P. & M. Jacqueson

In 1946, when Rully's vineyards lay mostly abandoned after the devastation of two world wars, Henri Jacqueson believed in the future. He cobbled together some ancestral land and began replanting vines. The domaine sits at the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise in Burgundy, where Paul focused on elevating Chardonnay to noble status on the clay-limestone terroirs of Rully. Little by little the family acquired additional plots, seeding an estate that today boasts 18 hectares of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—including 9 Premier Cru cuvées. The estate spans ideally situated vines, some of which are very old, primarily planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Paul Jacqueson took over in 1972, followed by his daughter Marie in 2006, and more recently his son Pierre. The estate has been organic for nearly 20 years, and the siblings work with a clear philosophy. According to Paul Jacqueson, only slow and repeated ploughing properly maintains the soil, so their soils are mechanically worked with no weed killers. Yields are intentionally limited to around 35 hl/ha through rigorous pruning, ensuring optimal concentration of aromas and a faithful expression of the terroir. The harvest is entirely manual and the grapes are sorted and destemmed as soon as they arrive at the winery.

Pierre heads the cellar and vineyard operations, and the good-humored former schoolteacher leaves no variable to chance—even his barrel selection starts with regular visits to the forest from which the oak is sourced. The red wines, like the whites, are laid for 12 months in oak barrels made by several Burgundy coopers with staves from the Troncay forest and dried for at least two years. Controlled vinification and judicious use of new oak (approximately 20% for whites and 25% for reds) allows for the production of ripe, intense, and sensual wines that perfectly reflect the unique character of each plot.

The estate covers 18 hectares, with parcels mainly in Rully but also in Mercurey and Bouzeron, with 55% planted with black grape varieties. The range includes village-level Rully in both white and red, alongside premier cru bottlings from sites like Les Cloux, Préaux, Raclots, and Margotés. The Premier Cru Les Cloux is produced from a plot of vines more than 45 years old, planted on fairly limestone-rich soils with a clay loam component perfectly suited to the Pinot Noir grape. Wines from the domaine feature on the wine lists of numerous Michelin-starred restaurants in France and abroad.