The Domaine

Honoring our heritage while incorporating innovation and sustainable practices

The pursuit of quality means that we must constantly perfect our methods and techniques, while climate change means that we have to make innovative choices in order to safeguard and protect this unique heritage.

Our family

From Pommard to Volnay

The Buffet family first settled in Volnay in 1692. However, the Domaine’s winemaking heritage began in the 19th century. Today, Marc-Olivier oversees the Domaine, using his expertise and passion to carry on the family’s winemaking tradition.

Our philosophy

Let our exceptional terroir speak for itself

In order to express our terroir and produce wines that are different from each other, we cultivate our vines to bring the soil to life. We plant seedlings at the end of the summer and use biodynamic methods on certain plots. We don’t use herbicides; we observe the plants to understand the state of the soil; ploughing, racking and bottling are done according to the lunar cycles; compost is preferred to chemical fertilisers, etc. Currently, the Domaine is in the process of converting to organic farming.

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We respect the terroir and the environment by limiting disruptive human influences in the winemaking process.
Our history

Five generations of passion and expertise

In a nod to our family’s long tradition of working the land, we have returned to old-fashioned methods such as horse-drawn ploughing.

  • 1971
    Marc-Olivier Buffet

    Since his arrival in 2005, Marc-Olivier has introduced new techniques such as Guyot Poussard pruning and permaculture principles to prepare the Domaine for climate change.

  • 1939
    Jacques Buffet

    Jacques completed 40 harvests between 1965 and 2004. It was during these years that the Domaine began to expand internationally and took part in its first wine fairs. It was also a period of modernisation of the cultivation methods and equipment, in particular with the arrival of the new horizontal screw press and the end of the bucket destemmer bought by Léon in 1932.

  • 1911-1965
    François Buffet

    It was a period of great change in viticulture. In 1954, the “Mascotte” and “Bibi” horses and their tools (ploughs and scooters) were replaced by revolutionary equipment: the high-clearance tractor! Fruit trees, peach and cherry trees, and asparagus were also removed from the rows of vines.

  • 1873-1953
    Léon Buffet

    At that time, the greatest test was replacing our vines after being infected with grape phylloxera. The other major event was of course the First World War, during which Léon was drafted. His wife Marie and his mother Clémence took over the viniculture and winemaking.

  • 1813-1894
    Claude Buffet

    Claude, Léon’s father, was not only a vine-grower and winemaker, he also used the French stamp in 1849 for his business correspondence.