Visiting Alexandrine Roy and tasting the latest vintage just before the bottling is a highly enjoyable tradition. Her Domaine Marc Roy wines are archetypical vins d’emotion, and are wines that will thrill and bowl you over with hedonistic pleasure. While not at the very top of the Burgundy grand cru hierarchy, they are nevertheless always a treat.
Marc Roy through the years
Alexandrine is the fourth generation at the domaine, and she is running the estate with her father, Marc Roy, who is still active in the vineyards.
I have tasted the Marc Roy wines since 2015 (tasting the 2014s), and it is with great pleasure that I visit the estate every year:
- Domaine Marc Roy – tasting the 2014s
- Domaine Marc Roy – tasting the 2015s
- Domaine Marc Roy – tasting the 2016s
- Domaine Marc Roy – tasting the 2017s
- Domaine Marc Roy – tasting the 2018s
- Domaine Marc Roy – tasting the 2019s
Tasting the Marc Roy 2020s
The nature of the 2020 vintage fits the Marc Roy wines well, but that being said, the vintage does have its ups and downs.
A hot year with a cool appearance, the 2020 wines do not necessarily show as hot per se. They do, in some cases, show traces of the somewhat difficult growing season – mainly mild effects of the water stress that touched most vineyards in 2020.
Is it that bad? No. But it is a trait of the vintage that contributes to the “cooler appearance” in a hot year, and one even could argue it’s a mark on the plus side.
It seems that old vines, with their deeper, better-developed root systems (many producing millerandage grapes), and the white wines benefitted the most – or rather were less impacted by the water stress.
But let’s go through the wines!
Domaine Marc Roy Marsannay Blanc 2020
The Marsannay Blanc is back in shape, with only 13.1% alcohol. It’s cool, crisp, and vivid, with a fresh attitude that really suits Marsannay Les Champs Perdrix. It is always rather intense, but its finely balanced ripeness and good acidity give it delightful drinkability. With a big smile …
(Drink from 2026) – Very Good (88-89p) – Tasted 23/07/2021 from CASK – 
Domaine Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2020
The Gevrey Vieilles Vignes is a classic: Coming from 80-year-old vines, it’s one of the wines benefitting from vine age and deep roots. It is quite fresh and energetic for the vintage, with absolutely no sign of water stress. There is a slight hint of iron from the red clay soil, and it’s minerally vivid. Very lively, and a hedonistic treat.
(Drink from 2027) – Very Good (88-90p) – Tasted 23/07/2021 from CASK –
Domaine Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice 2020
La Justice vineyard is located just behind the estate in the large alluvial fan from the Combe de Lavaut. These are somewhat younger vines, that in some cases were slightly affected by the 2021 drought, which shows a bit in the lack of mid-palate complexity. I prefer the VV in this year – if I have to choose, that is.
(Drink from 2025) – Very Good (87-89p) – Tasted 21/07/2021 from CASK
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- A true vin d’émotion – a Burgundy of passion
- A truly hedonistic wine – lively and enjoyable
- A Vin Vif - fresh, energetic and with a light appearance