Sophie and Mattieu Woillez

By offering you to visit their domain, Sophie and Matthieu Woillez give you an appointment with History.

The history of the restoration of the old farm of Tharoiseau castle that they undertook in 2009, the history of the resurrection of an appellation in the 1970s, and the history of an architectural jewel, the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay, built in the 12th century, and listed in the Directory of Historical Monuments as well as in the UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity.

The creation of a vineyard

The choice of the name of the estate witnesses this this rich past. At the entrance of the village, at Croix Montjoie, the pilgrims, after weeks of walking, discovered from the top of a hill, Vézelay facing them on the nearby hill and, rewarded for their efforts by this view magnified by their faith, they let burst forth their joy.

You have understood, Sophie and Mattieu are two enthusiasts who generously welcome you and tell you about their arrival in Tharoiseau in 2009, the hard work done on the 10 hectares of their estate

to be recognized by their peers and be worthy of the appellation Burgundy Vézelay. The passion for the vineyard and the rigour in their work have paid since Matthew was appointed by his peers, president of Vézelay union of winemakers.

Honored with this recognition, Matthieu likes to talk about solidarity between Vézelay winemakers. He insists on this help-line without which he would no longer have vines this most southern vineyard terroir of the department.

Humble, Mattieu knows that this recognition is not in itself an end and that he must strengthen his efforts to produce better.

Since it is a small appellation with a surface area that doesn’t exceed 100 hectares, the winemaker is also convinced that it is not by the quantity that Burgundy-Vézelay will be more famous.

Mattieu also boasts the soil offered by the hill of Tharoiseau to his vineyard feet: clay and limestone dominate. The sun exposure guarantees the maturity of the chardonnay and pinot noir grapes. The team around him and his wife are dedicated to take care of the vineyard. Finally, because quality and respect for nature are guiding Matthieu and Sophie’s work, the couple produces organic. All the ingredients combined to make great wines.

Joy in sharing

Conscious of living in a beautiful region, Sophie does not conceive the tasting of her wines without a discovery of Vezelay heritage. One does not go without the other. Taste buds must come alive and vibrate as much as sight and smell. With this conviction and the desire to share all that Vézelay has to offer, Sophie is planning to lean the vineyard to wine tourism. Her vision of a reasoned tourism, respectful of the environment and the terroirs goes perfectly with the project of labelling the Basilica of Vézelay « great site of France ». Projects abound in Sophie’s imagination and, no doubt, they will delight lovers of authentic terroir.

Déjà, le bar à vin du domaine et sa magnifique terrasse offrent un aperçu du potentiel de cet écotourisme en proposant, les soirs d’été, aux amateurs de vins, de nature et d’architecture une dégustation en tête à tête avec la colline de Vézelay. Magique, le lieu est apprécié tant des habitants du canton que des touristes qui, comme les pèlerins d’autrefois, expriment leur joie en toute quiétude, un verre à la main.

Already, the estate’s wine bar and its magnificent terrace offer a glimpse of the potential of this ecotourism by offering wine, nature and architecture lovers a face-to-face tasting with the Vézelay hill on summer evenings. Magical, the place is appreciated both by the inhabitants of the canton and tourists who, like the old pilgrims, express their joy in peace, a glass of wine in hand.