Sextant began in 2007, while Julien Altaber was working alongside Dominique Derain in Saint-Aubin. Dominique gave Julien the freedom to experiment and encouraged him to buy grapes of his own, which became the starting point for a separate project alongside his work at Domaine Derain. 

Over time, Sextant developed into Julien’s own space for exploring Burgundy beyond a single estate or appellation. Today, together with Carole Schwab, he works with grapes from different parts of southern Burgundy, producing wines that are often more playful and experimental than those released under the Domaine Derain name.

Fermentations begin spontaneously with native yeasts, while older barrels and stainless steel are commonly used for fermentation and ageing. The wines are generally handled with little intervention, with fining and filtration avoided on many cuvées. 

Sextant is the more experimental side of Julien and Carole’s work: a place where individual vineyards, varieties and ideas can be explored without needing every wine to fit the identity of a traditional domaine.