Domaine Vincent Royet
France
Jean-Claude and his son Vincent now represent the third and fourth generation of the estate, which was started by Jean- Claude’s grandparents in the 1930’s. Jean-Claude’s parents took over in 1968, doubling the vineyard size from 4 to 8 hectares. Like their father, they continued to just produced red wines that were sold to neighbouring wineries. Jean-Claude joined in 1984 and he was able to convince his parents to add some vineyards for white grapes to produce both still and sparkling wines. After completing his enological education in Beaune, Vincent ventured out to explore and learn the winemaking techniques in New Zealand. He joined his father in 2020, and applying his newly acquired knowledge and skills, helped in elevating the Royet wines to an even higher level. Over the past forty years, the estate established a very good reputation but are still a true insider’s tip, also owing to the fact that the winery is located in the small, lesser known appellation of Côtes du Couchois. An impressive 90% of the wines are sold directly at the winery to visiting consumers from all over Europe and also to local restaurants. Only 10% of the wines get exported – to Japan, England, and now to Alberta.
The vines of Bourgogne Côtes du Couchois are located to the south of the Côte de Beaune and the Hautes Côtes de Beaune, on the left bank of the River Dheune, which separates it from the Côte Chalonnaise to the east. They grow on the best slopes in this rolling landscape, offering some remarkable viewpoints.
