Jean-Paul Pando | Domaine La Mutine
Vezelay - Burgundy | FRANCE
Founded in 2022 by Jean-Paul Pando, Domaine La Mutine is a young, 2.5-hectare estate in the northern Burgundian appellation of Vézelay. After years working in the restaurant world, Jean-Paul retrained in viticulture and oenology, driven by a desire to craft wines of honesty and precision—true to their place, unadorned by artifice.
The vineyards, planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the rare Melon de Bourgogne, are rooted in shallow clay-limestone soils that lend the wines their hallmark clarity and minerality. Farming is fully organic, carried out by hand with minimal mechanisation, following the rhythm of the seasons. Each parcel is treated individually, with a focus on balance in the vine and biodiversity in the surrounding ecosystem.
In the cellar, Jean-Paul favours spontaneous fermentations with indigenous yeasts, no additions, and minimal sulphur. The wines are neither fined nor filtered, allowing the nuance of site to come through unmasked. His approach yields a range that is both vivid and precise: a bright, supple Pinot Noir; an elegant, mineral-driven Chardonnay from “Les Champs Cadet”; and a taut, saline Melon de Bourgogne rarely seen in this corner of Burgundy.
Domaine La Mutine stands as a quiet but confident voice in Vézelay’s new generation—producing wines of freshness, finesse, and soul, shaped gently by human hands and guided entirely by nature.
A rare glimpse of Melon de Bourgogne from the limestone hills of Vézelay, grown alongside Chardonnay on the same sunlit slope. The wine shimmers with quiet tension—citrus zest, crushed shell, and white blossom glide over a taut mineral backbone drawn from shallow limestone soils. Nine months on fine lees in stainless steel lend gentle texture and saline depth, while keeping the palate bright and linear. A vivid, refreshing interpretation of this seldom-seen Burgundian variety, alive with precision and energy.
Winemaker | Jean-Paul Pando
Region | Vézelay, Burgundy, France
Variety | Melon de Bourgogne
Vintage | 2024
Viticulture | Organic
Soil | Shallow limestone
Exposure | South-facing, 10 % slope
Élevage | 9 months on lees in stainless steel
Vinification
Hand-harvested from organically farmed vines of Melon de Bourgogne and Chardonnay planted side by side on thin limestone soils. Fermented spontaneously with native yeasts, then aged nine months on fine lees in stainless steel. Bottled unfiltered, with minimal sulphur, this wine reflects the precision and salinity of Vézelay’s terroir—pure, tense, and quietly distinctive.
A poised and mineral-driven Chardonnay from the limestone slopes of Vézelay. “Les Champs Cadet” captures the quiet precision of Jean-Paul Pando’s work—vibrant citrus and white stone fruit glide across a fine saline spine, underpinned by the tension of shallow limestone soils. Nine months of élevage on fine lees in stainless steel lend texture and gentle weight, without masking its crystalline freshness. A wine of restraint and purity, where fruit, soil and touch come into perfect balance.
Winemaker | Jean-Paul Pando
Region | Vézelay, Burgundy, France
Variety | Chardonnay
Viticulture | Organic
Vintage | 2023
Soil | Shallow limestone
Exposure | South-facing, 10 % slope
Élevage | 9 months on lees in stainless steel
Vinification
Hand-harvested Chardonnay from organically farmed south-facing slopes on thin limestone soils. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts and aged for nine months on fine lees in stainless steel, without fining or filtration. A minimal-intervention approach preserves the wine’s clarity and minerality, resulting in a pure, finely etched expression of Vézelay terroir.
A supple, finely etched Pinot Noir from the northern reaches of Burgundy, just beside Irancy. The 2023 Bourgogne Rouge carries vibrant red cherry, wild strawberry, and gentle spice over a framework of fine tannins and lifted freshness. Whole-cluster fermentation brings aromatic lift and structure, while the blend of stainless steel and seasoned oak ageing preserves both fruit purity and textural depth. Elegant yet unforced, this is a quietly confident Burgundy—vivid, pure, and full of life.
Winemaker | Jean-Paul Pando
Region | Yonne, Burgundy, France
Variety | Pinot Noir
Vintage | 2023
Viticulture | Organic
Soil | Clay, limestone, and sand
Élevage | 9 months (60% stainless steel, 40% old oak)
Vinification
Hand-harvested Pinot Noir from vineyards near Irancy, grown on a mix of clay, limestone, and sandy soils. Whole-bunch maceration for 8–10 days with indigenous yeasts encourages gentle extraction and aromatic complexity. The wine is then aged for nine months—60% in stainless steel, 40% in three-year-old barrels—before bottling without fining or filtration. A minimal-intervention approach that lets the northern Burgundian terroir speak through its purity and finesse.