Mersault, Burgundy

In the center of Meursault village, Pierre-Henri Rougeot has been quietly producing impeccable, minimal intervention, low-sulfur wines since he returned to the family domaine in 2010. The 18th century stone cellar was originally built for the Hospices de Beaune to press fruit from the adjacent orchards, and was purchased Pierre-Henri’s great-great-grandfather in the 19th century. Today, the orchards have been transformed into an elegant garden and stamp-sized monopole vineyard, and the cellar has been renovated to comfortably hold two vintages from Rougeot’s 13 hectares of vines in and around Meursault.

Pierre-Henri’s experience traveling throughout France gives him a unique vision that hews strongly to Burgundian tradition, marked by a soft touch inspired by the vins natures made by his friends in Saumur, Cahors, and beyond. Today, the Rougeot vineyards are farmed organically, and Pierre-Henri’s minimal sulfur vinification effortlessly balances a natural wine approach with traditional Burgundian technique to create wines with energy and balance.

While all of the wines are vinified sans soufre, each barrel is tasted regularly throughout élevage. Small amounts of SO2 are added when needed to individual barrels. When possible, Rougeot keeps each barrel completely sans soufre and bottles it under the alternate diagonal stripe label, though these quantities are always very limited for the village and premier cru wines.

Each terroir from Aligoté and Passetoutgrain through Premier Crus is bottled as a single-vineyard designation. The wines are energetic, precise, and delicious. It’s simply astounding that the domaine has maintained a quiet profile while producing such compelling wines. It will be even more astounding if that continues.

All of the vineyards of the domaine lie within the appellation of Meursault or in immediate proximity. For the most part, they were planted by Pierre-Henri’s grandfather in the late 1950s and replanted partially by his father in the early 1980s, except for the old vine Saint-Romain and the slightly younger Monthélie. Since Pierre-Henri Rougeot returned to the family domaine in 2010, the domaine has been practicing organic farming. The domaine officially began the organic certification process in 2018.