LE DOMAINE DE LA VOUGERAIE CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY

The Domaine de la Vougeraie was created in 1999 around an entity and a name: La Vougeraie, the family home that symbolizes the close ties between the founding generation, Jean-Claude and Claudine Boisset, and their children Nathalie and Jean-Charles, who are behind the renaissance of this estate, and Vougeot, home to one-third of its vines. The same passion has driven this venture over 20 years, while at the same time being continually renewed.

The guiding principle at La Vougeraie is to enhance the terroirs and the wines in an endless quest for excellence. This demanding philosophy was expressed from the outset with the decision to adopt organic viticulture, working with the living soil to bring out the best in pure wines. This soon gave way to biodynamic practices, which have gradually moved to a more holistic vision, and since 2011 the whole estate has been cultivated using this approach.

The Domaine de La Vougeraie was created by bringing together a series of properties acquired over time, along with some vineyards that had been in the family. Its history goes back to 1964 with the first plot, Les Evocelles in Gevrey-Chambertin.

Twenty years later, the first plots around Vougeot and the first inroads into the Côte de Beaune were added. In 1996, further properties in the Beaune area were acquired, accounting for one-third of the estate’s vines. Then came the Clos Blanc, this famous monopole with its golden hue. These vines in the family’s native village gave rise to the Domaine de la Vougeraie, quite naturally, like a return to one’s childhood roots.

The estate today comprises a patchwork of 72 plots covering some 44 hectares, two-thirds on the Côte de Nuits, the rest on the Côte de Beaune, with 37 appellations. At its heart, like a diamond set within rubies, lies the mythical and mystical monopole Vougeot Premier Cru Le Clos Blanc de Vougeot.

The estate’s vineyards are increasingly worked by horse-drawn plow. Pruning is precise to reduce yields and provide concentrated fruit, which is handled with great care throughout the growing cycle. Hand-crafted vinification and ageing in accordance with each plot contribute to a style that is all about elegance, always seeking the purest expression of terroir.

Since 2008, the estate has been vinifying in whole bunches for even greater complexity and finesse, providing structure and enhancing the aromatic notes to give added soul to our red wines. Depending on the cuvee and the year, between 10 and 100% of the appellations benefit from this technique.

The winery also draws inspiration from the monastic legacy of Cîteaux in Vougeot for yet more elevation. As such, barrels mainly come from oaks cut in the forest of Cîteaux, with 600-liter demi-muids bringing out the very best in the white wines.

There is a near-obsessional attention to detail at every stage. The estate has its own herb garden to provide the plants for the infusions and concoctions that serve to dynamize the vines. The winery has wooden vats of a suitable size for each appellation, and is equipped with a vibrating sorting table and vertical press. Everything is done to further enhance the wine. Eight coopers are used to select the subtle nuances of wood according to the tone of each plot, vintage by vintage. This meticulous care extends to the choice of the right days in the lunar calendar for bottling, to ensure pure, vibrant wines.

The Domaine de la Vougeraie has nine illustrious grand crus: Charlemagne, Bâtard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Corton, Clos de Vougeot, Musigny, Bonnes Mares, and Charmes-Chambertin.