There’s an old saying in the world of wine, “No matter what region one starts off their journey, they always end up in Burgundy”.

Mark Haisma started his journey as Assistant Winemaker at one of Australia’s most iconic wineries, Yarra Yerring. In 2005, he visited Burgundy for the first time and immediately fell in love with the charm of the Côte D’Or. Thus, he decided to leave his native Australia behind to start making wine in Burgundy. Gaining access to land in Burgundy is no simple task, if not impossible unless one’s family has owned land there for centuries.

As a micro-négociant, Haisma only produces 1000 cases of wine every vintage spread across a multitude of Burgundy’s appellations. Production is tiny, meaning that only a couple of barrels are made of each different cuvée. In some cases, like for the Échezeaux Grand Cru, only a single barrel is made.

Mark works tirelessly to forge strong connections with small growers. As of 2019, Mark is in the process of working with his growers to convert their vineyards into organic agriculture. A true terroirist, Mark describes his winemaking as “rather boring”. In his words, “Once the juice is pressed, I just leave it alone in the cellar”. His non-interventionist approach coupled with his experience as a winemaker in Australia seems to produce something magical. His wines are so fruit-driven and pure.