaker with no existing family vineyards, and he/she must be interested in opening the domaine to the public for educational visits.

After Marc Soyard was chosen, he was given free rein to live on-site at the domaine, tend to the vineyards, and produce and sell his own wines, under the condition that he pay a yearly “rent” in bottles to the city of Dijon. Originally from a non-winemaking family in the Jura, Marc worked for six years at Domaine Bizot in Vosne Romanée as vineyard manager, while also working in the cellar closely with Jean-Yves Bizot to learn the winemaking process.

Marc has adapted the same hands-off, natural philosophy to Domaine de la Cras that he learned at Domaine Bizot. All of the vineyards are farmed organically with some biodynamic practices. Depending on the vintage, the reds are either partial or fully whole-cluster. All vinification is done with natural yeasts and minimal addition of sulfur. Elevage is traditionally executed in a combination of new and used barrels, with frequent experimentation using different types of wood in small amounts, including the traditional oak from various forests, as well as chestnut and acacia barrels.

Tercet is a partnership between Marc Soyard of Domaine de la Cras and Florent Lambert, a vineyard manager in the Côte d’Or. The two friends originally met in viticulture school, and Tercet is the realization of their dream for two outsiders to make wine together in Burgundy. They have each taken their own path. Marc took over Domaine de la Cras in 2014, while Florent is responsible for farming several hectares of vines in prestigious appellations in the Cotes de Nuits. Or course, with the name Tercet, there is a third partner, who brings an extensive network of connections in the Cote d’Or.

Their vision is to work together to create a focused offering of exceptional wines vinified by Marc Soyard according to his house style. All wines are vinified and bottled by Marc Soyard at his cellar in Plombières-lès-Dijon using indigineous yeasts and minimal intervention. Several of the cuvées are made from grapes grown by one of the partners in vineyards they farm themselves, while others are vinified using organically farmed grapes purchased from friends.

The resulting wines are Tercet’s purely delicious expression of the salient terroirs of Burgundy, carefully selected and expertly crafted.