Domaine Noëllat History
The beginning …
The Domaine Noëllat is located in Vosne-Romanée in the Côte de Nuits. Its surface area is 23,5 hectares, which is quite admirable for Burgundy. Twenty-six appellations divided into more than one hundred fragmented plots that spread from Marsannay to Pommard. Like most of the wine estates in Burgundy, the Domaine is owned and run by the family. Since Félix Noëllat, its creator in 19th century, five generations have succeeded one another as the head of the estate: Ernest, Henri, then Michel who gave his namesake to the Domaine. The children of Michel, Alain, and Jean-Marc, have since passed the torch to their children: Sophie and Sébastien.
The Evolution…
The Noëllat family stands out by its strong entrepreneurial spirit, marked by their desire to always progress, investing and adapting to new technologies. They remain, however, very attached to their philosophy of respecting and transmitting traditions from one generation to the next. In 1980, Michel Noëllat had an authentic vaulted cellar dug in stone under the property in order to barrel his wines through gravity. Each year innovative methods were set into place until a great upheaval occurred in 2009, the year when the Domaine invested in an ultra-modern vatting room, equipped with forty temperature regulated stainless steel vats.
The Next Generation is Here…
Sébastien and Sophie complement each other nicely and continue to perpetuate the spirit of Domaine Noëllat. Sébastien is the man in the shadows of production, the quite force. Passionate about his native Burgundy, he knows every detail of each plot. He tenderly cares for the vines throughout the year and continues the actions already put into place, but also carefully adapting to each year’s climate: No more weeding, he lets nature run its course…He ensures a traditional and reasoned cultivation. In the summer, they work the grounds, but with very little intervention the rest of the year, allowing the earth to rest as much as possible. At the dawn of the harvest, the teams perform a careful green harvest. Sébastien is accompanied by his cousin. Sophie, enthusiastic and hardworking, manages the commercial side. Her dynamism and her joyfulness are very appreciated by their clients. She inherited the perseverance of her father Alain and she resolutely carries out all projects. When the grapes reach maturity, the symphony of the harvest is directed by three conductors: Sébastien, Sophie, and Alain, accompanied by the estate’s entire team and harvesters.