The Terroir Nerd
Antoine Petitprez was never supposed to make wine. Born in Tonnerre, Burgundy, he trained as a biochemical engineer before realising that industry was not for him. A BTS in viticulture at Beaune, an agronomy engineering degree from ISARA Lyon with a thesis on "The Influence of the Moon on Vines and Wine," and stints at Turley Wine Cellars in California, Domaine Malivoire in Canada, and Domaine de l'Arlot in Nuits-Saint-Georges gave him a global perspective. In 2008, he founded Maison Uliz in Pommard — a négociant project that sources organic and biodynamic grapes from the domaines he consults for (Méo-Camuzet, Domaine Dujac, JJ Confuron, Liger-Belair, Bruno Clavelier) and vinifies them in a cramped cellar with whole clusters, wild yeasts, old casks, and zero added sulfur. He also farms 2 hectares in Savoie — Demeter-certified, horse-ploughed, lunar-guided. His production is tiny: 1,200 cases annually. 85% stays in France. 50% goes to Michelin-starred restaurants. And he has never made a big deal marketing his wines.
From the Lab to the Vineyard
Antoine Petitprez was born in Tonnerre, in the Yonne department of Burgundy — not the famous Côte d'Or, but the northern part of the region, closer to Chablis. He trained as a biochemical engineer, a path that seemed logical for a scientifically minded young man from a wine region. But he quickly realised that industry was not for him. The laboratory felt sterile; the vineyard called [^244^][^252^].
He pivoted to wine, completing a BTS in viticulture and oenology at Beaune — the same school that trained many of Burgundy's greatest winemakers. But Antoine was not satisfied with technical knowledge alone. He pursued an agronomy engineering degree from ISARA Lyon, writing his thesis on "The Influence of the Moon on Vines and Wine" — a subject that placed him firmly in the biodynamic camp before he had even made his first wine [^244^].
His practical education was equally global. He worked at Turley Wine Cellars in California — Zinfandel country, where old vines and minimal intervention reign. He spent time at Domaine Malivoire in Canada, learning cool-climate viticulture. He returned to Burgundy to work at Domaine de l'Arlot in Nuits-Saint-Georges, one of the Côte de Nuits' most respected estates. By 2008, he had seen enough of the world to know exactly what he wanted to make: wines of terroir, purity, and absolute honesty [^244^][^250^].
"A hardcore terroir nerd with a scientific background, he spends all his time in the vineyard. He has never made a big deal marketing his wines."
— Temple Cellars
Pommard, Savoie & the Moon
Antoine Petitprez operates in two distinct worlds: Burgundy, where he is a négociant and biodynamic consultant; and Savoie, where he farms his own 2 hectares. In Burgundy, he does not own vineyards. Instead, he consults for some of the region's most prestigious domaines — Méo-Camuzet, Domaine Dujac, JJ Confuron, Liger-Belair, Bruno Clavelier — advising them on organic and biodynamic viticulture. In exchange for his expertise, he sometimes keeps fruit from their old-vine parcels (40-84 years old) on limestone, marl, and alluvial soils [^244^][^253^].
In Savoie, the situation is different. Antoine owns and farms 2 hectares in Saint-Jean de la Porte and Arbin, on Jurassic marl-limestone soils. The vineyards are Demeter-certified biodynamic, ploughed by horse, and managed according to lunar rhythms — the subject of his university thesis made real. The varieties here are indigenous: Jacquère for whites, Mondeuse for reds. The climate is Alpine, with cool nights and high diurnal shifts that preserve acidity and produce wines of striking freshness [^244^][^245^].
The Burgundy parcels he sources from are equally exceptional: Pommard (limestone and clay-marl), Savigny-lès-Beaune, Côte de Nuits, Chorey-lès-Beaune. He selects old vines, often 40-84 years, farmed organically or biodynamically by the domaines he advises. The result is fruit of extraordinary concentration and purity — the raw material for wines that need no manipulation in the cellar [^244^][^250^].
Négociant model: sources from domaines he consults for. Méo-Camuzet, Dujac, JJ Confuron, Liger-Belair, Bruno Clavelier. Old vines 40-84 years. Limestone, marl, alluvial soils. Pommard, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Côte de Nuits, Chorey-lès-Beaune.
