New producer on Romanee-Saint-Vivant – Domaine Poisot

It’s rare to see new producers or owners on the big grand crus in Vosne Romanee, but during my work on the articles about Romanee-Saint-Vivant vineyard I discovered a new and for me unknown producer on this fine vineyard – Domaine Poisot.

The story is however much more complex, as the history of the Poisot holdings on Romanee-Saint-Vivant dates back to 1902. For decades they have however only been bottling very small quantities of RSV under the Poisot label – and sold the main part of the production off to negociants – so while it’s an old ownership it’s really a new producer of Romanee-Saint-Vivant.

History of Domaine Poisot

Domaine Poisot is not exactly a new domaine as it originates from the original Louis Latour estate. In 1902 Marie Poisot enherites half the Maison Louis Latour vineyard holdings after her father Louis Latour – the other half was given to her brother Louis Latour who continued Maison Louis Latour.

Marie Poisot’s share included a 0,75 ha plot in the southwest part of Romanee-Saint-Vivant – just below Romanee-Conti. Marie’s vineyards were shared between her six children. The son Pierre Poisot was head of cultivation at the Maison Louis Latour, until his death in 1937. His wife, Yvonne, then acquired the beneficial rights over the vineyards, and these vineyards were shared between her three children, Maurice, Henri and France in 1979.

Pierre Poisots plots were farmed under rental or sharecropping agreements, by Maison Louis Latour, Henri Poisot and Michel Voarick, but were taken back in 1986 by Maurice Poisot. In June 2010 Remi Poisot, the third child of Maurice Poisot and Marie Louise Piguet, took over the cultivation of the vineyards.

Only Maurice’s and France’s plots remain of the original estate, Henri sold his plots in 1990 – Henri’s share of Romanee-Saint-Vivant plot was acquired by Domaine l’Arlot.

Domaine Poisot today

Domaine Poisot is now under the management of Remi Poisot a former captain in the french navy. Remi Poisot rejoined the family estate in september 2009, just in time for the vinification of the 2009 vintage – 2010 was the first vintage under his full management.

The domaine own almost 2 ha of vineyards – including 1.5 ha of Grand Cru:

• Pernand-Vergelesses 1er cru En Caradeux – 0.36 ha
• Corton Bressandes – 0.43 ha
• Corton Charlemagne – 0.57 ha
• Romanee-Saint-Vivant – 0.49 ha

Remi took over from his father, who sold the main part of the production to negociants and other domaines including Follin-Arbelet, Joseph Drouhin, Dominique Mugneret.

From 2009 a larger proportion of the production will be bottled as Domaine Poisot – it will be exiting to follow this new domaine.

Tasting notes will follow …