DAMY - Meursault, France
History
Tonnellerie Damy was founded in 1946 by Roger Damy in Nantoux. Jacques Damy (his son) took over the business in 1970 and bought the Meyer workshop in Meursault before being awarded the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 1976. The same year, due to a lack of space, Jérôme Damy (3rd generation) built a new workshop. He in turn was awarded the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2027 and is now the CEO of Tonnellerie Damy.
Today
Tonnellerie Damy annually produces around 20,000 barrels a year and has 2 hectares dedicated for wood seasoning, 4 hectares for barrel production, and a 6,000 square meter workshop that employs 35 coopers where more than 50% have been with the company for over five years.
The Cooperage
Tonnellerie Damy located Meursault represents a state-of-the-art cooperage equipped with the most up-to-date Monnot cooperage machines. Oak is sourced from different stave mills including longtime partner, Merrains du Jura located in the Jura region of France. To reduce its carbon footprint, the cooperage has installed solar panels on its new loading dock, uses remaining bits of wood scraps to heat the cooperage during the winter via a furnace and all barrel packaging is either biodegradable or recyclable.
Production
Oak seasoning is done naturally on site and the cooperage offers up to 5-Y air dry. Staves are then planned and toasting is controlled and monitored digitally to ensure consistent heat and time intervals are met. The Damy toasting style always entails bending over an open flame. 30% of Damy barrels are for its domestic market while 70% are exported internationally.
Range
The Damy traditional range includes oak and acacia forest-origin barrels and puncheons (115L - 860L) where the level of air-dry (2-Y up to 5-Y) can be selected along with the toasting profile that includes: L, LL, LL++, M, ML, M+ and Heavy. However, following years of research and collaboration with selected Domaines, Damy also offers an "Innovation Range" of barrels that are based either on grain tightnesses, forest blends, hot water treatments, and toasting profiles done only over embers
Attestations
All Damy barrels are PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) approved and CTB (Fût de Tradition Française) certified. Regular checks for haloanisoles and halophenols are carried out on: the wood yard, processing water, production and storage area environments, and containers.
Why Tonnellerie Damy?
Tonnellerie Damy is one of the most renowned Burgundian cooperages. The barrels are synonymous with the greatest wines from the Côte de Beaune and Nuits. Damy barrels have traditionally offered a stunning ability to soften tannins and provide an integrated volume-driven palate while it's lighter more respectful toasting enhances vineyard terroir. Both styles of toasting support and enhance fruit brightness to complement both white and red wines.
