DOMAINE KOJI ET JAE HWA / MAISON LOU DUMONT

Founded in 2000 in Gevrey-Chambertin, Maison Lou Dumont is the life work of Japanese sommelier Koji Nakada and his Korean partner, Jae Hwa Park. What began as a tiny micro négociant project has evolved into a singular domaine dedicated to producing pure, expressive Burgundy wines grounded in respect for the land, for tradition, and for the multicultural journey that defines the couple’s life and philosophy.

Their story began in Dijon in 1996, when Koji left Japan to study oenology in Beaune. Before that could happen, he first had to learn French, and it was during these language lessons that he met Jae Hwa, a French teacher from Korea. As Koji trained in Burgundy, Bordeaux, Alsace, and Champagne, the two became a couple and eventually married, sharing not just a life but a vision to make wines of integrity that reflect the soul of Burgundy.

Named after their goddaughter Lou, “as charming as Koji’s white wines,” he likes to say, and Mont for the mountains of their native homelands, Lou Dumont quickly earned a reputation for honest wines with character and balance. From the beginning, they worked closely with trusted growers, selecting only organic and biodynamic grapes from old vines with a minimum age of 30 years, and often harvesting with their own team to ensure optimal grape condition.

In 2012, Koji and Jae Hwa achieved the dream of purchasing their own vines. Their first holdings included one hectare of Bourgogne Rouge, one hectare of Gevrey-Chambertin Villages, and a century-old parcel of Bourgogne Aligoté, all sustainably farmed. Since then, the domaine has expanded to six hectares with plots in Premeaux-Prissey, Clos de la Brunelle, Marsannay, and the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. Certified organic (Ecocert) since 2016, the estate adopted biodynamic methods in 2018 to improve vine health and resilience.

Their vineyards are ploughed by horse, fertilised naturally, and kept in balance by free-roaming chickens that provide pest control and natural compost. In the cellar, Koji and Jae Hwa practise minimal intervention with hand sorting, whole cluster fermentations, indigenous yeasts, and gentle extraction. The wines age in high-quality French oak, either from the Jupilles forest or crafted by Chassin Tonnellerie in Beaune.

A milestone came in 2021, when they vinified their 100-year-old Bourgogne Aligoté parcel in amphora, successfully bottling it with no added sulphur. Across their range, now over 30 appellations with a total production of 80,000 bottles annually exported to more than 30 countries, the focus remains clear: clarity, terroir, and umami, a Japanese concept of savoriness that Koji believes is the soul of his wines.

Signature cuvées such as Gevrey-Chambertin “La Brunelle” display finesse, elegance, and depth, capturing the philosophy and heart of this exceptional domaine: multicultural, mindful, and masterfully Burgundian.