Domaine de l'A

Stéphane Derenoncourt is a leading Bordeaux wine consultant; he has made wine across France and the globe. His philosophy is all about ‘an expression of place’, his place is Domaine de l’A, a 12 ha vineyard in Sainte-Colombe in Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux on the very edge of Saint Emilion and the same ‘asterides’ limestone with veins of deep clay. With no formal training but having worked as a labourer and wine maker on the right bank, he wanted to grow and make his own wine before launching into consultancy. With his wife Christine, they bought their first 2ha in 1999 and Domaine de l’A was born. In 2023, after 20 years, he handed the consultancy over to his team of young oenologists. He now concentrates on the property working with his son Theo.
His signature is plot by plot, precision viticulture, they have always farmed organically, although only recently certified. The cellar is built from 100% natural materials, and the wine is plot by plot fermented in small, wooded vats, not always 100% destemmed (he has interesting thoughts about stems and climate change) using indigenous yeasts with gentle extraction. The wine is stunning. There’s a tiny 0.2 ha plot of Chardonnay if you can find it.