A visit under the best of auspices for Domaine Matrot

Adèle and Elsa Matrot have been at the helm of their eponymous estate for about ten years.
Nestled in the heart of Meursault, the estate was passed down from their parents—a true family story that lives on through the way they craft their wines.

It is Adèle and Elsa who now hold the delicate responsibility of ageing the two barrels of wine acquired by Charlois during the traditional Hospices de Beaune wine auction held this past November.

Accomplished and widely respected winemakers, the Matrot sisters set foot in the Nièvre region alongside the entire team from their estate.

This visit, organized by Louis Mangani, Sales Director at Tonnellerie Berthomieu / Ermitage, aimed to give them a full tour of the Murlin facilities—from forest to barrel, from stave mill to timber yard.
As is tradition, the day began with a walk through the Bertranges forest, discovering the exceptional oaks used in barrel-making.
“We visited once before with our parents, about ten years ago,” they recalled. “Many things have changed in the village, but the forest remains the same. It’s still just as impressive. It’s important that our entire team gets to see firsthand the time and craftsmanship it takes to produce a single barrel.”

Of Oak and Wine

The oak in question is the kind that yields the finest stave wood for barrel making.
“We use very few new barrels,” explain the sisters. “However, we’re attentive to the geographic origin of the oak, and we prefer medium-long toasting, especially for aging our white wines.”

As long-time clients of Tonnellerie Berthomieu / Ermitage, Adèle and Elsa Matrot were particularly moved by the traditional, artisanal work of the coopers at La Grange cooperage workshop.
“It’s truly impressive. It’s a beautiful craft—a real savoir-faire that continues to be passed down,” they said.

Their interest in barrels is clear:
“We like oak to be discreet, subtle, and harmonious. What matters most to us—what gives our wines their reputation—is the terroir, the fruit.”

For the whites, only 10% of their production is aged in new barrels, and 20% for the reds.

Tested and Approved

Just a few days ago, Louis Mangani visited Domaine Matrot alongside Elsa, Adèle, and their cellar master Gaël to taste the 2024 vintages and assess the influence of new barrels on both white and red wines.

“Louis plays an advisory role, which is very important to us. He’s our link with the coopers. Based on what we want and what we taste, he guides our choices—origin of the stave wood, barrel size, aromatic toasts. We fine-tune things, and once we’ve found the right formula, we don’t change it,” explains Adèle.

“Our job isn’t just to sell barrels,” Louis Mangani adds. “We’re also here to advise. There’s a real closeness. I’ve known Adèle and Elsa for a long time—I knew their parents too. I really appreciate their approach to wine aging: subtle and refined. That’s also why I wanted to entrust them with the two barrels acquired by Charlois during the traditional Hospices de Beaune wine auction. I know the results will be outstanding.”

A challenge the sisters were quick to accept. “It was a lovely gift from Louis. A little more work, yes—but all for a good cause,” they said.

The two barrels in question? A Meursault-Genevrières, Cuvée Baudot for the white, and a Corton Grand Cru, Cuvée Charlotte Dumay for the red.

“Even though the barrels are new, I’d say things are looking quite good,” note Adèle and Elsa. “We’ll taste again in a few weeks. If the wines are too marked, we’ll transfer them to other barrels. We treat them exactly as we do our own—fifteen months of aging in oak barrels.”

Before heading back to Meursault, the entire team made a final stop at the Tonnellerie Berthomieu / Ermitage for a hands-on visit of the barrel-making workshop.

“It’s really valuable to see and understand how the barrels we use are made—the importance of the wood, of the toast. The steam-bending process [a specialty of Tonnellerie Berthomieu / Ermitage] is truly impressive,” says Gaël, the estate’s cellar master.
“It was technically a day off for us—but an incredibly enriching one for everyone.”

The Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, the oldest charity wine auction in the world (since 1859), is held each year in November and organized by Sotheby’s, on behalf of the Hospices.

The proceeds from the auction go toward funding Beaune’s hospital facilities and supporting humanitarian organizations. In 2024, the funds benefited Médecins Sans Frontières and the Global Gift Foundation, which works to improve the lives of vulnerable children, women, and families.

Buyers of wine barrels—referred to as “pièces”—can choose the winemaker responsible for aging the wine. The wines sold at the auction come from vines donated to the Hospices over the centuries.

Each year, Charlois acquires one barrel. This year, we purchased two pièces of wine, with the aging entrusted to Domaine Matrot.