Domaine de la Vougeraie

The domaine was created in 1999 when Jean-Claude Boisset decided to amalgamate all the vineyard holdings acquired over the years by his négociant company, creating a single identity. Based at Prémeaux, just south of Nuits-St Georges, it’s run as an entirely independent concern. It’s named in honour of the Vouge river, which runs past its cellars. The estate covers a myriad of villages and appellations, from Chassagne-Montrachet to Gevrey-Chambertin, across 37 appellations; it continues to buy vineyards when appropriate. The heart of the domaine is the Clos Blanc, their monopole: beside Clos Vougeot and surrounded by red wine vineyards, its chalky outcrop of soil has produced white wine since 1110, for the monks of Cîteaux. After its inception, the estate quickly adopted organic practices, soon thereafter embracing biodynamics. Unusually, there hasn’t been a head winemaker here since Pierre Vincent joined Domaine Leflaive in 2016. Today the team, headed by Sylvie Poillot, makes all the decisions collectively.