Domaine de la Vougeraie

Domaine de la Vougeraie was established in 1999 by Jean-Charles Boisset, drawing together vineyard parcels that the Boisset family had accumulated over five decades beginning in 1964, with the earliest acquisitions made north of Gevrey-Chambertin. At its founding, the domaine consolidated approximately 86.4 acres (35 hectares) of scattered Burgundy holdings into a single, coherent estate with a unified winemaking identity. Pascal Marchand served as the founding winemaker, setting an early direction toward quality-focused, terroir-driven production. Pierre Vincent succeeded Marchand in 2006, advancing the estate's reputation through a decade of acclaimed vintages before departing at the end of 2016 to join Domaine Leflaive.

• Founded 1999 by Jean-Charles Boisset, consolidating parcels acquired by the family from 1964 onward
• Original winemaker Pascal Marchand established the estate's foundational philosophy
• Pierre Vincent led winemaking from 2006 until end of 2016, when he moved to Domaine Leflaive
• Headquarters located in Premeaux-Prissey, Côte de Nuits

The domaine remains under the ownership of Boisset Family Estates, founded by Jean-Charles and Nathalie Boisset, with the estate now representing second-generation family stewardship. Sylvie Poillot joined as General Manager in 2017, providing continuity and strategic direction following Pierre Vincent's departure. Oenologist Camille Leynaud-Prince has held full responsibility for winemaking since 2015, having joined two years prior, and works in close collaboration with Poillot. Boisset Family Estates is recognized as the largest wine producer in Burgundy, though Vougeraie operates with the precision and scale of a traditional domaine rather than a large commercial house.

• Sylvie Poillot appointed General Manager in 2017 after Pierre Vincent's departure
• Camille Leynaud-Prince holds full oenological responsibility, in the role since 2015
• Boisset Family Estates is the largest wine producer in Burgundy
• Founded by Jean-Charles and Nathalie Boisset; now in second-generation family ownership

The estate farms 42 hectares spread across 29 different appellations in both the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, one of the broadest portfolios of any single domaine in Burgundy. Holdings include nine Grand Crus: Musigny, Bonnes Mares, Charmes-Chambertin Les Mazoyères, Clos de Vougeot, Corton Le Clos du Roi, and Corton-Charlemagne Le Charlemagne among them. The domaine holds two monopoles of particular distinction: Le Clos du Prieuré, a village-level holding, and Le Clos Blanc de Vougeot, a Premier Cru that produces the sole white wine from within the Vougeot appellation. To manage this geographic complexity, two dedicated vineyard teams operate in parallel, one headquartered in Morey-Saint-Denis for the Côte de Nuits parcels and one based in Beaune for the Côte de Beaune.

• 42 hectares across 29 appellations in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune
• Nine Grand Crus including Musigny, Bonnes Mares, Clos de Vougeot, Corton-Charlemagne, and Charmes-Chambertin Les Mazoyères
• Le Clos Blanc de Vougeot is a Premier Cru monopole producing the only white wine in the Vougeot appellation
• Le Clos du Prieuré is a village-level monopole; Bâtard-Montrachet rounds out the white Grand Cru holdings

Domaine de la Vougeraie converted to biodynamic viticulture across all 42 hectares in 2001, just two years after the estate was founded, making it an early adopter in a region that has since embraced sustainable farming more broadly. In the cellar, the approach for red wines involves destemming and crushing the fruit, followed by a 4 to 5 day maceration using native wild yeast fermentation in open wooden vats. The domaine produces 37 individual cuvées per vintage, a number that reflects both the breadth of appellations farmed and the commitment to expressing each site distinctly rather than blending across parcels. The 2024 vintage tested these principles severely, with rain and mildew limiting production to just 30% of normal volume, averaging 15 hl/ha overall, 21 hl/ha for whites and 12 hl/ha for reds against typical yields of 45 and 30 hl/ha respectively.

• Full biodynamic viticulture adopted from 2001 across all estate vineyards
• Red wines: destemmed, crushed, macerated 4 to 5 days with wild yeast fermentation in open wooden vats
• 37 individual cuvées produced per vintage across 29 appellations
• 2024 yields averaged 15 hl/ha total (12 hl/ha reds, 21 hl/ha whites), roughly 30% of normal production due to rain and mildew

Domaine de la Vougeraie matters because it demonstrates what can be built with long-term intention in Burgundy, assembling over 50 years of vineyard acquisitions into a single estate with a clear biodynamic and terroir-focused identity. The breadth of holdings across 29 appellations and nine Grand Crus provides a rare comparative lens on Burgundy's classification system, from village wines to the most prized Grand Crus in the Côte de Nuits. The domaine's monopole on Le Clos Blanc de Vougeot preserves a unique white wine tradition within an appellation dominated by red Pinot Noir. Critical recognition has been consistent: the 2021 vintage wines received Wine Spectator scores ranging from 92 for the Beaune Blanc to 94 for the Clos Blanc de Vougeot, published in October 2024. The estate's decision to hold prices stable after the devastating 2024 harvest, despite producing only 30% of normal volume, reflects a long-view approach to relationships with customers and the market.

• One of the most diverse single-domaine portfolios in Burgundy: 29 appellations, nine Grand Crus, 37 cuvées
• Monopole on Le Clos Blanc de Vougeot preserves the only white wine tradition within the Vougeot appellation
• 2021 Clos Blanc de Vougeot scored 94 points from Wine Spectator (published October 2024)
• Prices held stable after 2024 harvest losses despite only 30% of normal production reaching bottle