Sampling wine at Domaine Rowse, the project of Burgundy’s Guillaume and Camille Boillot in the Beaujolais cru of Fleurie.
In addition to copious rain, the 2024 growing season brought abundant change to the vineyards of Burgundy.
Pierre Vincent to leave Domaine Leflaive
As well as the developments by Artemis Domaines at Bouchard Père et Fils, Domaine Leflaive signalled further change in the region when it announced that winemaker Pierre Vincent would leave the iconic Puligny-Montrachet producer to form his own domaine with Lyon-based investors Hervé Kratiroff and Eric Versini of Solexia Group.
Few would argue that serious, soft-spoken Pierre Vincent is a great talent. Technical director at Domaine de la Vougeraie from 2006 to 2016 and then general manager at Domaine Leflaive from 2017, he has gained a worldwide reputation for the quality of his work.
Vincent will depart Leflaive at the end of the 2024 vintage to concentrate on the Auxey-Duresses-based Domaine des Terres de Velle purchased with partners in 2023.
The domaine has just over seven hectares of old vines (an average of more than 50 years of age) owned and rented. Vincent is already converting the vineyard to biodynamic viticulture, which he has used since his stint at Domaine de la Vougeraie.
A recent tasting of the inaugural vintages raised hopes of an exciting new domaine to follow.
Guillaume Boillot starts new venture
In another surprising change, Guillaume Boillot left his father’s highly-regarded Domaine Henri Boillot to focus on his projects with his wife Camille, which begun last year: Domaine Camille & Guillaume Boillot.
She is the daughter of Pommard vigneron Christophe Violot-Guillemard, and the two work together in the winery. Most of the fruit is purchased from friends, enabling them to do much of the vineyard work themselves, controlling yields and harvest dates.
‘In general, we pick at least one week later than [my father’s] domaine,’ said Guillaume Boillot.
The wines are made in a similar style, albeit slightly more reductive and less influenced by new oak. The whites have rapier-fine acidity and a smoky edge, and there is less reliance on fermenting in small barrels (fermentation intégrale) for the reds than at Henri Boillot.
Guillaume Boillot is also making the wines at the new estate Domaine Rowse in the Beaujolais cru of Fleurie, which farms six hectares of Gamay, and a further hectare each of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, producing serious wines made in the Burgundian mould rather than with the carbonic maceration common to the region.
The couple plan to vinify the domaine’s five parcels of Gamay separately in future vintages, including one trained on stakes.
The inaugural blend hints at things to come: concentrated wine with plenty of fruit yet the structure to transcend the easy-drinking style seen in some quarters.
Expansion at Double Zero ’00’ Wines Burgundy
Oregon-based Chris and Kathyn Hermann of 00 Wines have expanded their burgeoning Burgundy project, and winemaker Max Lecat is based full-time in Burgundy at the Château de Bligny facility owned by Dominique Lafon.
The expanded range includes the premier crus Beaune Cent Vignes, Pommard Grands Epenots and Meursault Charmes, in addition to the grand crus Corton-Charlemagne, Charmes-Chambertin and Chambertin – with Bâtard-Montrachet about to be added to the line-up.
The wines are all made from purchased grapes. Kathryn has warned Chris not to buy more, ‘but if it’s grand cru, that’s OK’. Collectors are eagerly lining up to taste the results.
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