Location and Size
La Romanée is located in the commune of Vosne-Romanée in the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy. The appellation comprises about 0.85 hectares and is designated as a monopole with one producer. It is situated above the plain on a slope with a gradient of approximately twelve percent.
Climate and Terroir
The area is characterised by a temperate oceanic climate with continental and southern influences. The site is oriented to the east towards the rising sun, is slightly elevated and is considered to be protected from morning mist and spring frost. The subsoil belongs to the Jurassic limestone sequence of the Côte de Nuits; on the site, there is hard Premeaux limestone. The shallow, mostly limestone- and clay-containing soils show a red colouring due to iron oxides.
Appellation and Wine Style
La Romanée is a Grand Cru appellation, permitted exclusively for still red wines. Pinot noir is the most important permitted grape variety; Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and Pinot gris may be used only as minor varieties in mixed plots and together up to five percent per plot. The wines are described as structured, powerful and harmonious, with possible aromas of ripe or stewed red and black fruits, musk, leather and humus. They can develop over several decades and benefit from long ageing in bottles.
History and Cultivation
The place name “En la Romanée” has been documented step by step since the 17th century. From 1815 onwards, General Comte Liger-Belair brought the small plots together; according to the official description, the property remained with the Liger-Belair family, and the vineyard is still surrounded by medieval walls. The appellation was recognised as an Appellation d’origine contrôlée on 11 September 1936. Among other requirements, manual harvesting is prescribed, with at least 9,000 vines per hectare and an authorised yield of 38 hectolitres per hectare.
