DROP 32
Drop 32 – Unstoppable
With Nicolas Barbou & Maison Glandien
Three wines. Two regions. Precision turned all the way up.
Nicolas Barbou grew up in Touraine, but the style of wine he makes today was shaped through a pretty remarkable journey — winemaking studies in Dijon, time in New Zealand, and a stint in Burgundy at Domaine Boisson Vadot before joining Jean-Yves Bizot. At that tiny Burgundy domaine, Nicolas experienced a completely different level of attention: tiny quantities, obsessive vineyard work, extremely precise élevage, a philosophy where every single decision matters. When he came back to Touraine to start his own project, he brought that philosophy with him. His Sauvignon Blancs are deep, tense, incredibly precise and built with serious élevage — concentration without heaviness, power with energy. He’s become one of the most exciting names to watch in the Loire.
Back in Burgundy, there’s Tino Kuban and Maison Glandien — one of our absolute BTB all-stars by now. After years working in Burgundy cellars and building Les Jardins Vivants, Maison Glandien became the project that gives him even more freedom: tiny parcels, different villages, different ideas, wines that are never about following a formula.
The common thread between the two of them is always precision. Precise farming, precise élevage, wines that feel incredibly focused while still having energy and personality. For Drop 32, we bring together one wine from Nicolas Barbou and two — well, three — from Maison Glandien. Two winemakers who took very different paths, but somehow ended up with the same obsession for detail, tension and precision.
Inside the box
Folie Insolente 2024 – Nicolas Barbou, Oisly, Loire
Sauvignon Blanc with a Burgundy education. 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Nicolas‘ small parcel in Oisly, planted in 2007 on sand and clay. Whole bunch pressed, then a long élevage of around 20 months in Burgundy barrels, including a portion of new oak.
Dense and textured, but driven by freshness, salinity and serious precision. Citrus, white fruit and a subtle exotic edge meet a long, mineral finish. There’s richness here, but never heaviness — this is exactly where you feel Nicolas‘ Burgundy background: a Loire Sauvignon built with the ambition, élevage and precision of a serious white Burgundy.
Drinking recommendation: Now, or give it a year.
Utopie Créative 2024 – Nicolas Barbou, Oisly, Loire
Old vine Sauvignon with serious Burgundy energy. 100% Sauvignon Blanc from old vines in Oisly, growing on quartz and sand over clay — Nicolas‘ signature cuvée, and the wine that started the whole project. Pressed whole bunch, around 20 months in Burgundy barrels before bottling.
Serious depth and texture, ripe white fruit, citrus and a slightly floral side, without ever losing freshness. The élevage brings richness and structure while the old vines give it concentration and an almost salty mineral finish. Sauvignon Blanc pushed far beyond the usual Loire stereotype — powerful, precise and incredibly complete.
Drinking recommendation: Now or after a year.
L’Ouverture Blanc 2024 – Maison Glandien, Meursault, Burgundy
Two vineyards, four barrels, pure Maison Glandien. 100% Chardonnay from two west-facing vineyards in Aluze on Oxfordian marl — one planted in 1988, the other in 2018 at an extremely high density of 15,000 vines per hectare. Picked in the cool morning hours, quickly pressed in a basket press, then juice and lees go into Stockinger barrels for native-yeast fermentation without sulphur. No fining, no filtration.
Beautiful concentration and a certain generosity to the fruit, with a salty, mineral backbone underneath that keeps everything precise. Only four 500-litre barrels were produced — a seriously small production Chardonnay, and pure Maison Glandien.
Drinking recommendation: Now.
La Cruci 2024 – Maison Glandien, Meursault, Burgundy
Chardonnay meets Pinot Blanc, tiny production, serious élevage. A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Blanc from a west-to-north-facing vineyard in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, planted in 1982 on clay-limestone. Picked in the cool morning hours, pressed directly in a basket press, then transferred to Stockinger barrels for spontaneous native-yeast fermentation without sulphur. Only 4.5 pièces produced, with 65% new oak.
One of the more structured and ambitious whites of Maison Glandien — the Chardonnay brings depth, tension and drive, the Pinot Blanc adds texture and a broader, more generous side. Plenty of concentration, but also freshness and that salty, stony finish that keeps it alive.
Drinking recommendation: Give it a year.