Like Pierre’s, Domaine Prieuré Roch’s own story is one of love. It started in 1987 when young Henri-Frédéric Roch first visited “Clos Goillotte,” a 0.55 hectare vineyard just south of “La Tache,” and as he said “fell head over heels in love.” Roch, who is part of the family who owns Domaine de la Romanée Conti, had the opportunity to buy the parcel in 1988 and Domaine Prieuré Roch was born. The name was inspired by another producer in Bordeaux and means the “Priory Roch.”
Over time, Roch expanded his vineyard holdings to 20 hectares scattered across Côtes de Nuits and Côtes de Beaune. Today, the estate produces wines from Vosne-Romanée, Clos de Vougeot, Chambertin’s “Clos de Bèze,” the 5.2 hectare monopole “Le Clos de Corvées” in Nuits-St-Georges and, the latest addition, the rare monopole “Le Clos des Varoilles” in Gevrey Chambertin.
From early on, Roch opted for ancestral minimal intervention and a terroir-first philosophy, convictions which were adopted by Yannick Champ, the estate’s director, whom Roch hired in 2005. Organically and biodynamically farmed, the vines are fed with natural compost and weeded by hand; each parcel has its own individual treatment. Adhering to strict minimal yields, grapes are harvested by hand, often in several passes and only when the stems are ripe. For some cuvées, grapes are harvested when they are undersized, but fully ripe (called “millerandés” grapes) yielding a stronger concentration of flavours.
The estate uses whole bunches in the vinification of all their cuvées with 100% naturally occurring yeasts. During fermentation, the team uses manual remontage and pigeage by foot twice per day. Villages wines are then aged in new oak for 18 months; Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines are racked after 20-22 months and continue to age until 24 months. All wines are bottled without fining or filtration and using only very small amounts of sulphur.
The wines of Domaine Prieuré Roch have great aromatic intensity and complexity, and have gained a cult following for their outstanding quality and honest expression of their Burgundy terroir.
Over time, Roch expanded his vineyard holdings to 20 hectares scattered across Côtes de Nuits and Côtes de Beaune. Today, the estate produces wines from Vosne-Romanée, Clos de Vougeot, Chambertin’s “Clos de Bèze,” the 5.2 hectare monopole “Le Clos de Corvées” in Nuits-St-Georges and, the latest addition, the rare monopole “Le Clos des Varoilles” in Gevrey Chambertin.
From early on, Roch opted for ancestral minimal intervention and a terroir-first philosophy, convictions which were adopted by Yannick Champ, the estate’s director, whom Roch hired in 2005. Organically and biodynamically farmed, the vines are fed with natural compost and weeded by hand; each parcel has its own individual treatment. Adhering to strict minimal yields, grapes are harvested by hand, often in several passes and only when the stems are ripe. For some cuvées, grapes are harvested when they are undersized, but fully ripe (called “millerandés” grapes) yielding a stronger concentration of flavours.
The estate uses whole bunches in the vinification of all their cuvées with 100% naturally occurring yeasts. During fermentation, the team uses manual remontage and pigeage by foot twice per day. Villages wines are then aged in new oak for 18 months; Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines are racked after 20-22 months and continue to age until 24 months. All wines are bottled without fining or filtration and using only very small amounts of sulphur.
The wines of Domaine Prieuré Roch have great aromatic intensity and complexity, and have gained a cult following for their outstanding quality and honest expression of their Burgundy terroir.
