After giving up a 25-year career as a political journalist in Washington and London, Burgundy enthusiast Blair Pethel moved to France and enrolled at winemaking school in Beaune.
Aided by his long-term friend and mentor Patrice Rion, Blair purchased his first vineyard in 2003 – a tiny plot in Corton-Charlemagne, to which he added 3ha of old vine sites across 1er and Grand Cru parcels in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.
From ploughing and pruning to harvesting and bottling, Blair ran his domaine organically and single-handedly, producing more than 15 different cuvées from a state-of-the-art winery in Savigny-lès-Beaune. Fermented using native yeasts and aged in barrel for 18-22 months, his wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
In 2016, Blair produced his final vintage and retired to the dismay of Dublère’s loyal fanbase.
