Roblet Monnot

History of Domaine Roblet-Monnot

The history of Domaine Roblet-Monnot is deeply rooted in the soil of Volnay, where Pascal Roblet's family has been established since the 17th century on the maternal side and for four generations on the paternal side. The current estate was founded in 1865 by Victor Delagrange, Pascal's great-great-grandfather on his mother's side. In 1926, Victor passed the estate on to his son-in-law Henri Monnot, Pascal's grandfather, who ran the domaine single-handedly until 1973, then together with his son François, Pascal's father, until 1989. The domaine was also one of the first in the region to bottle its wines on-site as early as the 1930s.

In 1990, at just twenty years of age, Pascal Roblet took over the family estate and renamed it Domaine Roblet-Monnot, in tribute to his two lineages. Very early on, he decided to make a clean break with the past and start afresh, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Convinced from the outset by organic farming and biodynamics, he converted his vineyard as early as 1997 and obtained organic certification. In 2002, he decided to stop trimming the canopy — following the example of Lalou Bize-Leroy at Domaine Leroy — in order to avoid stressing the vines. A singular path that earned him recognition from the greatest critics, including William Kelley of Wine Advocate.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Roblet-Monnot

The vineyard of Domaine Roblet-Monnot covers nine hectares of vines, mainly located in the emblematic village of Volnay, complemented by a few plots in Pommard and the Côte de Beaune. The soils, predominantly clay-limestone with occasional limestone veins, provide an ideal setting for Pinot Noir, which expresses all its aristocratic delicacy here. The estate also cultivates Aligoté and Chardonnay on small parcels.

The estate's distinctiveness lies in its very high planting density (up to 12,000 vines per hectare) and deliberately low yields (30 to 35 hectolitres per hectare), guarantors of optimal concentration and a precise expression of the terroir. Pascal Roblet favours working with horses in order to limit soil compaction, and manages his vineyard in strict accordance with the principles of biodynamics, without the use of synthetic products. Each parcel receives bespoke care, according to its needs, so as to allow its personality to express itself fully.

Vinifications of Domaine Roblet-Monnot

In the cellar, located in the hamlet of Bligny-lès-Beaune, Pascal Roblet extends the gentle and respectful approach established in the vineyard. The harvest is entirely manual, with rigorous sorting of the berries. Vinification is low-interventionist, allowing the fruit to naturally develop all its aromas and reveal the personality of each climat. Fermentations take place on indigenous yeasts, without the addition of oenological inputs.

Ageing takes place in oak barrels, with a measured proportion of new wood, in order to support the wine without masking its terroir identity. Pascal Roblet seeks above all finesse, purity, freshness and drinkability — qualities that have become the recognisable signature of the estate. The wines are bottled with extreme care, without over-extraction or excessive opulence. The result is expressed in Volnay and Premier Cru wines of great elegance, endowed with a silky mouthfeel, mineral energy and remarkable ageing potential.

The cuvées of Domaine Roblet-Monnot

Bourgogne Aligoté Nerthus: an exceptional Aligoté cuvée, which has become one of the estate's signatures. Vinified with the same care as the finest cuvées, it reveals a rare depth for the variety: a complex nose, a taut, mineral and saline palate, sometimes mistaken blind for a great Chardonnay. A high-flying white that surprises even the most devoted Chardonnay enthusiasts.

Bourgogne Chardonnay: a village-level Chardonnay from the Côte de Beaune, this white wine wins over with its purity, its notes of citrus and white flowers, and its lovely freshness, faithful to the estate's airy and precise style.

Volnay (village): a village-level cuvée of Volnay, this wine perfectly embodies the elegance and finesse characteristic of the appellation, often referred to as the "flower of Burgundy". The delicate nose reveals aromas of red fruits, violet and gentle spices. The palate stands out for its silky roundness, balance and freshness, in a remarkably precise style for a village wine.

Volnay Saint-François: the estate's signature cuvée and personal favourite, this Volnay asserts itself through its finesse, elegance and subtlety. The bouquet of red fruits and violet precedes a silky, round and taut palate, where all the depth of the climat is found. A cuvée that has made the estate's reputation and features regularly on the finest Michelin-starred tables.

Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds: an emblematic Premier Cru located in the upper part of Volnay, in the extension of the Clos des Chênes, on the border with Monthélie. The terroir, composed of blonde clay soils traversed by a limestone vein, yields a wine endowed with a distinctive foundation and texture, with a firm structure and chiselled minerality. The young vintage offers a deep colour, a nose of strawberry, blackberry and bramble, and a solid, concentrated palate built for ageing.

Volnay 1er Cru Les Brouillards: a great Premier Cru of Volnay, produced in very small quantities, this wine stands out for its brilliant purity, its luminous fruit and its energetic minerality. A precise, refined Volnay full of relief, in keeping with the finest cuvées of the estate.

Volnay 1er Cru Pitures Dessus: another rare and little-known Premier Cru from the estate, this wine offers a very pure expression of the Volnay terroir. A brilliant colour, a complex nose of red fruits and spices, a structured yet silky palate, and a long, saline finish of great elegance.

Pommard (village): a village-level cuvée of Pommard, more full-bodied and powerful than the Volnays, faithful to the more virile character of the appellation. The wine unfolds aromas of fleshy black fruits, spices and undergrowth, supported by a dense substance, supple tannins and a lingering finish.