2 hectares own vines. Saint-Jean de la Porte and Arbin. Jurassic marl-limestone. Demeter-certified biodynamic. Horse-ploughed. Lunar rhythms. Jacquère and Mondeuse — indigenous Alpine varieties.
Organic and biodynamic. Horse-drawn ploughs. Lunar calendar observed. No synthetic chemicals. Cover crops and compost. Biodiversity encouraged. Old vines prioritised for concentration and complexity.
Tiny production: 1,200 cases annually. 2-4 barrels per cuvée. 85% sold in France. 50% to Michelin-starred restaurants. Ultra-limited availability internationally. Each cuvée is a rare object.
Whole Clusters, Old Casks, Zero Sulfur
Antoine Petitprez's cellar work is defined by a strict minimalism that matches his vineyard philosophy. All wines are made with whole-cluster fermentation — stems and all — which adds tannin, spice, and a structural complexity that destemmed wines cannot achieve. Fermentation is spontaneous, driven by indigenous yeasts carried in from the vineyards. No commercial inoculations, no enzymes, no chaptalisation, no acidification [^244^][^246^].
The wines are aged for 18-23 months in old casks — barrels that are 10+ years old, deliberately chosen to avoid any oak flavour dominating the terroir. "Only old casks," as every importer notes. The goal is texture and micro-oxygenation, not vanilla or toast. After ageing, the wines are bottled with zero fining, zero filtration, and zero added sulfur. Some export bottles may contain trace SO2 for stability, but the estate wines are resolutely sulfite-free [^244^][^246^].
The result is wines of striking elegance and precision. The whites — Chardonnay and Aligoté — are floral, mineral, and tense, with a crystalline purity that speaks of limestone soils and careful handling. The reds — Pinot Noir, Gamay, Mondeuse — are vibrant, fruity, and precise, with the whole-cluster spice and savoury depth that defines great natural Burgundy. As one critic described a tasting: "We were not far from shedding a tear" [^245^][^248^].
The Cramped Cellar
Antoine vinifies in a small, cramped cellar in Pommard — not a grand chai with polished concrete and temperature-controlled stainless steel, but a working space that reflects his functional, no-nonsense approach. He nurtures every wine with "sagely patience," as one importer put it, guiding them without rushing, taking them where he wants them to go. The cellar is too small for large-scale production, which suits him perfectly: 1,200 cases annually, 2-4 barrels per cuvée, each wine receiving obsessive attention. This is not industrial winemaking; it is artisanal craft at its most refined.
Discreet & Devoted
Antoine Petitprez is one of the most discreet figures in Burgundy's natural wine scene. He does not attend trade fairs in a suit. He does not produce slick marketing materials or maintain a flashy social media presence. He spends his time in the vineyard — consulting for prestigious domaines, tending his Savoie plots, or working in his cramped Pommard cellar. "He has never made a big deal marketing his wines," as one importer noted. "He works in the vineyard" [^259^][^244^].
This discretion has not prevented his wines from finding their way to the world's most demanding tables. 50% of his tiny production goes to Michelin-starred restaurants in France — a testament to the quality and consistency that chefs and sommeliers recognise. The remaining 35% is sold to natural wine bars and specialist retailers, with only 15% leaving the country. For international collectors, finding a bottle of Petitprez is a genuine coup [^244^][^255^].
What makes Antoine's wines special is not just their technical excellence but their emotional resonance. They are wines for connoisseurs — not because they are expensive or rarefied, but because they demand attention. Each cuvée is a conversation with its terroir: the limestone of Pommard, the marl of Savoie, the old vines of a grand cru parcel. As one Danish importer wrote: "The wines of Antoine Petitprez are wines for connoisseurs and Burgundian wines of an impressive quality" [^255^].
"A juice of incredible energy. Length, finish, grain, mouthfeel. It's got it all. Crap... we forgot to spit. We'll even hold out the glass a second time."
— Mes Bourgognes Beaune, on Les Carrelles
The Uliz Range
All wines are made from organically or biodynamically farmed fruit — either sourced from the prestigious Burgundy domaines Antoine consults for, or grown on his own 2 hectares in Savoie. Whole-cluster fermentation, indigenous yeast, 18-23 months in old casks (10+ years), zero fining, zero filtration, zero added sulfur. Production is tiny: 1,200 cases annually, with cuvées like Les Carrelles (860 bottles) and Les Vaucrains (1,480 bottles) representing extreme rarity [^244^][^245^].