World-renowned for its Grands Crus, Vosne-Romanée produces red wines synonymous with elegance and complexity, with its village and Premier Cru appellations also highly sought after.
This small village was known as Vosne until 1760, when Prince de Conti acquired a Grand Cru parcel called Romanée. The famous Romanée-Conti was born, and this legendary wine elevated the entire village.
The Vineyard
Situated between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Vougeot, the great hillside enjoys an extremely sheltered location and ideal exposure, contributing to the perfect ripening of the grapes harvested there. At the heart of the slope lie the Grands Crus, covering nearly a third of the 226 hectares of vineyards. Among the eight Grands Crus that form the necklace of Vosne-Romanée, six are located just above the village. Échezeaux and Grands Échezeaux, situated in the territory of Flagey-Échezeaux, are considered part of the Grands Crus of Vosne-Romanée by wine legislation.
It wasn’t until 1866 that Emperor Napoleon III, by imperial decree, allowed the wine-producing communes of the Côte to add the name of their most prestigious Grand Cru to their own. Thus, Romanée naturally joined Vosne. This prestigious appellation, which is exclusively red, is actually shared between two communes: Vosne-Romanée and its neighbor Flagey-Échezeaux, which lies in the plain but whose wine-producing area extends up to above Clos-Vougeot.
Here are the eight jewels of the collection: Romanée-Conti, this mythical Grand Cru spanning 1.81 hectares, guarded by its solitary cross erected in 1804 and partly walled, carries its history for nearly eight centuries since the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Vivant planted the first Pinot Noir vines there. It gave its name to the domaine that exploits it as a monopoly. The work of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti approaches perfection, evident in the quality of this rare wine, such as the 1999 vintage. Romanée extends Romanée-Conti upwards on a steeper slope. This Grand Cru remained united with its neighbor for a long time and definitively acquired its name in 1827 after Louis de Liger-Belair received it as a dowry. With its 0.85 hectares, it is today the smallest controlled appellation vineyard in France. The Liger-Belair family has retained the monopoly. Romanée Saint-Vivant has a much larger area of 9.44 hectares. Nestled between Richebourg and the village, this appellation recalls that the Abbey of Saint-Vivant, located in the hinterland, owned vineyards in Vosne. La Grande Rue bears the name of the road that runs along this long and narrow parcel on one side and Romanée, Romanée-Conti, and Romanée Saint-Vivant on the other. This 1.65-hectare climat was promoted to Grand Cru only in 1990 and is a monopoly of Domaine François Lamarche. Named after the method of payment for “tâcherons,” La Tâche is a monopoly of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, covering 6.06 hectares of perfectly homogeneous terroir that consistently offers sumptuous wines, exemplified by the magnum of La Tâche Grand Cru 2006.
Richebourg, which overlooks Romanée Saint-Vivant, benefits from a superb location revealed in its highly coveted wines, such as those from the late Henri Jayer. This Grand Cru spans 8.03 hectares, and its vines climb to a noticeably higher altitude than its neighbors. Its etymology remains mysterious. Grands Échezeaux is located above the western wall of Clos de Vougeot on a homogeneous terroir of 9.14 hectares. Its name likely evokes the ruins of ancient dwellings. Comprising no less than 11 lieux-dits, Échezeaux (36.26 hectares) is the largest Grand Cru of the Côte de Nuits after Clos de Vougeot. Échezeaux Grand Cru 2018 from Château de Marsannay perfectly expresses this magnificent terroir.
Whether from the village appellation, such as Vosne-Romanée Joseph Faiveley, Premier Cru like the excellent climat En Orveaux from Château de Marsannay, or Grand Cru, Vosne-Romanée wines share an incredible finesse, silky tannins, and a vast aromatic palette centered on red fruit. Some Grands Crus approach perfection and possess exceptional ageing potential.
While wine is the main attraction of this village, Vosne-Romanée also boasts some of the most interesting architectural achievements. Among them are the so-called Romanesque House dating from the 16th century, where a Protestant consistory was held in 1607; the Goillotte Pavilion, former hunting lodge of the Dukes of Burgundy and later the wine cellar of the Princes of Conti; and the interior woodwork of Saint-Martin Church, brought to Vosne-Romanée by Dom Trouvé, the last abbot of the Abbey of Cîteaux, where they adorned the Chapter Hall before the revolution. The Château de Vosne, at the heart of the village, remodeled in the 19th century and owned by Count Liger-Belair, is also an integral part of the cultural heritage of Vosne-Romanée.
It therefore seems inconceivable to pass through Burgundy without stopping to pay homage to Her Majesty, Vosne-Romanée!
