Domaine Roulot Meursault - 1er Cru Clos des Bouchères 2024

Domaine Roulot is an old family estate based in Meursault since 1820. It was Guy Roulot, Michele and Jean-Marc’s father, who raised this estate to the level of excellence that we know today. His marriage to Geneviève Coche, following his achievements in adding additional prime parcels to the family’s holdings put the estate in the spotlight. A generation before, the domaine was more adept at distilling their grapes rather than vinifying. As a result, Domaine Roulot has become the master of the lieu-dit, not to mention the five premier cru parcels they farm in Meursault and Monthelie. Guy’s sudden death in 1982 left the family in transition, with Ted Lemon, an American who stepped up as cellar master before returning to California to found Littorai estate.

Jean-Marc Roulot returned to the estate in 1989, putting his acting career in Paris on pause. 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 Jean-Marc 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.

Jean-Marc’s believes in 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. Aging on lees for one year in barrels and six months in vats using only natural yeasts reduces any need of batonnage. Austere and “on the razor's edge” in their youth, the wines take on tremendous scale with age. 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 terroir.

The amount of new oak used ranges from 10 to 30%, depending on the character of the wine and the vintage. Roulot is not a strong advocate of lees stirring, a popular technique in Meursault to gain richness. He tells author Clive Coates, “It does, I admit, create richness, but it also creates heaviness, and one loses purity.” Jean-Marc therefore stirs a maximum of six times, only in years of high acidity and never after the malolactic fermentation.

Fermented in oak barriques, an average of 15-18% of which are new. Lees are lightly stirred every three to four weeks, until malolactic fermentation. Aged in barrel sur lie for 11 months, then racked to stainless steel for 7 more months of aging before bottling

"The 2024 Meursault 1er Cru Clos des Bouchères emerges from the glass to reveal aromas of pear, spring flowers, orange oil and freshly baked bread. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, ample and layered, with considerable mid-palate amplitude in the context of the vintage, concluding racy and tensile, with a saline finish." - 92-94 Points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Producer: Domaine Roulot

Country: France

Region: Burgundy

Varietal: Chardonnay

Appellation: Meursault 1er Cru

Vintage: 2024

Size: 750ml