Les Petits Lieux - Vosne-Romanée 2023

Saying that Henri Jayer is a “legendary winemaker” feels like an understatement. Henri’s wines are the holy grail for collectors: they are ultimate unicorn wines. At the 2018 auction of his personal cellar, Henri Jayer’s wines set the record for a single-owner collection at a total of $34.5 million. Henri is world-renowned for his innovative contributions to viticulture and is single-handedly responsible for influencing a generation of Burgundian winemakers, most notably his nephew Emmanuel Rouget.

When Henri’s daughters expressed no interest in learning the family business, he took Emmanuel under his wing, ensuring his prestigious legacy. Emmanuel spent decades under Jayer’s mentorship and then side-by-side with Henri crafting the world’s finest and most sought-after red Burgundies in history.

Walking the hallowed grounds of the late Henri Jayer’s Vosne-Romanée estate, it is fascinating to realize that those vaunted wines have such quaint and unassuming origins. Just a little over seven hectares of vines provided the fruits with which Henri crafted magic in his simple winery and tiny cellar. Henri once stated, “The winemaker must be modest, or better, humble in the face of so much richness concentrated in such a small place.” Speaking of Burgundy’s climats, he understood better than anyone how precious those vineyards were and still are. The antique winemaking equipment and winery had gone untouched since Henri’s death in 2006. The property was put up for sale in 2022 and Henri’s great-nephew, Emmanuel’s son Guillaume leapt at the chance to retain such an integral part of his family history.

Guillaume Rouget and his wife Laure Guilloteau plan to make the most of this unique opportunity. Their ambition is twofold: to bring the winery back to life and to infuse it with their own vision. That vision is their new project Les Petits Lieux (translates to “small places”). Inspired by Henri’s quote above, the couple seeks to create cuvées which tell the story of the richness of Burgundy’s terroirs with simplicity and authenticity.

Guillaume grew up on the Jayer estate and — at the young age of nineteen — joined his father at Domaine Emmanuel Rouget earning the same incredible education Emmanuel received from Henri. After receiving her oenology degree from Dijon, Laure worked at various domaines throughout Nuits-Saint-Georges refining her approach and creativity. With Les Petits Lieux, they are beginning a new adventure, yet the enormous sense of responsibility is not lost on them. There is a certain gravity felt when making wine in such a sacred place. This project — a fusion of classic traditional winemaking and an accumulation of nearly a century of viticultural wisdom — is a tribute to Burgundy and to Henri Jayer… an ode to his mastery and reverence to his spirit which still persists throughout the estate.

Dense and concentrated with dark red fruits, stunning and harmonious on the palate with racy acidity, soft tannins and huge length.