Domaine Roulot

The Roulot name in Meursault goes back at least five generations. Guy Roulot, father of Jean-Marc Roulot and husband of Geneviève, granddaughter of Léon Coche, was the figure who built the domaine's modern reputation before his death in 1982. A Meursault-Charmes 1973 bottled by the domaine was included in the ten-wine blind white-wine flight organized in Paris on May 24, 1976 by Steven Spurrier of L'Académie du Vin, an event later known as the Judgment of Paris. Nine tasters scored the ten wines on a 20-point scale; the domaine's 1973 Meursault-Charmes finished second with an average score of 14.05, behind only Chateau Montelena's 1973 wine (14.67) and ahead of Chalone Vineyard 1974 (13.44), Spring Mountain Vineyard 1973, Beaune Clos des Mouches (Joseph Drouhin) 1973, Freemark Abbey 1972, Bâtard-Montrachet Les Pucelles (Domaine Leflaive) 1972, Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1972, Veedercrest Vineyards 1972 and David Bruce Winery 1973.

• Roulot name in Meursault traced back at least five generations; Guy Roulot built the domaine's modern reputation before his 1982 death
• Guy Roulot married Geneviève, granddaughter of Léon Coche
• Domaine's Meursault-Charmes 1973 placed second (14.05 average, 20-point scale) in the white flight of the May 24, 1976 Judgment of Paris organized by Steven Spurrier, behind only Chateau Montelena 1973 (14.67)

Guy Roulot's death in 1982 came before Jean-Marc, then pursuing a career as a stage and film actor, was ready to take over. In the interim, the domaine's wines were made first by Ted Lemon, later the founder of Littorai in California and a founder of Burn Cottage in New Zealand, and then by Franck Grux, who went on to become winemaker at Olivier Leflaive Frères. Jean-Marc Roulot took charge of the domaine in January 1989, describing it as his fifth vintage by the time of a 2024 interview reflecting on 1989 through 1992. He has said there was no direct father-son handover, and that it took him ten to twelve years to become comfortable with the diversity of the domaine's soils and the variability of its vintages, helped along the way by friends including Dominique Lafon and Emmanuel Giboulot. Jean-Marc has maintained his acting career alongside winemaking, including the two-man play Les Luchets and a role with strong creative influence in the film Ce qui nous lie, released internationally as Back to Burgundy.

• Ted Lemon (later founder of Littorai, California, and a founder of Burn Cottage, New Zealand) and then Franck Grux (later winemaker at Olivier Leflaive Frères) made the wines between Guy Roulot's 1982 death and Jean-Marc's return
• Jean-Marc Roulot took over the domaine in January 1989; by his account it took ten to twelve years to become fully comfortable with the estate's soils and vintage variability
• Friends who helped in the early years included Dominique Lafon and Emmanuel Giboulot
• Jean-Marc has continued acting, including the two-man play Les Luchets and a role in the film Ce qui nous lie (Back to Burgundy)

As of an update dated September 2022, Domaine Roulot's white-wine holdings included the Meursault Premier Crus Les Perrières (0.26 ha), the monopole Clos des Bouchères (1.38 ha), Porusot (0.42 ha) and Les Charmes (0.28 ha), plus the Monthélie Premier Cru Champs Fulliots (0.19 ha). Village-level Meursault lieux-dits bottled separately included Clos du Haut Tesson (0.85 ha), Les Tillets (0.49 ha), Les Luchets (1.03 ha), Les Meix Chavaux (0.95 ha), Les Vireuils (0.67 ha) and Les Narvaux (0.50 ha), alongside a further blended Meursault bottling from four vineyards (2.25 ha) and an Auxey-Duresses white parcel (0.48 ha). Red-wine holdings included a Monthélie parcel (0.36 ha) and an Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru parcel (0.47 ha). The Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières plot was purchased by the Roulots in 1976, with vines dating to the 1940s. From 2011, a shared acquisition of Domaine René Manuel with Domaine des Comtes Lafon brought Roulot new vineyards, notably Meursault Porusot and the Clos des Bouchères monopole, plus some village land; as part of that division, Jean-Marc ceded his domaine's previous holding in the wider Bouchères climat to take over the Clos des Bouchères monopole instead. The village wine long labeled Meursault Les Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir has since been renamed Meursault, A Mon Plaisir, Clos du Haut Tesson, reflecting the wording on the stone arch above the vineyard.

