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Maison Uliz / Antoine Petitprez
Antoine Petitprez consults on organic and biodynamic viticulture to a string of high profile clients (Meo Camuzet, Domaine JJ Confuron, Alain Meunier, Liger Bel Air, Bruno Clavelier and Domaine Dujac) who in exchange sell him grapes, enabling him to acquire superior fruit contracts, as well as an holistic view and thorough insight of the vineyards.
Antoine is part of a new, dynamic, unstoppable generation in Burgundy - taking the best of tradition, soil and winemaking to tell a story of where the wines were made.
The first vintage of Uliz was 2008, which produced 1,200 cases from small lots of old vine fruit, all of which were organically or biodynamically farmed. Before beginning Uliz, Antoine worked first in Chablis, then Domaine Malivoire in Canada, Domaine de L’Arlot in Nuits St Georges in Burgundy, and a vintage at Turley Wine Cellars in California. He sells 85% of his wine in France, of which 50% is sold to 1 & 2 star Michelin restaurants.
The Uliz label incorporates Antoine’s thumb print, which evokes the French saying, “la patte de l’homme….du vinificateur sur le vin,” which means the identity of the person translated in the wine.
In addition to his partnerships in Burgundy, Antoine works with farmers of old vine Mondeuse in the Savoie appellation.
In the cellar, Antoine uses whole-cluster fermentation with a long maceration period (3 to 4 weeks), manual punch-downs by foot and little sulphur use. The whites are fermented and aged in barrel. All the wines are bottled unfiltered.
“Bespoke” is a word that has been ruined by overuse, but I’ll use it nevertheless to describe the wines of Antoine Petitprez. Most of what little wine he makes ends up in Michelin-starred restaurants in France, leaving the rest of us to fight over the tiny amount that’s exported. This begs the question: Is it worth the effort? Well, it sure was for me. Uliz is a venture focused first and foremost on sustainable viticulture: Antoine Petitprez consults with organic and biodynamic growers in exchange for fruit from those vineyards for his wines. Impeccably crafted and resolutely natural, his are tiny-production, much-buzzed-about Burgundies—and they live up to the hype!” Ian Cauble, Master Sommelier, SOMM Select
