Why it matters
The producer
At 37, Nathalie Richez redirected her professional life toward wine. She joined a Wine College in Beaune and graduated with a degree in Winery Management in 2009. Two years later, she founded Domaine Nathalie Richez, turning formal training into a working winery in Chagny.
The wines carry that direct beginning. Petites Combes puts pretty Pinot fruit, tenderness and earth-kissed flavour into a clean regional red. Beauregard moves to darker fruit, a fuller, more succulent feel and a touch of smoke. The range has a clear change of register, from open and breezy to deeper and more worked.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The winery stands at 15 rue du Nantil in Chagny, where the Côte de Beaune meets the Côte Chalonnaise. That address places the domaine between two Burgundy subregions, and the labels make the distinction visible. Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Rouge Petites Combes carries a broader regional appellation, while Santenay 1er Cru Rouge Beauregard names a more specific Santenay premier cru wine.
The geography is modestly stated because the supplied wines provide no altitude, slope or climate claim. What can be read clearly is the movement from a regional Côte Chalonnaise bottle to a Santenay 1er Cru bottle, with fruit, texture and freshness changing along the way.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
All grapes are hand-harvested into crates and transported directly to the winery. The short journey from vine to cellar keeps the fruit in good condition before fermentation, so the starting material arrives intact instead of being left to deteriorate in the field or during handling.
That care fits the frank, transparent character attributed to the wines. The method does not need heavy explanation in the glass. Petites Combes keeps its Pinot fruit tender and clean, while Beauregard carries a darker, more succulent register. The latter is a small wine, typically four barrels, with 25 percent new oak, one new cask out of four.
Wines to know
The range in view
Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Rouge Petites Combes is the more immediately open red. Its pretty Pinot fruit feels breezy without becoming slight. Tenderness runs through the palate, while earth-kissed flavours add depth and keep the wine from feeling thin. The finish is clean, giving the bottle a light-footed but complete shape.
Santenay 1er Cru Rouge Beauregard occupies the deeper end of the range. Its fruit is darker and more somber, yet freshness remains present. The texture turns more succulent, and a tinge of smoke adds a darker edge. Its usual four-barrel production and 25 percent new oak belong to this bottle's more worked register, not to every wine made at the domaine.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Rouge Petites Combes is the bottle to open first. It names the Côte Chalonnaise on the label and brings Pinot character into the glass through pretty fruit, tenderness, earth-kissed flavour and a clean finish. Its breezy feel makes the wine immediately readable, while its depth prevents it from disappearing after the first mouthful.