• Meursault Premier Crus: Les Perrières (0.26 ha, purchased 1976, vines dating to the 1940s), monopole Clos des Bouchères (1.38 ha), Porusot (0.42 ha), Les Charmes (0.28 ha); plus Monthélie 1er Cru Champs Fulliots (0.19 ha)
• Village Meursault lieux-dits bottled separately: Clos du Haut Tesson (0.85 ha, formerly labeled Les Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir), Les Tillets (0.49 ha), Les Luchets (1.03 ha), Les Meix Chavaux (0.95 ha), Les Vireuils (0.67 ha), Les Narvaux (0.50 ha); plus a blended four-vineyard Meursault (2.25 ha) and Auxey-Duresses white (0.48 ha)
• Red parcels: Monthélie (0.36 ha) and Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru (0.47 ha)
• From 2011, shared acquisition of Domaine René Manuel with Domaine des Comtes Lafon: Roulot gained the Clos des Bouchères monopole (ceding its prior Bouchères holding), Meursault Porusot and some village land

By Jean-Marc Roulot's own account, he began intuitively removing products from the vineyard treatment schedule soon after taking over, and realized by around 2000 that the domaine was effectively farmed organically; the domaine received formal organic certification in 2013. He has described his winemaking as moving from heavier to purer wines without losing quality or complexity, picking early when grape condition warrants it, and, where skins are healthy, crushing grapes before pressing for a greener juice obtained with less aggressive pressing and a better pH. The domaine's signature extended elevage, aging white wines around eighteen months (roughly eleven months in barrel and six to eight months in tank), developed gradually rather than as a single decision: it began with an accident on the 1993 Meursault Perrières, which Jean-Marc was forced to leave in the vat for an extra winter and found, on tasting, was better for it. By 1995 Charmes, Tessons and Perrières were being aged eighteen months, all the Meursault followed in 1996, and Bourgogne blanc joined the longer regime from 2007. New oak use is capped around 20 percent for village wines and 25 to 30 percent for the crus, and Jean-Marc has varied sulphur regimes by vintage, using less at the outset than in the past. Since 2018 the cellar has also used stoneware jars for part of the aging process, alongside wood and stainless steel, producing wines the winemaker describes as less complex but more focused and vibrant than barrel alone.

• Jean-Marc Roulot: began removing vineyard inputs soon after 1989, realized by around 2000 the domaine was effectively organic, certified organic 2013
• Extended elevage (about 18 months, roughly 11 in barrel plus 6 to 8 in tank) developed gradually: an accidental extra winter in vat for the 1993 Perrières; Charmes, Tessons and Perrières at 18 months from 1995; all Meursault from 1996; Bourgogne blanc from 2007
• New oak capped around 20 percent for village wines, 25 to 30 percent for the crus; sulphur regime adjusted by vintage
• Stoneware jars used since 2018 alongside wood and stainless steel for part of the aging process

Alongside the domaine's own vineyards, Jean-Marc Roulot bottles a small range of wines from purchased fruit under his own name, Jean-Marc Roulot: Meursault Premier Cru Genevrières, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Cailleret, and the grands crus Corton-Charlemagne and Chevalier-Montrachet. Jean-Marc's son, Félicien Roulot, is pictured alongside him in a 2024 profile of the domaine. Reflecting in that 2024 interview on thirty years running the estate, Jean-Marc voiced some unease with parts of contemporary Burgundy, saying he finds some winemakers too impatient, including a practice of publishing tasting notes on social media, and crediting earlier Burgundians such as François Faiveley and Hubert de Montille with having fought to keep Burgundy's wines terroir- and estate-driven rather than trend-driven.

• Négoce range under the Jean-Marc Roulot label, from purchased fruit: Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Cailleret, Corton-Charlemagne, Chevalier-Montrachet
• Jean-Marc Roulot's son Félicien Roulot appears alongside him in a 2024 domaine profile
• Jean-Marc Roulot (2024 interview): critical of the pace of change in contemporary Burgundy, citing social-media tasting notes as an example, and crediting predecessors such as François Faiveley and Hubert de Montille with keeping Burgundy terroir-driven

No reachable official producer website was found for Domaine Roulot after repeated attempts (PRIMARY-UNREACHED); this article is sourced entirely to secondary references. Secondary sources: Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy, Domaine Roulot overview (insideburgundy.com, updated September 2022); Christophe Tupinier, "Jean-Marc Roulot (Meursault): Some winemakers are too impatient," Bourgogne Aujourd'hui (bourgogneaujourdhui.com, November 3, 2024); Steven Spurrier, "The Judgement of Paris, The Historic 1976 Tasting that Revolutionized Wine," Academie du Vin Library (academieduvinlibrary.com, September 4, 2020). Last verified 2026-09-14. Spot something off? Submit a correction: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdM0MsYoQFCpXb4qbSPVM2TBRuC2624pOhrffs7IGhpfGCCQA/viewform