476: Christophe Roumier Has A Family History Written In Wine

I'll Drink to That! Wine Talk

Levi Dalton

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4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 December 2019

⏱️ 109 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Christophe Roumier and his family run Domaine Georges Roumier, located in the Burgundy village of Chambolle-Musigny in France.

Christophe discusses the arrival of his grandfather in Chambolle-Musigny, and the beginning of the Roumier family history with wine. He talks about his family's work for the Comtes Georges de Vogüé domaine, also in Chambolle-Musigny, and then explains the timeline for estate wines at Domaine Georges Roumier. Christophe further discusses the Roumier and Ponnelle family connections (Christophe's mother was a Ponnelle), and the role that Christophe's father took on at Pierre Ponnelle, as well as at Domaine Georges Roumier. Christophe also details his own route to studying oenology in the late 1970s, and then working at the family domaine beginning in the 1980s.

The vineyard holdings of Domaine Georges Roumier are discussed in detail, covering the plots for Bourgogne Rouge and Chambolle-Musigny villages, as well as the Les Cras, Les Combottes, and Les Amoureuses 1er Crus in Chambolle-Musigny, Clos de la Bussière 1er Cru in Morey-Saint-Denis, and the Grand Crus of Ruchottes-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Bonnes-Mares, and Musigny. Christophe then discusses the Corton-Charlemagne parcel he works, the Clos Vougeot that he used to farm, and the Échezeaux parcel that he recently began working. Christophe addresses both the character of these vineyards, and character of the wines that they produce.

Christophe talks about the farming practices at Domaine Georges Roumier, and addresses his move to organic farming methods in the 1980s. He specifically highlights why the move to organic has been important for his wine production. He also talks about topics like vine trellising, and the changing conditions in the Burgundy vineyards today.

In terms of winemaking, Christophe discusses aspects like the stages of a fermentation, the role of reduction, the importance of temperature control to his work, lees contact, sulphur addition, and further, Christophe enunciates the ramifications of delaying the start of a malolactic conversion.

This episode also features commentary from the following people:

Dominique Lafon, Domaine Comtes Lafon

Becky Wasserman-Hone, Becky Wasserman & Co.

Jacques Seysses, Domaine Dujac

Jean-Pierre de Smet, founder of Domaine de l'Arlot

Michel Lafarge, Domaine Michel Lafarge

Benjamin Leroux, Benjamin Leroux

Claude de Nicolay, Chandon de Briailles

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Transcript

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0:00.0	And the Christoph Rummier began working at the Rummier family domain in Shambold Musinie in the early 1980s after going to school for analogy.
0:24.7	In the 1980s were a real key period of transition for Burgundy.
0:29.8	Dominic Lafon of Compliffon was part of that same generation as Christoph and
0:34.4	Dominique recalled that 1980s period in I'll drink to that episode 438.
0:40.1	What he described was a generation of young people who really might have been expected to pursue another profession with the means that they had available to them,
0:48.0	but who decided instead to stay in Burgundy and vinify wine as the market for those wines also began to improve.
0:56.0	These young people took up work at their family domains after studying analogy in school
1:00.8	while also being in regular contact with the older generations of
1:04.0	vendors who had never been to school for wine. Here's how Dominique explained the
1:08.7	mix of generations and approaches at that time in the 1980s in Burgundy.
1:15.0	It's interesting that you had so much exposure with that older generation because you're sort of associated with the next generation of like Greevo, Rumié,
1:23.0	yourself, and then used to taste with Patrick Bezil out, right?
1:26.2	Yeah, and Jacques Ses and all this group.
1:30.2	I think it's interesting because my generation
1:32.4	has one foot in the old time and one foot in the new generation.
1:38.0	When I was young I've known Pierre Ramonese for example.
1:41.0	I've known Mr Reno from Reyes, Jack D'Anginville and other people and those was like all-time people, real old-time people.
1:51.0	And I was a kid and Pierre Ramane was talking to me. We are the
1:57.8	generation that switched things in Burgundy but we've known those old people, we've known or they talk to us about how hard it was in the past.
2:10.0	To work, to sell the wine, to make a living out of it.
2:13.6	We had a once a year meeting at the restaurant,
2:17.1	Al-A-Chapell, with all those producers.
	...

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