Why it matters
The producer
Christian Roux directs Domaine Roux alongside his sons Sébastien and Matthieu. The family owns and operates 70 hectares across Burgundy, giving the domaine a wide spread of vineyards and bottles under one name. It is also one of Burgundy's major land-holders.
The domaine works with both family vineyards and grape purchases. Sébastien and Matthieu have chosen to concentrate much more on the domaine wines and do the best with those, keeping vineyard ownership central to the operation.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Domaine Roux vines run from Mercurey through the southern Côte de Beaune, with wines produced as far north as Chambolle and Gevrey. The range therefore moves across several Burgundy place names and includes both red and white wines.
Saint-Aubin, Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault are the appellations especially associated with the house. An appellation is a defined place name on the label, so these village references distinguish the wines from broader Bourgogne bottlings.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
All grapes are harvested by hand at optimal ripeness. Hand harvesting allows the picking team to handle bunches carefully and choose the harvest moment parcel by parcel.
Many parcels are already managed organically. The brothers are considering a stepwise move toward biodynamic certification, a farming system that adds specific preparations and a calendar of vineyard work to organic practice.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range moves from broader Bourgogne bottles to village and premier cru wines. Bourgogne Pinot Noir La Moutonnière is a Pinot Noir red with polished tannins. The white range includes Bourgogne Les Murelles Domaine Roux, Saint-Aubin Vieilles Vignes, Meursault, Bourgogne Aligoté and Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Jadis.
A premier cru is a classified vineyard level within a village appellation, placed above village wine on the Burgundy hierarchy. The bottles therefore cover several levels of place, while Pinot Noir brings red fruit and tannin and Chardonnay brings acidity and body.