From Jacques Noirot to Alain Roumier, Five Generations of de Vogüé’s Régisseurs

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From Jacques Noirot to Alain Roumier, Five Generations of de Vogüé’s Régisseurs

This bottle of 1937 Musigny Grand Cru from Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, was made by Georges Roumier, the domaine’s regisseur at the time.  Georges Roumier, the legendary Burgundian vigneron, served as régisseur at de Vogüé until his retirement in 1955.

Curious about how Roumier came to work for the de Vogüé family, I began researching the subject. What I discovered was remarkable: the Roumier family and their ancestors had maintained ties with the de Vogüé estate for more than a century.

But what exactly is a régisseur?

In Burgundy, a régisseur is effectively the estate manager — responsible not only for winemaking, but also for overseeing the vineyards, managing the workforce, and supervising the day-to-day operations of the domaine.

The family tree below is based on the documents and sources I have collected. Please note that I have not listed all the family members of each generation, only the key individuals relevant to this story.

The maternal lineage of the Roumier family can be traced back to the Mongeard family of Vosne-Romanée.

Pierre Mongeard,was a vigneron from Vosne-Romanée . His daughter, Jeanne Mongeard(1830-1870), married Jacques Noirot(1820–1904)  of Chambolle-Musigny. Jacques Noirot served as régisseur at Domaine de Vogüé.

This information is based on a documentary video I’ve found on the website of Archives départementales de la Côte-d’Or, filmed by director Ghislaine Graillet, who is originally from Morey-Saint-Denis. Filmed in 2009, the video documents discussions and genealogical research concerning the Graillet, Quanquin and Roumier families.

The discussion brought together members of the Graillet and Roumier families: Ghislaine Graillet (director), Claude Graillet (sister of Ghislaine Graillet), Odile Roumier, Colette (a friend of Odile Roumier), and Nicole (sister of Ghislaine and Claude, and cousin of Colette).

During a discussion of the family tree, Colette remarked:

“[Jacques Noirot] il était régisseur chez de Vogüé, à Chambolle, et ma grand-mère[Francoise Jorrot] était née chez de Vogüé.”

“He was the régisseur at de Vogüé’s in Chambolle, and my grandmother was born at de Vogüé’s estate.”

Jacques Noirot was both a cooper and the régisseur of Domaine de Vogüé.

From Noirot to Jorrot:

Jacques Noirot and Jeanne Mongeard had a daughter, Jeanne Marie Noirot (1851–1936), who married Paul Jorrot (1844–1915) of Chambolle-Musigny. Paul Jorrot subsequently became régisseur at Domaine de Vogüé, a position he most likely inherited from his father-in-law. At the time, it was common for such roles to remain within the same family across generations.

Paul Jorrot’s role at the domaine is confirmed by Jean-François Bazin, who wrote in his 1991 book « Chambertin, La Côte de Nuits de Dijon à Chambolle-Musigny» :

“Paul Jorrot, gérant du domaine au XIXe siècle (on dit alors le marquis et non le comte de Vogüé), y maintient une stricte politique de qualité. Il sera l’un des derniers à attacher ses vignes françaises après le phylloxéra et à greffer sur plants américains.”

“Paul Jorrot, manager of the estate in the nineteenth century — when the family head was still referred to as the Marquis rather than the Comte de Vogüé — maintained a strict quality policy. He was among the last to stake and train his French vines after the phylloxera crisis and to graft them onto American rootstocks.”

From Jorrot to Quanquin:

Paul Jorrot had a daughter, Françoise Jorrot (1872–1955), who married the vigneron Henri Quanquin(1861-1965) from Chambolle.

The Quanquin family owned extensive vineyard holdings in Chambolle-Musigny. Camille Rodier mentions the family several times in his 1920 book «Le Vin de Bourgogne», noting their ownership of parcels in Bonnes-Mares, La Combe d’Orveau, Les Fuées, Les Cras, and Les Amoureuses…

Did Henri Quanquin or one of his family members, also serve as régisseur at Domaine de Vogüé after Paul Jorrot?

So far, I have found no documentary evidence to confirm this. However, it seems highly plausible. His wife’s family maintained close ties with the domaine, and Paul Jorrot’s daughter, Françoise Jorrot, herself was born at Domaine de Vogüé.

In the 2009 video, Colette states:

“Ma grand-mère était née chez de Vogüé.”

“My grandmother was born at de Vogüé estate”

From Quanquin to Roumier :

In 1924, Geneviève Quanquin(1896-1978), daughter of Henri Quanquin, grand-daughter of Paul Jorrot, married Georges Roumier(1898-1965).

The couple inherited some vineyards from Quanquin and established their own domaine in Chambolle-Musigny. Georges Roumier also became régisseur at Domaine de Vogüé, a position he held until his retirement in 1955.

Exactly when Roumier joined the estate remains uncertain. However, it is reasonable to assume that he began working there around the time of his marriage to Geneviève Quanquin in 1924.

(first right: Comte Georges de Vogüé, second right: Georges Roumier)

From Georges Roumier to Alain Roumier:

After Georges Roumier retired, his eldest son, Alain Roumier(1926-2022), succeeded him as régisseur and remained in the role until 1986.

Two other family members also worked in de Vogüé for a short period of time, during the eras of Georges and Alain, although neither served as régisseurs.

Jean-Marie Roumier(1930-2002), Alain’s brother, father of Christophe Roumier, also worked in the domaine, while simultaneously working at the family domaine.

Tous trois [Georges, Alain, Jean-Marie] travaillent à la fois au Domaine Roumier et au Domaine de Vogüé : c’est souvent la même charrue, le même cheval et la même équipe qui sont utilisés. (《Patrimoine extraordinaire des vignobles de Bourgogne》Khiem Lé)

All three [Georges, Alain, Jean-Marie] worked at both Domaine Roumier and Domaine de Vogue: it is often the same plow, the same horse and the same team that are used.

Jean-Francois Bazin also notes that Hervé Roumier, Alain Roumier’s son, worked at domaine de Vogüé :

« Hervé a travaillé lui aussi au domaine de Vogüé . Bonnes formations évidemment.” « Chambertin 》Jean-Francois Bazin

Hervé also worked at the Vogüé estate. Good training, obviously.

From Jacques Noirot to Alain Roumier, members of the same extended family served as régisseurs at Domaine de Vogüé for approximately 150 years, spanning five generations.

Today, such continuity seems almost unimaginable.

It is unlikely that a similar story could unfold again.

Yet this remarkable lineage offers a powerful illustration of one of Burgundy’s defining values: transmission, continuity across generations.

The transmission of family history, wine culture, and terroir together form an essential part of Burgundy’s rich historical heritage.

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The author wishes to express special thanks to Ghislaine Graillet, documentary director, whose 2009 documentary research on the Graillet, Quanquin, and Roumier families provided valuable information for this article.

The photo of 1937 Musigny Grand Cru Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé is from Victor’s collection.