Summary
Remoissenet Père & Fils is one of the long-established wine houses of Beaune in Burgundy. Founded in 1877 as a classic négociant, the house now combines two roles: it still buys grapes and musts from partner growers, but it also farms its own and leased vineyards – depending on the source, around 13 hectares owned and roughly 20 to 25 hectares in total. At its core are premier cru sites in Beaune and Gevrey-Chambertin. The main grape varieties are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Since its sale to the Milstein family in 2005, Remoissenet has fundamentally modernised its viticulture and winemaking.
History
The house was founded in 1877 by Pierre-Alfred Remoissenet in Beaune – at a time when the great trading houses dominated the Burgundy market. For generations Remoissenet remained a typical négociant-éleveur: it bought wine and grapes, aged them in its own cellar and sold them under the house name.
The defining figure of the second half of the 20th century was Roland Remoissenet, who ran the house for around three decades. Under him a famous stock grew: at the time of the sale, well over a million bottles of Burgundy from roughly the 1950s to the 1990s are said to have been lying in the cellars. At the same time, critics described some of the red wines of the later years as lacking precision.
In 2005 Roland Remoissenet retired, and the house passed to a majority owned by New York brothers Edward and Howard Milstein; Maison Louis Jadot and Canada's Halpern Enterprises were also involved. Bernard Repolt, formerly of Louis Jadot, took over as managing director, former Wine Advocate writer Pierre-Antoine Rovani became president, and Claudie Jobard – daughter of long-time Drouhin winemaker Laurence Jobard – took charge of the cellar. A comprehensive realignment followed.
Location & Terroir
Remoissenet is based in the old town of Beaune, in historic buildings within the medieval walls. Beneath them lie old vaulted cellars where the wines mature. Beaune is the trading centre of the Côte de Beaune, the southern part of the Côte d'Or.
The estate vineyards are concentrated in two areas: the premiers crus of Beaune on the slope above the town, where calcareous marl and limestone soils yield elegant, fragrant Pinots, and Gevrey-Chambertin in the Côte de Nuits, known for more powerful, structured reds. There are also parcels in places such as Savigny-lès-Beaune. The continental climate with cool nights provides fresh acidity and the typical finesse of Burgundy.
Style & Philosophy
Since 2005 Remoissenet has favoured restrained winemaking: grapes are strictly sorted, and the reds are fermented in open wooden vats with native yeasts. Ageing takes place mostly in barrel, with the share of new oak rising with the quality level – moderate for village wines, considerably higher for grands crus. According to the house, the wines are neither fined nor filtered. In the vineyard the team increasingly works along natural, partly biodynamic principles.
The dual role is key: the domaine wines from its own parcels show the house signature from vine to bottle, while the négoce wines from purchased grapes broaden the range into further appellations. In both cases the aim is a clear, age-worthy Burgundy with a sense of place.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range runs from Bourgogne Rouge and Blanc through village wines to premiers and grands crus. Among the owned or long-term farmed sites are:
- Beaune 1er Cru Grèves, Marconnets, Bressandes and Teurons – the historic heart of the domaine
- Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers and Poissenot, plus village parcels in Gevrey
- Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Serpentières and Lavières
- Le Montrachet – from the long partnership with the house of Baron Thénard, which owns a significant share of this grand cru
In addition, as a négociant Remoissenet bottles wines from many other Côte d'Or appellations, such as Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée and Clos Vougeot.
Awards
After its realignment, Remoissenet earned considerable recognition in the international trade press for its noticeable leap in quality, especially for the red wines from Beaune and Gevrey-Chambertin. The wines are regularly rated by leading Burgundy critics. The mature older vintages from the historic cellar still enjoy special status and are sought after by collectors.
