THE domaine Georges Roumier lifts the veil

At Domaine At Roumier, the grapes are harvested in small bins and then passed over a vibrating sorting table. "Each grape that arrives in the vat has been inspected both in the vineyard and on the sorting table. Destemming varies depending on the year, although I find that the 60% whole cluster, 40% destemmed balance works well; the freshness of flavor brought by whole cluster fermentation interests me, and I've been using it since the late 1980s," explains Christophe Roumier. The cold pre-fermentation maceration (14-15 degrees Celsius) lasts an average of five to six days in stainless steel and concrete tanks. From the first signs of alcoholic fermentation, the work begins, with frequent pump-overs and aeration, but little punch-downs since 2015; maceration lasts approximately three weeks depending on the year, and after racking, the sugars are released in large quantities. And the wine blanc of domaine ? " OUR corton - charlemagne on Pernand-Vergelesses "It doesn't produce the most voluptuous Burgundy wines," smiles Christophe Roumier. "After going through several phases, I finally understood that I had to persist with late harvesting to get ripe grapes and vinify differently to avoid oxidation problems. Since 2007, I've done minimal settling, malolactic fermentation is carried out before Christmas, I no longer stir the lees, I bottle before the harvest, and it's better, even if I'm not yet a huge fan of my own wine." corton - charlemagne "

Christophe Roumier became interested in organic farming in the 1980s. “We were discussing it with Dominique Lafon, a friend, at a time when everyone was criticizing it. I reduced the use of mineral fertilizers in 1985-1986, stopped using herbicides in 1989, and implemented organic farming in 1993; it was a failure due to the severe mildew pressure that year and the reluctance of some of the staff. In the following years, I worked with a more mixed approach: conventional treatments before flowering, organic treatments after flowering, which worked well; from 1998 onwards, I was able to gradually convert the domaine in organic practices. And besides, don't say I'm organic because I'm not certified and I don't want to be. The organic label is like locking yourself into prohibitions that have only a marketing objective. What interests me about organic farming is using products that have less impact on the environment than the chemical products I haven't used for twenty years." And biodynamics? "I haven't tried it yet. It seems quite mysterious to me, even if it's organic farming where they try to replace sulfur and copper with plants." And climate change? "The great vintages in Burgundy's history have always been hot and dry; the problem is the succession of hot years, and the vines suffer. That said, while winemakers revel in praising the quality of their own work, we must recognize that climate change is dramatic on a planetary scale."

Domaine of 12.5 hectares (ha), approximately three-quarters of which is leased to family members. 65% of sales are exported, and 20-25% of turnover is generated directly with individual customers. Sales are made by allocation and the domaine plans to launch an online sales site soon, notably to give new customers access to at least part of the production, while controlling prices. Head of Vineyard Operations (since 2006): Laurent Certin. The Wines Musigny grand cru 9.96 ares. Bonnes-Mares grand cru : 1.89 ha. Ruchottes -Chambertin grand cru : 54.36 ares. Charmes-Chambertin grand cru 27.16 ares. Échezeaux grand cru : 13.11 ares. Corton - Charlemagne grand cru : 20.40 ares. Chambolle- Musigny Premier Cru vineyards: Les Cras (1.75 ha), Les Amoureuses (39.63 ares), Les Combottes (27 ares). Morey-Saint-Denis premier cru rouge Clos de la Bussière monopoly: 2.59 ha. Chambolle- Musigny : 3.86 ha (the Premier Cru parcels Les Fuées and Les Plantes are reclassified as Chambolle- Musigny village Burgundy: 45 ares.