Rougeot Père & Fils

History of Domaine Rougeot Père & Fils

Although Domaine Rougeot was founded in the 1970s in the center of the village of Meursault, Pierre-Henri represents the eighth generation of Rougeot winemakers in the area. The historic 18th-century stone cellar was originally built for the Hospices de Beaune to press fruit from the neighboring orchards and was acquired by Pierre-Henri’s great-great-grandfather in the 19th century. Pierre-Henri’s grandfather, a visionary entrepreneur, specialized in restructuring the Meursault vineyards after the war, overseeing the restoration of vineyard land and replanting campaigns. He was also mayor of Meursault for 25 years, actively helping to raise the village’s profile.

Marc Rougeot continued developing the family estate from the 1980s onward, gradually expanding its vineyard holdings to 12–13 hectares. In 2016, Pierre-Henri Rougeot made a decisive change: he stopped supplying supermarkets, a business his father Marc had started. This radical shift was intended to focus all efforts exclusively on producing high-quality wines. After training at the prestigious Domaine de Montille and spending several years as export manager at the Vicard cooperage, Pierre-Henri brought an international perspective back to the estate while maintaining a deep respect for Burgundian traditions.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Rougeot Père & Fils

The vineyards of Domaine Rougeot Père & Fils encompass a mosaic of exceptional terroirs across the Côte de Beaune’s most prestigious appellations. Most were planted by Pierre-Henri’s grandfather in the late 1950s and partially replanted by his father in the early 1980s, apart from the old vines in Saint-Romain and the slightly younger vines in Monthélie.

In Meursault, the estate owns several prestigious climats, including the celebrated Premier Cru Les Charmes, south of the village near Puligny-Montrachet, known for its limestone and marl soils and ideal exposure to the morning sun. The Sous la Velle climat, planted with very old vines, produces crystalline wines with a remarkable mineral backbone. Clos des 6 Ouvrées, a small monopole in the estate’s own garden at the heart of the village, yields elegant, fresh wines. The Les Grandes Gouttes parcel, planted south of the village 500 meters from Meursault-Charmes, brings considerable depth despite its Bourgogne appellation.

In Pommard, Clos des Roses is the pride of the estate. This approximately 0.95-hectare monopole, located in the lower part of the village at the lieu-dit Rue au Port (or Rue au Porc), is enclosed by stone walls on three sides and bordered by the small L’Avant Dheune stream. Vines planted in the 1950s and 1980s produce spicy, velvety Pinot Noirs with supple tannins.

La Combe Bazin in Saint-Romain, planted in the 1920s, is the estate’s oldest vineyard. At an elevation of 350 meters, this parcel produces rich, balanced wines thanks to naturally low yields.

The Volnay-Santenots Premier Cru terroir is unusual in that it lies geographically within the commune of Meursault while its red wines bear the Volnay appellation. These 30- to 50-year-old vines, planted in clay-limestone soils and oceanic marls, produce structured wines built for long aging.

In Monthélie, the west-facing Les Toisières parcel, between Meursault and Volnay, yields a dynamic, taut Chardonnay of great purity. The estate also grows Aligoté at the lieu-dit Les Plumes, planted in 1974, treating it with the same care as the noble grape varieties.

Winemaking at Domaine Rougeot Père & Fils

The estate has been certified organic since the 2020 vintage and Demeter biodynamic since the 2023 vintage. This approach reflects a deep commitment to respecting natural cycles and biodiversity. Vineyard work is carried out entirely by hand, with minimal mechanical intervention.

For the white wines, hand harvesting is followed by direct pneumatic pressing of whole, uncrushed clusters. Two days of cold settling precede alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts and malolactic fermentation in barrels. No lees stirring is carried out, preserving aromatic purity. The wines age for 18 months in 228-liter Burgundy barrels, with a moderate proportion of new oak. They are then racked into stainless steel tanks for blending and allowed to rest for one to two months before light filtration and bottling.

The Pinot Noir grapes are harvested into crates, sorted by hand and placed in tanks without destemming, so the clusters arrive intact and whole. Fermentation lasts 15 to 18 days, with 85% to 100% whole clusters depending on the cuvée. One or two pump-overs each day and one or two punch-downs during fermentation allow for gentle extraction. Winemaking uses yeasts from the cellar and no sulfur, allowing the terroir of origin to express itself fully. The free-run and press wines are then blended, transferred to barrels with the fine lees, and undergo malolactic fermentation in barrel. Aging lasts 12 to 18 months, depending on the appellation.

