Gevrey-Chambertin, Domaine Taupenot-Merme 2021

Description

The charming Romain Taupenot is the ninth generation to run this family domaine in Morey-Saint-Denis, with his teenager son already interested in working alongside him. While records show their ancestors practiced viticulture as far back as the 17th century, the domaine as we know it today truly came to be after the marriage of Romain’s parents, Denise Merme and Jean Taupenot, in 1963. The domaine’s diverse vineyard sites across both the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune can be traced back to this union of holdings from the Taupenot family, based in Saint-Romain, with those belonging to the Mermes, from Morey-Saint-Denis.

Romain first pursued a career in finance following business studies in Paris. In 1998, he returned home to assume management of the domaine, which he now runs alongside his sister, Virginie. 

With 9 hectares in the Côte de Nuits and another 4.5 hectares in the Côte de Beaune, Romain and Virginie now produce a wide range of different appellations, quite uniquely they own vineyards at village and 1er cru level in Nuits St Georges, Morey st Denis and Chambolle-Musigny which is rare.

Romain jokingly refers to himself as a “lazy winemaker,” prioritizing work in the vineyard in order to minimize the need for intervention in the cellar. Their hand-harvested grapes are de-stemmed and undergo a cold soak before fermentation with wild yeast, a method pioneered by the late, great Henri Jayer. Cellar operations like pigeages and remontages are gentle and performed with the goal of expressing the nuances of each site. New oak is used judiciously.

'Domaine Taupenot-Merme has in the past decade amazed me every time I got to taste their new wines. They are of excellent intensity and layered complexity. Burgundy lovers will also appreciate to be able to compare the different terrois of the Domaine, which offer a real lesson to get to know Burgundy.' Philglas & Swiggot