Domaine Paul et Marie Jacqueson

Rully, Côte Chalonnaise

The wines of Domaine Paul et Marie Jacqueson offer extraordinary value. They truly are some of the best value wines from any region and at any price point in our range. The Premier Crus are less than half the price of those from the Côte de Beaune, but the quality is on par with top level producers to the north. In fact, their Premier Crus are now cheaper than an equivalent producer in Chablis!

Rully was once a region well known for its white wines, but the social consequences of World War I and devastating effects of phylloxera led to significant declines in vineyard area. In 1946, Henri Jacqueson began to re-establish the vineyards of his grandfather and later bought select parcels of premier crus in Rully and Mercurey. Despite having been awarded appellation status back in 1939, the wines of Rully remained virtually unknown until the 1970s. Henri began to establish sales to private clients as early as the 1960’s and these still constitute a large percentage of the domaine’s sales today. Henri’s son Paul entered the domaine in 1972 and since 2007 his daughter Marie has joined the family business and is now in charge.

In their 12 hectares of vineyards they restrict yields to no more than 35 hectolitres/hectare (around 2 tonnes per acre). The soil is worked manually, eliminating the need for herbicides and use of treatments is kept to a minimum in respect for the environment. They are one of only two producers in the appellation who harvest entirely by hand.  Rigorous sorting at the winery follows to eliminate any inferior grapes. The winemaking is classically Burgundian, albeit with slightly lower percentages of new oak - only 20% for the whites, which allows the different crus to express themselves clearly. Barrels are stirred as required and topped up regularly to ensure absolute freshness is maintained during élevage.

These wines regularly feature on all the best burgundy wine lists. The Jacqueson Rully whites are a reference in France; desired for their richness and concentration, balanced with purity as well as intense minerality. The reds, grown in the Chalonnaise, forego the youthful austerity usually found in reds from the Cote d’Or and instead offer oodles of plush aromatic red and blue fruits when young.