Domaine Roulot

Domaine Roulot traces its roots to 1830, when Guillaume Roulot registered as a vigneron in Meursault, though the family's ties to the village date back to at least 1798. The modern domaine took shape under Guy Roulot (1929-1982), who married Geneviève Coche, granddaughter of Léon Coche, thereby acquiring additional prime parcels and connections to one of Meursault's most celebrated families. Guy pioneered the practice of bottling individual village lieux-dits separately, a revolutionary step that would come to define the domaine's identity. His sudden death in 1982 left the estate in transition; Jean-Marc, then pursuing an acting career in Paris, returned to take charge in 1989 after a series of interim winemakers that included Ted Lemon and Franck Grux.

• Founded 1830 by Guillaume Roulot; family present in Meursault since at least 1798, now in its sixth generation
• Guy Roulot pioneered single-vineyard lieux-dit bottlings in Meursault, influencing the entire appellation
• Ted Lemon, the first American named winemaker at a Burgundian estate, steered the domaine between Guy's death and Jean-Marc's arrival
• Jean-Marc Roulot has led the domaine since 1989, refining and elevating the style his father established

No producer deserves more credit than Jean-Marc Roulot for establishing the school of Meursault winemaking that prizes riveting minerality over the buttery richness once typical of the appellation. Under Jean-Marc's direction, Roulot has championed the village's terroir diversity through four Meursault premier crus and six distinct village lieux-dits, each bottled separately to reveal its singular character. The domaine's historical importance extends to the 1976 Judgment of Paris, where Guy Roulot's 1973 Meursault Charmes placed second overall among all white wines, confirming the estate's standing at the highest level of white Burgundy. Today, Roulot wines are considered a benchmark for understanding Meursault's expressive range.

• Guy Roulot's 1973 Meursault Charmes placed second at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, beaten only by Chateau Montelena
• Jean-Marc's commitment to a bright, chiseled style set a new standard that influenced winemakers across Meursault and Burgundy
• Four Meursault premier crus and six village lieux-dits each bottled separately, showcasing the diversity of the appellation's soils
• In 2014, Jean-Marc launched a micro-négoce project sourcing fruit from prestigious vineyards including Corton-Charlemagne and Chevalier-Montrachet, bottled under the Jean-Marc Roulot label

Roulot Meursaults are immediately recognizable for their precision and restraint rather than weight or richness. Expect bright white and citrus fruits, white flowers, hazelnut, and a defining chalky, saline minerality that runs from entry through a long, focused finish. The wines are deliberately linear and chiseled, with acidity that provides structure and aging potential over a decade or more. Village lieux-dits offer distinct personalities tied to altitude and soil: lower-slope sites such as Meix Chavaux are more opulent and soil-driven, while higher-altitude plots such as Tillets and Narvaux deliver searing, crystalline mineral intensity. Premier crus add further depth and complexity, with Clos des Bouchères on shallow stony soil showing silky elegance and Les Perrières, above Charmes on the Puligny border, offering Roulot's most complete and long-lived expression.

• Signature style: linear, chiseled, mineral-driven; bright citrus and white fruit with saline, chalky mineral backbone
• New oak use 10 to 30% depending on wine and vintage; no more than 20% for village wines, up to 25 to 30% for premier crus
• Higher-altitude sites such as Tillets and Narvaux show crystalline, taut minerality in youth; lower-slope sites such as Meix Chavaux are more generous and opulent
• Wines show their full class at around ten years old; structured for extended cellaring

The domaine farms four Meursault premier cru parcels and one premier cru in Monthélie, plus six village-level lieux-dits. Les Perrières (0.26 ha, purchased 1976, vines dating to the 1940s) is considered the jewel of the estate: situated above Charmes on the Puligny-Montrachet border, it offers a perfect balance of richness and raciness with exceptional length. Les Charmes (0.28 ha, from vines over 70 years old) is rounder and more lush. The monopole Clos des Bouchères (1.38 ha) came to Roulot following the shared acquisition of Domaine René Manuel with Comtes Lafon; on shallow, stony soils it produces a silky, medium-bodied premier cru. Among village wines, A Mon Plaisir, Clos du Haut Tesson is regarded as the most multi-layered and complex, magisterial in quality despite its village classification.

• Les Perrières (0.26 ha): purchased 1976, vines from the 1940s, situated on the Puligny-Montrachet border; the domaine's most sought-after bottling
• Clos des Bouchères (1.38 ha): Roulot's monopole in Meursault premier cru; acquired via the René Manuel partition with Comtes Lafon from 2011
• A Mon Plaisir, Clos du Haut Tesson: the most multi-layered of the village wines, with remarkable density and energy for a village-level Meursault
• Monthélie 1er Cru Champs Fuillot (0.19 ha): a rare white premier cru outside Meursault, rounding out the premier cru portfolio

Jean-Marc Roulot's approach in both vineyard and cellar is built on restraint and transparency. Organic farming has been practiced since 1989, with herbicide elimination and plowing to encourage deep root growth; biodynamic practices have been employed since 2012 and the domaine received official organic certification in 2013. In the cellar, fruit is hand harvested and pressed very gently; fermentation proceeds with indigenous yeasts. White wines are aged on lees in barrel for approximately 12 months, then racked to stainless steel tank for a further six months before bottling; Aligoté is the exception, vinified entirely in tank. New oak use ranges from 10 to 30% depending on the character of the wine and the vintage. Jean-Marc is a firm opponent of excessive batonnage, stirring a maximum of six times and only in years of high acidity, never after malolactic fermentation, to preserve linearity and purity.

• Organic farming since 1989; biodynamic practices since 2012; certified organic since the 2013 vintage
• Indigenous yeast fermentation after gentle pneumatic pressing; all whites aged 12 months on lees in barrel, then 6 months in stainless steel tank
• New oak 10 to 30% depending on site and vintage; village wines capped at around 20%, premier crus up to 25 to 30%
• Minimal batonnage: maximum six stirrings, only in high-acidity vintages, never after malolactic fermentation, to preserve purity and linear elegance

Jean-Marc Roulot loves cooking and believes the strong mineral backbone and fresh acidity of his wines make them natural companions to food. The wines' precision and salinity point toward seafood and butter-based preparations that echo their briny, crystalline character, while the restrained oak and bright acidity cut through cream sauces without overwhelming delicate dishes. Village-level lieux-dits, with their approachable fruit and mineral freshness, pair well from a younger age; premier crus such as Les Perrières benefit from rich preparations that complement their power and density.

• Butter-poached lobster or scallops with beurre blanc
• Sole meunière with brown butter, capers, and lemon
• Creamy wild mushroom risotto or white truffle dishes
• Aged Comté, Gruyère, or Chabichou cheese