Philippe and Pierre-Jean Roty have followed in their father Joseph’s footsteps. After Philippe’s prematured death in the fall of 2015, Pierre-Jean is now fully in charge and proudly pursues the philosophy established by his father and that he shared with his brother. The Domaine’s vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin and Marsannay are a host of famous crus, replete with old vines. Harvests take place at full maturity and, following a cold maceration, the fermentations are done at exceptionally low temperatures. The results are dense, fleshy, almost meaty wines. The domaine can be counted among the elite of Gevrey-Chambertin.

It is not uncommon that Burgundian estates are built through marriage.

The Hudelot family name is historically associated with the village of Chambolle, while Noëllat with Vosne. Together, these two families have joined to became one of the most prestigious domains in the Côte de Nuits.

Alain Hudelot laid the foundations for what is today Hudelot-Noëllat in the early 60’s in Chambolle-Musigny, starting with two parcels which were a gift from his father. His domain expanded during the 70’s and 80’s via inheritance of more parcels from both his family and those of his wife, Odile Noëllat, grand-daughter of Charles Noëllat. Situated in Vougeot, in a little corner referred to historically as “Old Chambolle,” Hudelot-Noëllat today farms ten hectares, many in the most desired and important crus in Nuits-St-Georges to Chambolle-Musigny. A walk through their cellar would make any fan of Burgundy salivate, with verticals of Richebourg, Romanée Saint-Vivant, Les Malconsorts, Les Suchots, Clos de Vougeot, Les Murgers and Les Beaumonts.

Today, Charles Van Canneyt, the grandson of Alain and Odile, is in charge of the family domain. His approach might be best defined as a fusion of modern and traditional techniques. Like any great Burgundian estate, grape growing is the focus, and that starts with protecting the soil. They work in “lutte raisonnée” but with an axe towards organics. Wine making shows an equal respect to the grapes. A portion of the grapes are left whole bunch, they work with indigenous yeasts and new oak is only used when deemed necessary. The result are wines of exceptional finesse and elegance, with characteristic restraint in youth, and delivering great complexity and exuberance after a few years in the cellar.

We are deservedly proud of our quintet of producers based in Vosne-Romanée. Among them, Méo-Camuzet receives perhaps the greatest amount of adulation around the globe. The close links between Méo-Camuzet and Henri Jayer may be part of the reason for the domaine’s fame as Henri Jayer acted as the métayer of Méo-Camuzet until 1987, and assured a smooth transition into the present day.
Jean-Nicolas Méo manages the property these days. The domaine’s wines are in his image: aristocratic. It goes without saying that the wine’s noble bearing is primarily due to their illustrious vineyard origins: Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot, Échezeaux, Aux Brûlées, Cros Parantoux, amongst others. These wines grace us with the most beautiful aromas of pinot noir imaginable. Their toned musculature could be compared to a gymnast’s body. Their fine tannins bring sensual textures. They are perfectly-balanced and made to last for the long haul. Domaine Méo-Camuzet is one of the pearls of the Côte d’Or.

The fragmentary nature of French inheritance laws is the reason that there exists today three domains named Gros in Vosne-Romanée.

Michel Gros was fortunate to inherit the famed monopole premier cru Clos des Réas, which yields wines of supreme finesse. Michel Gros may not be in all the top French guides, but the renowned critic Clives Coates, in his book The Wines of Burgundy, lists Michel Gros among the handful of rare three-star producers. Gros produces ample, well-textured wines, whose physiques are more sculptural than imposing.

Many of the most illustrious Burgundian winemakers avoid or ignore fads and fashion trends that characterize any given period in time. The greatest winemakers simply focus on perpetuating ancient methods of savoir-faire. What could be called their “style” (as recognizable as it can be) is in fact determined by two things: the simplicity of their approach and the meticulous quality of their work. Hubert Lignier is a vigneron of this caliber. He remains directly involved in the activities of the family estate, which is directed today by his son Laurent, who took over after his brother Romain’s tragic and premature death in 2003. The wines today are akin to those produced by the domain 20 or 30 years ago: chiseled, sumptuous pinot noirs crafted for lengthy bottle aging.
Domain Hubert Lignier is deeply important to us. They were among the first prestigious domaines of the Côte d’Or to have the confidence in Maitre de Chai to allow us to represent their wines in Quebec. Uncorking a bottle of Lignier from our cellar is always a grand occasion.
Romain Lignier was a true master of pinot noir. Our many meetings and tastings with him remain vivid in our memories, and we toast the courage of Laurent and Hubert who continue to carry the torch proudly.

After being completely seduced by the wines of Mugneret-Gibourg at the Grands Jours de Bourgogne, we began importing their wines starting with the 2006 vintage. Our own tasting placed them amongst the elite of the Côte de Nuits, despite what France’s wine guides of that era would’ve led us to believe. Are their recent vintages yielding better wines, or have critics simply become more receptive to them over the past few years? Either way, the current press review’s grants the Domaine its deserved status.
We are thrilled to see them finally earning such recognition. The sisters Marie-Christine and Marie-Andrée oversee all steps of the winemaking process, from tending the vineyards to bottling the final product. Here, aging the wines is a genuine art. Their use of oak is judicious, yielding tannins of exquisite grain. The wines are all about purity and elegance, with an undeniable femininity. The entire range is impeccable in every vintage. The wines are a true reflection of the sisters Mugneret, graceful and elegant.

The vineyards of Domaine Georges Noellat are primarily made up of premier and grand crus in Vosne Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Their holdings are impressive as much for the lieux-dits as for the average age of their vines, several of which are century-old plots. For a number years, the wines were sold almost entirely to négociants, with a number of bottles sold under the domaine’s label for the benefit of a few loyal customers who made the annual pilgrimage to Vosne. Maxime Cheurlin, grandson of Maria Theresa Noellat and a recent graduate from the Lycée Viticole de Beaune, has been overseeing the winemaking since the 2010 vintage.
Maxime began his tenure by rethinking everything, from the work in the vineyard to that in the winery. His main ambition is to craft wines according to the same principles and work-ethic of the greatest Burgundians. With inspiration from neighbours like Jean-Nicolas Méo, Emmanuel Rouget and DRC, this talented youngster understands that achieving the greatest heights of pinot noir means making no compromises. His wines are genuine and opulent, supported by the nuance of oak that don’t mask in any way the character of their respective terroirs.
Without a doubt, Maxime Cheurlin and Domaine Georges Noellat are now among the stars of the Côte de Nuits.