Vosne-Romanée AOP

AOC/AOP Regulations

Département

• Côte d’Or

Communes of Production

• Vosne-Romanée and Flagey-Echézeaux

Styles and Encépagement

• Rouge: Pinot Noir, plus a max. 15% mixed plantings of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay
• Rouge „Premier Cru“

Minimum Potential Alcohol

• Rouge: 10.5%
• Rouge „Premier Cru“: 11%

Minimum Must Weights

• Rouge: 180 g/l (171 g/l prior to 2011)
• Rouge „Premier Cru“: 189 g/l (180 g/l prior to 2011)

Maximum Residual Sugar

• Rouge: 2 g/l

Élevage

• Wines must be aged until at least June 15 of the year following the harvest

Minimum Planting Density

• 9,000 vines per hectare

Maximum Yield (Rendement de Base)

• Rouge: 50 hl/ha (40 hl/ha prior to 2011)
• Rouge „Premier Cru“: 48 hl/ha (40 hl/ha prior to 2011)

Principal Soil Type

• limestone and clay-marl

AOC Established

• 1936 (last updated 2011)

Links

• AOP Cahier des Charges
• AOC Map
• Map of Vosne-Romanée AOC (Official Burgundy Wines Website)

Grand Cru Vineyards of Vosne-Romanée (6) & Flagey-Echézeaux (2)

Vineyard	Size**	Major Producers	Notes
Echézeaux	37.69 ha	Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Emmanuel Rouget, François Lamarche, Mugneret-Gibourg, Perdrix, Robert Arnoux, Jean Grivot, Anne Gros, Liger-Belair	The village of Flagey appended the name of Echézeaux, the second largest Grand Cru in the Côte de Nuits, in 1886. It includes the following lieux-dits: Les Poulaillères, Echézeaux-du-Dessus, En Orveaux, Les Champs Traversins, Les Rouges-du-Bas, Les Loachausses, Les Criots-en-Vignes-Blanches, Clos St-Denis, Les Treux, Les Beaux Monts Bas, and Les Quartiers-des-Nuits.
	Origin of Name: „Echézeaux“ is derived from the Latin casalis, and the Old French les chesaux, which translate to „rural houses.“
Grands-Echézeaux	9.14 ha	Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Mongeard-Mugneret, d’Eugénie, Gros Frère
	Origin of Name: See above.
La Grande Rue	8.03 ha	Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Leroy, Anne Gros, Gros Frères, Méo-Camuzet, Liger-Belair	Richebourg includes two lieux-dits: Les Richebourgs and Les Véroilles-sous-Richebourg (2.98 ha). The boundaries of Richebourg were redefined in 1924 to include the latter. „Richebourg“ first appeared in print in 1512, when the vineyard was under the Abbey of Cîteaux’s ownership.
	Origin of Name: „Richebourg“ is likely derived from riche („wealthy“) and the Latin burdus, which describes a bastard child.
La Romanée	0.85 ha	Comte Liger-Belair, monopole	This is the smallest AOP in France, and it has been in the hands of the Liger-Belair family since 1826 or 1827. However, Liger-Belair did not produce a wine from the vineyard from the early 1900s through 2001, allowing others to manage the vineyard and market the wine. From 2002-2005 there are two producers: Liger-Belair and Bouchard, with whom the domaine held a long term contract for commercialization of the wine. From 2006 forward Liger-Belair is the sole producer.
	Origin of Name: According to legend, Roman soldiers who led Julius Caesar to victory over the Gauls in 52 BC were given parcels of land, and vineyards were planted. However, the vineyard En la Romanée did not appear in print until the 17th century. There are conflicting accounts as to whether or not this La Romanée and Romanée-Conti were once a single vineyard.
Romanée-Conti	1.81 ha	Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, monopole	This is the world’s most expensive red wine. Accounts differ as to whether or not La Romanée and La Romanée-Conti were once a single vineyard.
	Origin of Name: In the 16th century, the modern Romanée-Conti vineyard was known as Les Cloux des Cinq Journaux (one of four lieux-dits within the larger Les Cloux de Sainct Viven) and it was the property of the Abbaye de Saint-Vivant. In 1584, the Abbaye divested the parcel, and in 1631 it passed into the hands of the Dutchman de Croonembourg. Under his family’s ownership the vineyard was renamed La Romanée. The Prince of Conti, cousin to King Louis XV, purchased the vineyard in 1760, but his family’s ownership was short-lived: revolutionaries seized the Prince’s holdings in 1793, and sold this vineyard at auction. It was the revolutionaries, rather than the Prince himself, who distinguished the vineyard as „Romanée-Conty,“ and the name stuck.
Romanée-Saint-Vivant	9.44 ha	Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Leroy, Robert Arnoux, Sylvain Cathiard	The Marey-Monge family owned the entire vineyard from the French Revolution until 1898, when they began to sell off sections of the vineyard. The last remaining Marey-Monge parcel (5.29 ha) was sold by the family’s heirs to the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in 1988, making DRC the largest single landowner in Romanée-St-Vivant.
	Origin of Name: The site belonged to the monks of Abbaye de Saint Vivant from the 1131 through the French Revolution. In 1512, the vineyard appeared in tax records as Les Cloux de Sainct Viven. Its modern name – Romanée-Saint-Vivant – did not appear in print until 1756.
La Tâche	6.06 ha	Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, monopole	Today’s La Tâche consists of two lieux-dits: the original, smaller La Tâche (once owned by Liger-Belair) and much of the neighboring Les Gaudichots. In 1932, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, owners of a parcel of Les Gaudichots, successfully argued their right to use the La Tâche name, and in 1933 DRC purchased Liger-Belair’s plot, creating the current monopole.
	Origin of Name: „Tâche“ = „task“
**Coates, Clive. The Wines of Burgundy. Rev. ed. Berkeley: The University of California Press, 2008.

