Terroir Insight: Domaine Georges Roumier, Bonnes Mares

The Georges Roumier Bonnes Mares is perhaps the most famous and acclaimed wine from this large Grand Cru.

In a sense the Roumier is the Bonnes Mares benchmark wine – a wine that sort of defines the terroir in more than one sense, and also the variation in the expression of the terroir.

While other great wines are made on Bonnes Mares – the Roumier is certainly amongst the best in my view – a wine I have followed over more than 20 years – a wine that rarely if ever disappoints – and a wine that needs a long time to unfold it’s full potential.

Domaine Georges Roumier a bit of background

Domaine Georges Roumier is one of the top estates in Chambolle Musigny, and one of the true stars of Burgundy.

Domaine Georges Roumier was founded by Georges Roumier (1898 – 1965) in 1924 – when he married Geneviéve Quanquin (1896 – 1977) on November 14th 1924.

Georges Roumier was from Dun-les-Places in Morvan … and not from a vigneron family, but his wife was from Chambolle-Musigny, and the Quanquin family had a fine collection of vineyards in the Chambolle Musigny appellation.

Over the years the Roumier estate expanded the vineyard holdings and even so the holdings in the Bonnes Mares.

The Roumier holdings in Bonnes Mares

Bonnes Mares is sort of the “dark side” of Chambolle-Musigny, a vineyard that represents a hybrid between Chambolle and Morey – a vineyard that sometimes is somewhat overlooked when compared with the mighty Musigny.

In the Roumier case it’s however a bit different, as their Bonnes Mares is more floral and minerally expressive than many other wines made from this large Grand Cru.

Bonnes Mares is 15.05 ha – hence almost 40% larger than Musigny – and is located in both Chambolle Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis. The main part is in Chambolle-Musigny – north of the village and Les Fuées – and only 1.52 ha is located in the Morey appellation – just south of Clos de Tart.