Renaud Boyer

History of Domaine Renaud Boyer

Born in Meursault into a family of winegrowers, Renaud Boyer did not immediately follow in his father's more conventional footsteps. He began by studying chemistry and engineering before training as a winemaker alongside natural wine artisans who would durably shape his approach: Pierre Overnoy in the Jura, Patrick Meyer in Alsace and Philippe Jambon in Beaujolais. In 2004, the opportunity of a lifetime arose when his uncle Thierry Guyot, a pioneering figure in organic and biodynamic viticulture in Burgundy since 1986, offered to lease him his vines in Saint-Romain.

Renaud Boyer then set up in part of his grandfather's former winery, at 23 rue de Mazeray in Meursault, and began his adventure as a natural winemaker, swimming against the tide of local practices. Today cultivating 3 hectares of vines in Saint-Romain, Puligny-Montrachet, Beaune and Bourgogne, he has established himself as one of the most respected natural winemakers on the Côte de Beaune. In 2017, his wines, deemed too atypical, were rejected by the appellation approval committee: undeterred, he renamed his cuvées using the initials of the villages of origin (SR for Saint-Romain, PM for Puligny-Montrachet) and marketed them as Bourgogne or Vin de France, with sober labels designed by his wife Saki.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Renaud Boyer

Renaud Boyer's vineyard extends over three small hectares spread across three communes of the Côte de Beaune. In Saint-Romain, perched on the heights and bordered by limestone cliffs, the estate benefits from a cold, high-altitude terroir that brings freshness, tension and minerality to the wines. The soils are calcareous marls, and certain plots are home to vines planted over 80 years ago, true jewels of the estate. In Puligny-Montrachet, the climat Les Reuchaux offers a stony and calcareous soil that gives the Chardonnay great breed and beautiful complexity.

The vines have been cultivated using certified organic and biodynamic methods since 1986, thanks to the pioneering work of Thierry Guyot. Renaud Boyer continues this uncompromising approach, using no synthetic products and tending his soils with extreme care. The planting is based primarily on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, two emblematic grape varieties of Burgundy, to which a few rows of Aligoté planted at Saint-Romain have been added since the 2020 vintage. With so little equipment (a press, a few tanks, barrels some of which are over ten years old, and now a few sandstone amphorae), this micro-estate produces confidential volumes that are highly sought after internationally, particularly in Japan, Denmark and Germany.

Winemaking at Domaine Renaud Boyer

In the cellar, within an ancient underground vault located a few metres below ground, Renaud Boyer extends his radical approach as a natural winemaker. The harvests are entirely manual. For the whites, the Chardonnay grapes are directly pressed slowly for six to seven hours, without settling, before being transferred by gravity into used barrels or sandstone amphorae (used since 2022). The ageing lasts a minimum of 12 months in old barrels, sometimes extended to two years depending on the cuvée and the winemaker's instinct. No exogenous yeasts are added; fermentations start naturally and the wines rest on their fine lees.

For the reds, the winemaking is carried out with whole bunches, with an intuitive carbonic maceration of approximately three weeks, followed by a minimum of 12 months' ageing in old barrels. No sulphur is added at any stage, no additives, no fining or filtration. Renaud Boyer only bottles when the wine has reached full stability, faithful to his motto: there is no single way to do things. This radically non-interventionist approach produces wines of great freshness, brilliant purity, rare finesse and precision, which have forged the growing reputation of this sensitive and deeply committed winemaker.

The cuvées of Domaine Renaud Boyer

The Bourgogne Les Riaux Blanc is one of the estate's flagship cuvées. Sourced from Chardonnay cultivated around the most prestigious white wine appellations of the Côte de Beaune, it offers a luminous nose of citrus, white fruits and flowers, on a precise, indulgent and deep palate, with a beautiful final salinity that goes well beyond the level expected of its appellation.

The Bourgogne Les Riaux Rouge is a seductive Pinot Noir, marked by a fascinating nose of small wild fruits, brambles, gentle herbs and undergrowth. The palate unfolds with great freshness, vibrant red fruits, a delicate mineral thread and a slightly earthy and savoury finish, ideal for summer grilling or bistro-style cuisine.

The Saint-Romain Blanc (sometimes labelled SR Blanc) is one of the estate's finest expressions. A Chardonnay sourced from old vines planted on the cold heights of the village, it does full justice to this majestic terroir where the vines meet the cliff faces. A finely crafted, upright and elegant wine, it combines freshness, relief and great length, with that extra dimension of soul characteristic of Renaud's wines.

The Saint-Romain Rouge (or SR Rouge) is a vibrant and deep Pinot Noir, surprising in its delicacy and natural freshness. A historic cuvée of the estate sourced from plots with vines over 80 years old, it offers pure fruit, a velvety texture that is not without density, a beautiful aromatic finesse and a remarkable length.

The Saint-Romain Aligoté is one of the latest additions, sourced from a few rows of Aligoté planted at Saint-Romain since 2020. A fresh, saline and taut wine that reveals the forgotten potential of Burgundian Aligoté in the hands of a master craftsman winemaker.

The Beaune Les Prévolles Rouge is a Pinot Noir sourced from a lieu-dit within the Beaune appellation. A gentle aromatic blend of cherry, spices and violet, it seduces with its immediate indulgence, its fine and silky tannins, and its balance between vibrant fruit and natural freshness.

The Puligny-Montrachet Les Reuchaux (or PM) is the pinnacle of the estate's white wine range. Sourced from a plot with stony calcareous soil, this Chardonnay is directly pressed and then aged for a minimum of 12 months in old barrels. The wine offers great breed, a dense substance, an incisive mineral thread and a long, saline finish, in the tradition of the finest Pulignys.

The Charligoté cuvée is a particularly successful blend of Chardonnay and Aligoté. A wine of balance and momentum, carried by a superb freshness, a beautiful salinity and an obvious drinkability without sacrificing any depth, it is one of the estate's most beloved cuvées over recent vintages.

The Ratafia is a cuvée in its own right, crafted in collaboration with Didier Meuzard, considered one of the greatest makers of Ratafia de Bourgogne. A sweet and aperitif-style marriage of fresh grape must and eau-de-vie, this confidential Ratafia is a perfect companion for the end of a meal, to be served chilled with a fruit dessert or a blue cheese.