In 1998, Vauthier co-founded Aux Crieurs de Vin in Troyes, one of France’s first natural-wine bars. For more than a decade he championed growers who defied convention, introducing avant-garde bottles to curious drinkers. The bar quickly became a hub for natural-wine lovers and remains a Troppo favorite and a must-go stop along the wine route into France. After studying oenology in Belleville, he honed his skills in Beaujolais and spent time overseas in the state of Washington, where the scale and standardisation of industrial winemaking showed him what he wanted to avoid. Returning to France, he apprenticed under Philippe Pacalet, a pioneer of low-intervention Burgundy, whose philosophy left a lasting imprint. By 2009, Vauthier sold his share in Aux Crieurs de Vin and launched Vini Viti Vinci in Avallon.
Vineyards and Terroir
Unlike most Burgundian winemakers, Vauthier never inherited vineyards. Instead, he sources grapes “on the vine” from trusted organic and biodynamic farmers across northern Burgundy. Buying grapes this way allows him to control harvest quality with his own crew, ensuring pristine fruit.
His fruit comes from overlooked appellations—Chitry, Irancy, Epineuil, Coulanges-la-Vineuse, Tonnerre—where limestone-rich soils and a cooler climate yield wines of freshness and precision. Pinot Noir dominates the reds, with Chardonnay and Aligoté shaping the whites. A splash of César still finds its way into Irancy, keeping local tradition alive. When frost devastated crops in 2016, he turned to Beaujolais and the south of France, vinifying Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Clairette “à la Bourguignonne” to preserve his house style.
Winemaking Philosophy
In the cellar, Vauthier works with restraint. Grapes are hand-sorted in the vineyard and fermented as whole clusters, stems and all—a technique he learned from Pacalet. This partial carbonic maceration softens acidity, lends supple tannins, and draws out bright aromatics.
Fermentations run on native yeasts, with no additives and minimal sulphur. Ageing happens in neutral barrels or large demi-muids; bottling is by gravity, with neutral gas to guard against oxidation. His semi-buried cellar, built in 2013, maintains steady temperatures without air-conditioning, teaching wines to handle oxygen naturally. Early experiments sometimes struggled with oxidation or haze, but he adapted, refining his methods.
Today he produces around 250–300 hectolitres a year across sixteen cuvées. Labels change as vineyard sources change, and some wines are bottled without appellation certification—a price he happily pays for creative freedom.
The Wines and Style
The wine behind the playful labels are known to be humming with life: Pinot Noirs alive cherry, violets, and spice; taut, crisp, mineral-driven Aligotés and Chardonnays with citrus and saline notes. His Irancy cuvées showcase depth and structure, especially when César is in the blend. Just as striking are his orange wines—skin-macerated Aligoté and Sauvignon Blanc—nuanced and textural expressions that remain unusual in Burgundy, yet highlight his inventive spirit. While his wines are easily enjoyed young, he insists that bottles from his first vintages remain vibrant, proving natural wines can age.
Two decades after first putting natural wines on the map, Nicolas Vauthier continues to challenge Burgundy’s traditions. By championing forgotten parcels, embracing carbonic maceration, and bottling with energy and humour, he has created a Burgundy that is approachable, joyful, and authentic.