Pierre-Henri says he encountered winemakers with a genuine understanding of what it means to be a winemaker, who could clearly convey their sense of how their wines were developing in barrel without any need for chemical additions or intervention. The estate uses two distinct labels: a classic label depicting the estate for wines with small amounts of added SO2, and a diagonally striped label for cuvées made without added sulfur. Small amounts of SO2 are added to individual barrels if necessary. Each terroir is vinified separately to create single-parcel cuvées that express the distinctive character of each climat.

The Cuvées of Domaine Rougeot Père & Fils

Bourgogne Aligoté "Les Plumes"

From a 45-year-old parcel planted in 1974 on the plains below the village of Meursault, beyond the RN74 highway. Despite Aligoté’s sometimes undervalued reputation, the estate treats this grape variety with the same care as the noble varieties. The whole clusters are pressed, and the wine is aged half in concrete tanks and half in used 228-liter oak barrels.

Bourgogne Chardonnay "Les Grandes Gouttes"

Located south of the village of Meursault, just 500 meters from the prestigious Meursault-Charmes vineyards, this Bourgogne has impressive breadth and depth. Its proximity to great terroirs gives it unusual complexity for a regional appellation.

Bourgogne Pinot Noir "Les Vaux"

A single parcel of vines more than 55 years old, located near the center of Meursault on clay-limestone soils. Like all the estate’s Pinot Noirs, it is vinified with whole clusters. It ages on fine lees for 12 to 18 months in neutral barrels. Earthy and structured, the wine also has vibrant fruit that makes it remarkable even in its youth. A maximum of 18 mg/L of SO2 is added, only before bottling.

Bourgogne Pinot Noir "Les Lameroses"

A single parcel of vines more than 45 years old in northern Meursault, near the border with Volnay, on clay-limestone soils and oceanic marls. Whole-cluster vinification is followed by 18 months of aging in neutral barrels. This more structured cuvée is bottled in the spring after 18 months of aging. A flavorful, full-bodied red Burgundy in a classic style.

Bourgogne Clos des 6 Ouvrées

Located in the heart of the village of Meursault, in the estate’s own garden, this small monopole produces an elegant, fresh wine. Its immediate proximity to the cellars allows this exceptional micro-parcel to be monitored closely.

Meursault "La Monatine"

Located in lower Meursault, just a few meters from the Sous la Velle village-level parcels, this climat yields a supple, approachable wine, perfect for discovering the Meursault appellation while the wine is young.

Meursault "Sous la Velle"

Sourced from some of the estate’s oldest vines, this distinctive climat consistently produces a sleek, crystalline wine with a pronounced mineral backbone. The 2.2-hectare parcel of 50- to 55-year-old vines lies in the heart of the village. Chardonnay from this terroir has a lively profile, developing delicate aromas and a remarkably long finish. 

Monthélie "Les Toisières" Blanc

Between Meursault and Volnay, this west-facing parcel yields a dynamic, long-finishing Chardonnay with incomparable tension. A pure, vibrant expression of the Monthélie terroir.

Meursault Premier Cru "Les Charmes"

From one of Meursault’s emblematic vineyards, Les Charmes produces rich, powerful, aromatic wines. Situated on limestone and marl soils with ideal exposure to the morning sun (south and southeast), the vineyard is carefully tended and yields beautiful grapes. The wine shows rich, lingering exotic notes. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in oak barrels, 15% to 20% of which are new. It is aged for 18 months without lees stirring, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. This cuvée will benefit from 4 to 5 years of aging before fully expressing itself.

Saint-Romain "La Combe Bazin"

La Combe Bazin, planted in the 1920s, is the estate’s oldest vineyard. At an elevation of 350 meters, these vines produce low yields and a dense, balanced wine. The wines from this site are rich and structured and could be considered the estate’s quiet success story.

Pommard "Clos des Roses" (Monopole)

The Clos des Roses vineyard lies just below the village of Pommard, enclosed by stone walls on three sides and the small L’Avant Dheune stream on the fourth. This 0.95-hectare monopole was planted in the 1950s and 1980s. The 40-year-old Pinot Noir parcel at the lieu-dit Rue au Port is harvested entirely by hand. Vinification uses 85% whole clusters, with fermentation in tank for 15 to 18 days without added sulfur. The wine ages for 12 months in 228-liter barrels (25% new oak), followed by 6 months in stainless steel tanks.

Volnay-Santenots Premier Cru

The Volnay-Santenots Premier Cru is technically located in the village of Meursault, but winemakers discovered long ago that demand for Volnay was greater than for red Meursault, hence the Volnay appellation for these red wines from northern Meursault. This terroir is unusual in that it lies within the commune of Meursault yet produces structured, long-finishing wines with considerable aging potential. The 0.85-hectare vineyard has vines aged 30 to 50 years. Whole-cluster vinification is followed by 18 months of aging, two-thirds in neutral barrels and one-third in new oak.