Domaine de la Cotelette traces its origins to 1919, when Guy Bussière’s grandfather first planted vines in the little known Val de Saône. Situated between the limestone and clay soils of the Côte d’Or in Burgundy and the marls of the Jura, the village of Trugny is something of an anomaly for wine. Once a landscape rich with vines, much of the land was later cleared to make way for cattle. Driving toward Domaine de la Cotelette, there is little to suggest an old Burgundian wine village ahead. And yet, this is precisely where its quiet magic unfolds.

Benoît Killian lived several lives before taking over the domaine from Guy Bussière. A jazz drummer, and still an active musician, he also spent time as a professional football player and later ran a local wine distribution business. Through this work, he met growers such as Marc Soyard and Romain Valette, experiences that deepened his connection to farming and wine.

When Benoît acquired the domaine, he inherited two and a half hectares of vines that Guy Bussière had cultivated without chemical treatments for decades. Today, Benoît continues this approach, farming organically and occasionally drawing on biodynamic principles.