Domaine Henri & Paul Jacqueson: Resurrecting Rully | Articles

Posted: Friday, February 02, 2001




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Domaine Henri & Paul Jacqueson: Resurrecting Rully

By Per-Henrik Mansson

Paul Jacqueson continues the immaculate work of his father, Henri, 79, who founded this tiny domaine in 1947. World War I had struck Rully hard; 80 growers never returned. Vineyards fell into disrepair in the interwar years, but after World War II, men like Henri believed in the appellation and began to rebuild it.

His son, Paul, 50, is making the sort of crisp, pure Chardonnays and clean, racy Pinot Noirs that are helping Rully come back; the wonderful '99 Pinot Noirs should help this Côte Chalonnaise commune gain better recognition among Burgundy aficionados.

The domaine picked its 9 acres of Pinot Noir before the rains in September 1999, but the weather turned wet before the Chardonnays were harvested, according to Jacqueson, who is president of the Union des Producteurs of Rully, a trade organization.

Though yields were high in much of Burgundy in 1999, a frost in April reduced yields in some of Rully's vineyards. Jacqueson also routinely thins his crops. His relatively modest yields, along with the pre-rain harvest, led to some wonderful Pinot Noirs. "1999 is the great year -- not in whites, but in reds," said Jacqueson.

His reds age in oak barrels, of which 25 percent are new. He doesn't acidify his wines, but does filter them. Jacqueson bottled his 1999 wines before the 2000 harvest because he lacks the cellar space to hold two vintages in barrels. (Even though the wines were bottled, I rated them by five-point increments because they were not tasted blind.)

He produced a superlively Passe-tout-grains (8084 points), two-thirds Gamay and one-third Pinot Noir; the vines are, on average, about 30 years old. A village Rully Chaponnières (8589) tasted thick and creamy, with spice, smoke and red berry complexity. The full-bodied premier cru Rully Les Cloux (9094), which is made from 40-year-old vines, was ultradark, sweet-tasting and harmonious.

Jacqueson also has a vineyard in Mercurey, a neighboring commune in the Côte Chalonnaise. Jacqueson's Mercureys seemed more accessible for drinking young because they were made in a tamer, less intense style than the Rully reds. The village Mercurey (8589) offered plum flavor, supple tannins and creamy texture. The Mercurey Les Naugues (9094) was another full-bodied premier cru, with dark color, ripe fruit and velvety texture; it could rival a fine premier cru from the Côte d'Or.

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