Domaine Rollin Père et Fils
View all products by Domaine Rollin Père et Fils
A family domaine run by Rémi Rollin and his son Simon who are the third and fourth generation respectively to make wine in the little village of Pernand-Vergelesses.
It all began when Rémi’s grandfather Maurice slowly accumulated plots in the appellation while working as a vineyard worker. His son Maurice took them over in 1955 and added more parcels when he could and bottled some of his wines for the first time. 1976 saw Rémi join him and Simon joined Rémi in 2003.
This is very much a family affair, with all the vineyard and winery work done by father and son across 12 hectares, 8 of which are owned by the Rollins. Five communes and fourteen appellations are represented in their range, including several premiers crus in both red and white, including a small plot in the Ile de Vergelesses premier cru first purchased by Maurice in the 1930s, and part of the Corton Charlemagne grand cru more recently acquired. Their wines are very fine, with the potential for cellaring.
Côte de Beaune
The Côte de Beaune runs from Ladoix-Serrigny in the north to Cheilly lè Maranges in the south, on the southern escarpment of the Côte d’Or. Beaune is the town at its heart. The most famous wines of the area are white, but many excellent reds are produced.
The soils of the area are predominantly mixtures of clay and limestone of various types, which is excellent for drainage but also retention of water. The hillsides here, split and riven by streams and side-valleys, provide a number of meso- and microclimates as well as various aspects ranging from east-facing to south and south-west facing. The best sites are neither at the top or the bottom of these slopes where the soils are too impoverished or too fertile respectively. More generic wines are produced at the top and bottom of these slopes, with the Premiers Crus and Grand Crus in a band running along the upper middle. Soils with more limestone suit chardonnay more than pinot, hence the number of famous white burgundies produced here.
The climate here is semi-continental, though northerly winds can temper a hot summer while warmer winds from the south can bring warmth. Westerly winds that ultimately originate in the Atlantic can bring rain but at its worst may deliver devastating hail in incredibly localised storms. There is a degree of unpredictability about vintages in Burgundy.
Pinot noir and chardonnay are the two permitted grapes of any significance, though Aligoté is grown occasionally for crisp, mouth-watering whites that are often used to make kir, and some generic Bourgogne or Crémant can be made with pinot blanc, pinot gris and beurrot can be made.
The appellations to be found in the Côte de Beaune are as follows: Ladoix, Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton , Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savigny-lès Beaune, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Monthélie, Auxey-Duresses, Saint-Romain, Meursault, Saint-Aubin, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay and Maranges
Côte de Beaune-Villages and Bourgogne-Hautes Côtes de Beaune are also made. The former is solely for red wines and the latter includes some whites as well. Both are mostly from vineyards on the top of the escarpment and some represent good value for early drinking Burgundy.
Côte de Beaune wines are generally lighter than those from the Côte de Nuits. Beaunes are soft and round, Volnays fine and silky. Pommards are the exception: due to more clay in the soil, they can be notably tannic and in need of considerable bottle age. The greatest of all white Burgundies, Le Montrachet, is made here between Chassagne and Puligny.
Burgundy Vintage 2005
Without doubt the 2005 vintage was one of the best of the last 50 years, with some observers rating it alongside the legendary 1959. In a spring and summer, throughout which the weather was just about ideal, the grapes achieved perfect phenolic maturity of skins, pips and stems which made for sweet, round tannins. Even in villages where tannins can sometimes be a little firm, such as Pernand, Aloxe and Pommard, sweetness and succulence were to the fore. A little water stress kept the vines on their toes and the perfection of the climatic conditions meant that there was little fungal disease to worry about. What little rain there was proved just enough, and at the right time, to refresh the grapes. The harvest of healthy grapes was relatively easy and sorting tables at the cellars were rendered largely redundant.
Whites were excellent to superb, based on low yields, though one or two overripe examples mean that this might not be a truly great year for whites. However, the best are wonderful and will repay cellaring. Reds were consistently superb from the generic to the grand cru. Yields were about average but small berries with thick skins and the phenolic maturity mentioned above meant wines of concentration without heaviness, and ripeness with real vibrancy and purity. Most will reward patience, even village wines, and the top crus will age beautifully for years to come.