Walk through the vineyards of Bourgogne and one thing quickly becomes apparent: the vines are planted remarkably close together. Around 10,000 vines per hectare is common in the Côte d’Or, already considerably denser than in many other wine regions. Occasionally, however, a producer takes this principle much further. This is known as haute densité – high-density planting.
Competition between vines
The idea behind haute densité is relatively simple: make each individual vine compete for the resources available in the soil. When more vines occupy the same hectare, each vine has access to less water and fewer nutrients. Provided that the vineyard is well managed, this competition can restrict excessive vegetative growth and reduce the amount of fruit produced by each individual vine. The root system may also be encouraged to explore a larger volume of soil. Rather than asking a relatively small number of vines to produce a large crop, the vineyard contains many vines, each carrying relatively little fruit. This distinction is important. Haute densité does not necessarily mean a low yield per hectare. Its defining characteristic is the combination of a large number of vines and a small crop per individual plant.
Bourgogne is already densely planted
High-density viticulture is particularly relevant in Bourgogne because the region starts from an unusually high baseline. Domaine Leflaive, for example, describes approximately 10,000 vines per hectare in the Côte de Beaune as a density that already creates considerable competition between neighbouring vines. This is partly the result of history. The narrow spacing between vines suits the traditional vineyard architecture of Bourgogne and a culture in which a great deal of vineyard work has traditionally been carried out by hand. It also means that haute densité should be understood in context. A vineyard containing 10,000 vines per hectare might be considered very densely planted elsewhere, but is quite conventional in the Côte d’Or. Some Bourgogne growers experimenting with haute densité therefore go considerably further.
Does higher density make better wine?
The reasoning behind haute densité is closely connected to the concept of terroir. By limiting the vigour and crop of each vine, growers aim for smaller quantities of concentrated, physiologically balanced fruit. Advocates believe that the resulting wines can show greater precision, structure and depth while communicating differences between individual sites more clearly.
But planting density on its own is not a guarantee of quality. Soil, water availability, rootstock, vine age, pruning, canopy management and yields all interact. Extreme competition can become detrimental if vines are planted too densely for a particular site. Haute densité should therefore be seen as a viticultural tool rather than a quality classification.
It is also an expensive one. Narrow rows restrict mechanisation, while every additional vine requires pruning, tying, canopy work and other attention. A vineyard containing 30,000 vines per hectare has roughly three times as many individual plants to manage as one containing 10,000.
Olivier Lamy and extreme haute densité
One of the most fascinating modern examples can be found at Domaine Hubert Lamy in Saint-Aubin. Olivier Lamy has experimented extensively with extremely dense vineyards, inspired in part by historical accounts suggesting that Bourgogne vineyards before phylloxera could contain 20,000 to 30,000 vines per hectare. In the early 2000s, he began establishing small sections at densities far beyond the modern Bourgogne norm.
The most famous is a tiny parcel of approximately 0.10 hectare within the Premier Cru Derrière chez Édouard in Saint-Aubin. It is planted with Chardonnay on a steep, rocky limestone site at approximately 28,000 vines per hectare. The resulting wine is bottled separately as Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Derrière chez Édouard Haute Densité. At almost three times the roughly 10,000 vines per hectare commonly encountered in the Côte de Beaune, this is haute densité in its most literal form. The distinction on the label therefore refers to something quite tangible in the vineyard: an experiment in how far competition between individual vines can be pushed in the pursuit of balance, precision and expression of a particular terroir.
Haute densité is not an appellation, classification or guarantee of a great wine. It is a choice made long before the grapes reach the cellar – and a particularly interesting example of how some Bourgogne growers continue to question the relationship between the vine, its neighbours and the soil beneath them.