Premier Cru Vineyards of Vosne-Romanée (14)

Vineyard	Size**	Major Producers	Notes
Aux Brûlées	4.53 ha	d’Eugénie, Michel Gros, Grivot, Leroy, Méo-Camuzet, Bruno Clavelier	The vineyard’s upper slope is alternatively known as la Combe Brûlée.
	Origin of Name: „Brulées,“ or „burnt,“ is likely a reference to the site’s warm southern exposure.
Au-dessus des Malconsorts	1.00 ha	Henri et Gilles Remoriquet	Producers in this vineyard may use the better-known Aux Malconsorts on their labels.
	Origin of Name: See below. „Dessus“ means „above.“
Aux Malconsorts	5.86 ha	Albert Bichot, Sylvain Cathiard, Dujac, de Montille	Aux Malconsorts is adjacent to La Tâche and the Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Boudots. Its 5.86 ha size includes Au-Dessus des Malconsorts.
	Origin of Name: Prior to the planting of the first vineyard here (in 1610) the area was a scrubland, termed Malconsorts by the locals.
Aux Raignots	1.62 ha	Liger-Belair, Sylvain Cathiard, Robert Arnoux, Jean Grivot	This vineyard is more commonly spelled Reignots.
	Origin of Name: „Raignots“ derives from rein, designating a top quality site.
Clos des Réas	2.12 ha	Michel Gros, monopole	Prior to 1996, Clos de Réas labels bore the name of Michel’s father, Jean. The vineyard has been in the hands of the Gros family since 1860.
	Origin of Name: Unknown.
Cros Parantoux	1.01 ha	Emmanuel Rouget, Méo-Camuzet	Henri Jayer single-handedly elevated this vineyard, which had laid fallow from the outbreak of phylloxera through World War II, to near-mythic status with the quality of his wines. Today, there are only the two owners.
	Origin of Name: Parantoux was a historic owner of the site. „Cros“ may be derived from either craie (chalk) or creux (a dip in the ground).
En Orveaux   (Flagey-Echézeaux)	1.79 ha	Sylvain Cathiard, Mongeard-Mugneret	A portion of the En Orveaux vineyard is classified as Echézeaux Grand Cru. The entire En Orveaux, including both Grand and Premier Cru land, is 6.83 ha.
	Origin of Name: „Orveaux“ is derived from veaux, or „valley.“
Les Beaux Monts	11.39 ha	Dujac, Bertagna, Daniel Rion, Hudelot-Noëllat, Jean Grivot	This vineyard is frequently spelled „Beaumonts“.
Les Chaumes	6.46 ha	Robert Arnoux, Lamarche, Liger-Belair, Louis-Michel
	Origin of Name: „Chaumes“ is derived from the Latin calmis, or „pasture land.“ The vineyard lay fallow (en friche) for a period prior to being replanted.
La Croix Rameau	0.60 ha	Lamarche, Jacques Cacheux
	Origin of Name: „The cross of Rameau“
Les Gaudichots	1.03 ha	Regis Forey	Most of this vineyard was reclassified as La Tâche Grand Cru in 1932.
	Origin of Name: „Gaudichots“ is derived from godiche, Old French slang meaning clumsy or stupid.
Les Petits Monts	3.67 ha	Robert Sirugue, Drouhin, Regis Forey, Mongeard-Mugneret, Liger-Belair
	Origin of Name: „the small hill“
Les Rouges (Flagey-Echézeaux)	2.62 ha	Jean Grivot
	Origin of Name: „Rouge“ likely refers to the color of wines produced, rather than the soil.
Les Suchots	13.07 ha	Hudelot-Noëllat, Robert Arnoux, Confuron-Cotétidot, Lamarche, Liger-Belair, Mongeard-Mugneret
	Origin of Name: „The mound“; the vineyard occupies a sort of flattened hill between Richebourg, Romanée-St-Vivant and Echézeaux.