We visited Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion in Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits.The visit consisted of two parts.
First, Armelle Rion joined us in the bus and took us on a tour of the vineyards of Vosne-Romanée.
Seond, we returned to the domaine, where we did a cellar tour and sat down for a tasting with Armelle Rion.
This posting covers the vineyard tour. A second posting will cover the cellar visit and tasting.
Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion is a family affair and we also met Bernhard Rion as well as Melissa and Alice Rion and Alice's husband Louis Rion. With the latter two we recently enjoyed a winemaker dinner at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA. Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion is well represented in the Washington DC area via Elite Wines.
he French Embassy in Washington DC
Domaine Rion was founded in 1880 by Pierre Rion. His son Louis substantially enlarged the domaine. Forth generation Bernard Rion now manages the Domaine Rion with his wife Armelle and his daughter Alice. Wine production is very traditional with a high respect for nature. Vineyard management methods rely on natural or very specific products. 'Pheronomes' are diffused around the vineyards to provoke sexual confusion in certain insects eliminating the need to use insecticides. The average vines are over 50 years old and their roots draw nutrition from deep down in the ground.
Vosne-Romanee Wine (wine searcher)
wine searcher: Vosne-Romanée is a small commune in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits district, known mainly for its red wine from the Pinot Noir grape. Originally named just Vosne, the village took the suffix Romanée in 1866 in honor of its most prized vineyard, La Romanée. It is often grouped together with the neighboring commune of Flagey-Echézeaux; while the villages are entirely separate, their finest vineyards are clustered together immediately north of Vosne-Romanée.
The classic Vosne-Romanée wine is considered by many to have the perfect balance of weight, structure, elegance and longevity. Tasting notes often refer to a combination of tart red fruits (particularly cherries and raspberries) and darker elements of undergrowth, licorice and smoke.
The village has been a known source of quality wines for more than a thousand years, since the arrival of the monks of the Saint-Vivant monastery. Today, it makes wine almost exclusively from Pinot Noir, although up to 15 percent of the local white varieties are permitted, to allow for natural planting variations and mutations. The wines are made under the Vosne-Romanée communal appellation (with about one-third coming from premier cru sites) and six grand cru appellations, each pertaining to a specific vineyard.
The entire surface area of Vosne-Romanée Grand Cru vineyards is only 27 hectares (67 acres – about half the size of the single Clos de Vougeot climat just across the commune boundary). This is divided between six individual sites: La Grand Rue, La Tâche, Richebourg, La Romanée, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and the most famous, Romanée-Conti. Despite this small surface area, Vosne-Romanée Grand Cru red wines are some of the most respected (and most expensive) in the world.
Vosne-Romanée's best vineyards lie just above the village, on the mid-slopes of the Côte d'Or; this is where the grand cru sites are located. Around these prestigious sites are dotted the Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru vineyards and some entirely unclassified land. The difference between a grand cru vine and one deemed worthy only of the regional Bourgogne appellation is sometimes a matter of a few feet.
Below this mid-slope section the slopes are too shallow to offer any degree of elevation or increased exposure to the sun. On the higher slopes, as the ground rises towards the spine of the Côte d'Or, the mesoclimate cools slightly, reducing the likelihood of the grapes attaining optimum ripeness and complexity.
Vosne-Romanée (Clive Coats)
Clive Coats: Nowhere is wine more noble than in Vosne-Romanée. Between the Nuits-Saint-Georges premier cru of Boudots to the south and the walls of the Clos de Vougeot at the northern end lie the 240 hectares of Vosne-Romanée vineyard: the most valuable piece of vinous real estate in the world.
Appellation Romanée Conti Grand Cru: The Romanée-Conti vineyard dominates the village, with its wines among the most expensive in the world. It is a monopole of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Around 600 cases are made each year from the vineyard's 1.8 ha.
Appellation La Romanée Grand Cru: La Romanée is a monopole of the Château de Vosne-Romanée. Only 300 cases are made each year from this plot of 0.84 ha.
Appellation La Tâche Grand Cru: La Tâche is Domaine de la Romanée Conti's other monopole, and its 6 ha consist of the vineyards of La Tâche and Les Gaudichots.
Appellation Richebourg Grand Cru: The 8 ha of the Richebourg cru are divided between 10 growers, including Domaine Leroy and Domaine de la Romanée Conti.
Appellation La Grande Rue Grand Cru: The least-renowned of the six grands crus is a monopole of Domaine François Lamarche, and was only promoted from premier cru recently. Its 1.4 hectares lie between La Tâche and Romanée-Conti.
Appellation Romanée Saint Viviant Grand Cru: Domaine de la Romanée Conti owns over half of the area's 9.5 ha.
Although unable to command the same prices as their grand cru neighbors, the village is home to many excellent premier cru wines. Fifty-eight hectares of this is premier cru, and there are 11 of these. Five of them lie just above the grands crus, six on the same altitude or a little further down the slope.
Back at Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion in Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits
The tour of the vineyards of Vosne-Romanée ended at the domaine, where we did a cellar tour and sat down for a tasting with Armelle Rion. This will be covered in a separate posting.
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