Terroir Insight: Georges Noëllat Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts

Beaumonts, Beaux Monts, Beauxmonts – whatever the spelling, the name means delightful pinot with many variations.

One of the very best Beaux Monts is from Maxime Cheurlin of Domaine Georges Noëllat. It is a complex and delightful wine that challenges the best from this fine terroir.

Domaine Georges Noëllat is perhaps a bit under many collectors’ radar, hence the wines can sometimes be found. Although not cheap, they are not quite as expensive as other top wines in the same league – Domaine Leroy, Cècile Tremblay, and Domaine Emmanuel Rouget, for example.

Some background on Domaine Georges Noëllat

The Noëllat name is well known in Vosne-Romanée, and the family is in one way or another connected to many domaines, as it is also related to the Jayer clan.

The Georges Noëllat domaine originates from the Ernest Louis Eugene Noëllat side of the family, as do domaines Cecile Tremblay and Michel Noëllat¹.

Ernest Louis Eugene Noëllat was the son of Felix Noellat, and brother of the better-known Charles Felix Noellat. Ernest Louis married Eugene Esther Fournier in 1906, and the couple had two sons before Ernest Louis sadly was killed during the First World War. The younger son was Georges Roger Noëllat (1914-82), and he founded Domaine Georges Noëllat. 

Georges married Marcelle Lorillard, and they had two children – a son, Bernard Noëllat; and a daughter, Marie-Thérése Noëllat (1940- ). After Georges Noëllat passed away in 1982, his widow ran the domaine until 1986.

Georges and Marcelle’s daughter Marie-Thérése married Jacques Cheurlin – a Champagne producer and grandfather of Maxime Cheurlin. They had two children, Patrice Cheurlin and Francis Cheurlin (1964- ), Maxime’s father. Jacques and Marie-Thérése took over the domaine from Marcelle Noëllat in 1986, but after their divorce the running of the estate fell to Marie-Thérése alone². From 1990 to 2009, most of the production was sold to Drouhin and Jadot³. 

Francis Cheurlin had two children, Maxime and his sister Anne-Cecile Cheurlin. In 2010, Maxime took over the winemaking and management of the Georges Noëllat estate, making that year the first vintage of the new era. Maxime was only 20 years old when he began his journey at Domaine Georges Noëllat; very impressive indeed.

Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts

Les Beaux Monts is located on the border between Vosne-Romanée and Flagey-Echézeaux, and is the second-largest 1er cru in the village, covering 11.39 hectares.

The top of the vineyard is classified as village in some parts, while the main section is 1er cru. The bottom of Flagey-Echézeaux Beaux Monts Bas is classified as grand cru, part of Echézeaux.

The map below shows the 1er cru section of Les Beaux Monts.

The top part of the vineyard (Les Hauts de Beaux Monts) has the lightest soil, whereas the top-end wines from this appellation come from Les Beaux Monts Bas, which gives potentially bigger, fuller wines. The top 2.37 ha of Les Hauts de Beaux Monts are classified as village, including Beaux Monts Hauts Rougeots, located in the Flagey end.

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