Paul et Marie Jacqueson

The story begins in 1946, when Henri Jacqueson decided to replant vines on his ancestral land in Rully, a village in the heart of Burgundy's Côte Chalonnaise. After World War I devastated the region, reducing vineyards from 600 hectares to just 90 by 1945, Henri was one of the few who believed in the future and began replanting. Little by little he acquired additional plots, building an estate that today spans 18 hectares of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The vineyards sit on the clay-limestone soils that define Rully's character, with many very old vines that are pruned hard to reduce yields to around 35 hl/ha.

Paul Jacqueson took over in 1972, followed by his daughter Marie in 2006, and more recently his son Pierre. Henri was one of the first to bottle and carefully age wines in oak casks, while his son Paul focused on elevating Chardonnay to noble status on the clay-limestone terroirs of Rully. Pierre heads the cellar and vineyard operations, and the former schoolteacher leaves no variable to chance, even visiting the forest where his oak is sourced. The family's commitment runs deep.

They only work the vineyards manually with very minimal vine treatments, and are one of very few producers in the village to hand-pick everything. The estate has been organic for nearly 20 years. According to Paul Jacqueson, only slow and repeated ploughing properly maintains the soil, so they avoid weed killers entirely. Grapes are sorted and destemmed as soon as they arrive at the winery. Judicious use of new oak, 20% for whites and 25% for reds, helps craft wines that are precise without being overbearing.

The estate covers 18 hectares with parcels mainly in Rully but also in Mercurey and Bouzeron, with 55% planted with black grape varieties. The portfolio includes 9 Premier Cru cuvées. The two flagship vineyards are the Premier Crus Grésigny for white and Les Cloux for red. La Pucelle premier cru is known for its indulgent fruitiness, produced from relatively young vines on limestone-clay soil with a predominance of limestone. Wines from the domaine feature on wine lists of numerous Michelin-starred restaurants in France and abroad, recognition that underscores the estate's consistent excellence.