Domaine Laurent Roumier has its origins in the famous Domaine Georges Roumier, founded in 1924. Laurent Roumier is actually the cousin of Christophe Roumier, who currently manages Domaine Georges Roumier (Christophe and Laurent’s grandfather). Laurent’s father Alain was the cellar master for Comte de Vogue for 30 years from the 1950s through to the 1980s. Having worked with his brother for several years, in 1991 he created his own domain, with 4 hectares of vines which he rented from the Roumier family. He gradually expanded the domaine and now has a dozen hectares of vines.

As grandson of  the legendary Georges Roumier, Laurent Roumier’s holdings originate from that grand old estate with more recent additions of 6 hectares in the Hautes Cotes de Nuits being purchased in the 1990s and further purchases in Chambolle Musigny.

The cellars are almost next door to Georges Roumier at the back of the village in the rue de Vergy (which perhaps could be called the 'rue des Roumiers' as the various branches of the family seem to occupy most of the lane).

Wines here appear stylistically very similar to those of Georges with even the same barrels and oak used as his cousins though one notable difference is that Laurent mostly de-stems giving wines that show excellent depth of colour and which are more immediately perfumed and accessible in their youth while still having ample depth and structure to age classically. 

In recent vintages Laurent’s son is now working with him lending not only another set of hands but fresh perspectives and bringing new energy together with some more investments including extensions to the cellar and renewal to some of the winemaking areas. The relatively modern cellar enables wine to be moved with ease by gravity into barrel following ferments.

The domaine is made up of the following vineyard holdings:

·       3 hectares of vines in the Bourgogne appellation (one in the Chambolle-Musigny appellation, the other in Gilly-les-Citeaux) much of this is sold off as grapes.

·       6 hectares in Bourgogne-Hautes-Côte-de-Nuits rouge planted 1970s to 2000 and 0.71 hectares of the same parcel in white

·       2 hectares of Chambolle-Musigny villages planted 1960s to 1990s

·       900m2 of Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru “Les Noirots”

·       650m2 of Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru “Les Groseille”

·       690m2 of Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru “Les Gruenchers”

·       4,120m2 of Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru “Les Charmes” planted early 1980s

·       3,620m2 of Bonnes-Mares planted 1938 (from the Georges Roumier estate)

·       8,550m2 of Clos-Vougeot  - this wine comes from their vineyard in the highest part adjoining Grands Echezeaux and was replanted 1975 (from the Georges Roumier estate in 1997)

The vines are on average 35 years old, and they are farmed traditionally and responsibly, “the same way his father, Alain, did”: naturally, with neither fertilizer nor herbicide. Green harvests are carried out in the summer when necessary. All of the vines are harvested by hand.

In the cellar, the work is carried out with the same level of precision. The grapes are entirely destemmed the vinified in concrete vats. Alcoholic fermentation lasts around 15 days, with pumping over and punching down every day, and the temperature is checked every day. When it comes to pressing, the team decants the wines for 12 hours in vats and then barrels (50% of which are new for the grands crus and the premiers crus, 30% for the villages and 10% for the Bourgogne Hautes-côtes-de-nuits). The élevage lasts 15 to 18 months, with the barrels (mostly Tonnelerie Rousseau) being topped up once a week and racked two or three times during the entire period of élevage.

Interesting to note that their holding of Clos Vougeot is located at the top of the vineyard and this wine has exceptional depth and intensity and appears closer in style to Musigny to which it almost adjoins (and better than many Musignys) so do not pass this by!

Available to order. ETA 3-5 weeks