Before settling in Meursault in 2018, Tino Kuban honed his craft at Mullineux in South Africa, Felton Road in New Zealand, Domaine Pierre Overnoy in Jura, and Dard & Ribo in the Rhône Valley. These dynamic experiences prepared Tino to take over one Burgundy’s most progressive projects: an estate making Vin de France with old Coteaux Bourguignon vineyards, planted in Echalas in the Meursault appellation. Tino has proven to be the perfect person to take over for Bernard Van Berg to maintain the deep focus in low intervention, with ecosystem-first farming and winemaking. In 2019, Tino crafted his first vintage, and the estate was officially renamed Les Jardins Vivants.

The 1.5 hectares of vineyards are certified organic, and Tino does a handful of biodynamic treatments per year, working towards biodynamic certification in the future. The vines are always braided, not trimmed, and the cover crop is untouched from April onwards to promote soil diversity, and to protect through harvest. The vines are all planted in Echalas, and Tino ensures there are never more than four clusters per vine, typically between 5-10 hectoliters per hectare. During harvest, there are between 2-4 passes per vineyard, where only perfectly ripe grapes are picked. Harvest only occurs in the morning when it is cold, and Tino consistently picks harvest dates later than his fellow vigneron, as phenolic ripeness is central to his winemaking theory and approach.

The white grapes are crushed by foot and pressed in a vertical press with little to no settling of the juice. The reds are always vinified 100% whole bunch in new Stockinger barrels. Tino believes in incorporating long macerations and “lots of punch downs” to unlock the maximum phenolics and grape matter. No sulfur is used during élevage until bottling, or after malolactic fermentation. Lastly, everything is done by gravity, and the wines are not racked before bottling to follow his inclusive philosophy. The bottling is made in a traditional manner directly from the barrel, called la chèvre à deux becs.

Thanks to the rigorous farming of these outstandingly old vines and his methodical approach during harvest, some of Tino’s cuvées are made up of only 120 bottles. Although low production doesn’t always yield high-quality, Les Jardins Vivants delivers on that promise across the portfolio—white, red, and rosé. Tino has grabbed this vision by the horns, and I personally look forward to seeing all that awaits Tino Kuban into the future.