2019 Domaine Moillard Vosne-Romanee Aux Brulees

Moillard is an historic name in the Côte d’Or. But as a label it has often been confusing. The domaine started in 1848 when a young man named Symphorien Moillard married Margueritte Grivot, the daughter of a vineyard owner. In the many generations since then new vineyards were acquired, older parcels divided up for inheritance, and in true Burgundian style labels were often modified to reflect generational changes in the management of the domaine, or new parts of the domaine. Labels have included Thomas-Moillard, Moillard, Moillard-Grivot and Maison Moillard. By the early 21st century the estate had become a major player in the Côte d’Or, as a producer and a negociant. However today the Moillard extended family no longer owns the domaine or the maison. With more than 65 shareholders, most of them family members, disagreements arose and in 2005 some 30 acres of prime vineyards were sold off to Domaine Dujac and Etienne de Montille. In 2008 the remainder of Molliard was sold to Vincent Sauvestre, a major producer, negociant and land owner in Burgundy and elsewhere. Sauvestre owns the negociant Jean-Baptiste Béjot and more than 740 acres throughout Burgundy, Provence and Languedoc. Under Béjot ownership, Domaine Moillard produces Premiers Crus and village wines from a 75-acre property located between Vougeot and Volnay.

Les Brulees is an 11.25-acre Premier Cru vineyard in the Vosne-Romanee appellation of Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. Though it is divided by a road, the vineyard enjoys both a southeastern and northeastern exposure. Clive Coates calls Les Brulees “wine with backbone, richness and depth in a particularly masculine way.”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.