Domaine Roulot

Domaine Roulot is an old family estate based in Meursault since 1820. These days it’s managed by Jean-Marc Roulot, who took over in 1989, giving up his acting career in Paris. Since his return to Meursault, Jean­-Marc kept increasing the domain’s holdings through mix of vineyards purchase and fermage contracts.

Since the early 1990s he set the domaine on the course to organic farming. Ever since, no herbicides are being used and only plowing is used, while all treatments are managed to minimize any effect on the vineyards’ natural microbial life. The age of the vines is relatively high due to major replanting done by Jean­-Marc’s dad, Guy in the 1950s.

Jean-Marc believes in early and short pruning to avoid the need for green pruning in later stage of the growing season. His goal is to deliver perfect fruit and would rather pick a day or two earlier than two days late. His careful attention to details in the vineyards is followed by exceptional winemaking skills, which brought the domaine its international acclaim. His philosophy is of making wines that he would like to drink rather than making wines that will appeal to modern palates. The elevage is relatively long of around 18 months, while the wines are being racked into stainless steel tanks after a year. The wines stay on their lees, thus reducing any need of batonnage.

The result is that the entire range of wines has good line of energy through their core, with silky texture, purity and transparency of its terroirs. The Meursault 1er cru Les Perrieres, purchased by the Roulots in 1976, which vines were planted in the 1940s is the jewel in the crown of Roulot’s holdings but unfortunately made in minute quantity.

Starting with the 2014 vintage Jean-Marc Roulot created a “micro negoçe” project that he considers a natural extention to the domaine’s portfolio. The selection of grapes from fellow growers is severe and only wines that are not already part of the domaine’s portfolio are being made.

Jean-Marc advises the harvest date, and the fruit arriving to the domaine’s cuverie receive the exact same treatment as the other domain’s wines, including the vinification, elevage in barrels and bottling process.