Domaine De La Vougeraie Beaune 'Les Grèves' 1er Cru 2022

Domaine de la Vougeraie, based in Premeaux just south of Nuits St Georges, was created in 1999 when Jean-Claude Boisset of the Boisset group decided to group together all the vineyard holdings of his various negociant companies acquired over the years. The name comes from the significant holdings – and indeed Jean-Claude Boisset’s home – in the village of Vougeot. The winery is located however in the old Claudine Deschamps (Madame Jean-Claude Boisset) cellars in Prémeaux. The Domaine was put together from the various vineyard holdings which had accrued through the Boisset acquisitions of Burgundian houses over the years. Pascal Marchand was put in charge in 1999, with Bernard Zito in the vineyards, which were farmed biodynamically. Pascal produced powerful wines, fairly heavily extracted in his early vintages but clearly was subsequently moving to a softer approach by 2004

The small parcel of Les Grèves, planted in 1978, covers the central part of the hillside overlooking Beaune, at an altitude of 250 m. The name Les Grèves comes from the Latin for gravel, as the soil is highly calcareous here, ideal for the delicacy of the noblest of Beaune’s Premier Cru.

Whereas cras, chaille or cailleret in Burgundy refer to pebbly soil, gravains, gravières and grèves (from the Latin word grava, gravel) mean a more sandy soil, ideal for wine growing.

Vines have been planted here since Gallo-Roman days. The town’s vines are mentioned in the oldest description of Burgundy vineyards, written by Eumenes in 312 A.D. Part of Les Grèves long belonged to the Carmelite order. The cult of the Christ Child at Beaune was started by a Carmelite nun, Marguerite Parigot (1619-1648), whom Anne of Austria reportedly consulted shortly before conceiving Louis XIV after 23 years of sterility.