DOMAINE PAUL JACQUESON, Rully

I first bought the wines of this estate some 25 years ago, and have done so in almost every vintage since. Each year Henri, Paul’s father, would take you into the cellar and draw a pipette of his wonderful, green-tinted white from a barrel and wait in silence while you waxed lyrical on the attributes of this fine Chardonnay, before proudly announcing that it was in fact an Aligoté. Each year, one would go along with the subterfuge, despite now knowing the outcome. The family, who are of Welsh origin, had owned land in Rully since the mid-1700s, when it was granted to them by Marguerite, Duchess of Burgundy. Henri had planted the first vines here in 1947, and was a key player in elevating the reputation of the commune from its obscure pre-war origins – the commune’s male population had been decimated in the Great War, and hardly any families remained in viticulture by the forties. Henri is now in his mid-eighties, and his son Paul runs the domaine, aided by daughter Marie. Farmed almost entirely manually, it is one of the few domaines in Rully to practice hand picking, and it is run with meticulous care and attention to detail. Yields are low, around 35 hectolitres per hectare (hl/ha), and the wines see a relatively modest 20-25% new oak. The two flagship vineyards are the 1eres Crus Gresigny (white) and Les Cloux (red). The whites are fine and mineral, the reds delicate and ethereal, with finely perfumed notes of raspberry and cherries. Such is the reputation of the domaine that they appear on the lists of many Michelin starred restaurants in France and thoughout the world.