Domaine Taupenot-Merme
Romain Taupenot is bringing Domaine Taupenot-Merme into the spotlight. Working with his sister Virginie, they are the seventh generation to lead this historical Burgundy estate making both red and white wines from their base in the Côte de Nuits. Although he spent his childhood among the vines, Romain built up a successful career in finance before returning to and taking over his family domaine in 1998. The estate has gone from strength to strength ever since. They have Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Aligoté holdings spread across 19 appellations, including Nuits-St-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin and in 2021 added a further five hectares to their holdings in St-Romain and Auxey-Duresses. They’re also one of the few Burgundy estates with vines in both grands crus Charmes-Chambertin and Mazoyères-Chambertin, although the latter is a tiny 0.04 hectare sliver. Romain’s ethos is simple - to let the vines and the grapes do the talking, a feat he achieves through organic farming methods, judicious use of oak, and as little intervention as possible. His wines are a lesson in why sensitive vineyard handling leads to great wines.