Domaine Barolet-Pernot
Appellation: Côte de Beaune
Proprietor: Barolet family
Size: 14 hectares
Farming Practice: Sustainable
A Legacy in the Enclave
The Barolet story doesn’t trace back to 1570 when the family name first appears; it begins in 1957 when André Barolet, a native of Saint-Romain, married Huguette Pernot, an heiress to cherished vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet. This union was the keystone of the Barolet-Pernot legacy.
The two were no mere diletanttes. André and Huguette dedicated their lives to the vineyards. After the war, they embarked on replanting the foundation of what is now a 14-hectare estate, spanning the villages of Saint-Romain, Auxey-Duresses, and Puligny-Montrachet. Much like the long-celebrated Domaine Paul Pernot established by Huguette’s brother in 1959, the couple sold nearly all of their grapes to the dominant négociants, the movers and shakers who still command Puligny’s commercial sphere. The Barolets kept just a few barrels for themselves, a gesture of self-reliance in an era when investing in a grand cellar seemed both extravagant and risky.
In 1980, Didier, their son, joined the scene. Alongside his wife Céleste, they sustained the estate’s vitality. By the mid-80s, they began bottling a small amount for private clientele. Then came Romain.
Tall and reserved, the fourth-generation Barolet finds solace within the confines of his ancestral village, a place seemingly held in stasis by the imposing limestone cliffs that surround it. In this haven, buoyed by a wealth of land and the safety net of négociant trade, Céleste and Didier financed a major cellar expansion, outfitting the ground level with more stainless steel.
Since 2017, Romain has steered the Saint-Romain estate, managing it with a careful, measured touch. Supported by his parents and joined by his siblings Stephen and Sophie, Romain navigates the complexities of the vigneron path with a meticulous drive.
The family tends to six climats, producing twelve cuvées. These range from the fresh, vibrant reds of the clay-limestone slopes of Saint-Romain and Auxey-Duresses to the mineral-laden, scintillating whites of Puligny-Montrachet. The most coveted are from the old Pernot estate that dates back 200 years: Les Enseignières, La Brelance, 1er cru Les Pucelles, 1er cru Clos de la Garenne, and Grand cru Bâtard-Montrachet, of which three pièces are made in a “normal” vintage.
A bright future awaits young Romain Barolet and his siblings. For every vintage under his belt and each bottle produced, a tribute is made to the interplay of heritage, land, and time-honored craftsmanship.
Wines:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: The Bourgogne Blanc is drawn from two plots in Puligny-Montrachet.
Soil: Clay-limestone
Elevation: 220 meters
Exposure: East
Vinification: Hand-harvested and fermented in barrel on native yeasts.
Maturation: 11 months (20% new oak)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: The Saint-Romain Blanc is drawn mostly from Sous la Velle on the northern end of the appellation.
Soil: Clay-limestone
Elevation: 370 meters
Exposure: East-facing
Vinification: Vinfied in a combination of stainless and barrel
Maturation: 20-30% new wood
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: Les Clous (aka Les Cloux) is positioned above the village on its southern-oriented hillside.
Soil: Clay-limestone with many small to large stones
Elevation: 275 meters
Exposure: South
Vinification: Hand-harvested and fermented in barrels on native yeasts.
Maturation: 11 months (very little new oak)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: La Brelance is situated just above the village and below 1er Cru Clavaillon.
Soil: Very calcareous clay-limestone
Elevation: 235 meters
Exposure: East
Vinification: Hand-harvested and fermented in barrels on native yeasts.
Maturation: 11 months in barrels (20-30% new oak)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: Clos de la Garenne, not to be confused with La Garenne or Sur la Garenne, is among the smallest 1er cru vineyards in the village (1.5 hectares). It's therefore rarely seen on estate labels. The site borders Folatières and Truffière, and is just a stone's throw from Champ Canet and Combettes.
Soil: Fine and chalky limestone with pebbles
Elevation: 275 meters
Exposure: East-southeast
Vinification: Hand-harvested and fermented in barrels on native yeasts.
Maturation: 11 months in barrel (up to 50% new oak)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: Les Pucelles is a gently sloped vineyard abutting Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet to the south.
Soil: Very fine and therefore well-draining soils covered in limestone rock.
Elevation: 240-250 meters
Exposure: East
Vinification: Hand-harvested and fermented in barrels on native yeasts.
Maturation: 11 months in barrel (up to 50% new oak)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: Bâtard-Montrachet sits near the bottom of the slope near the border of Chassagne-Montrachet. The vineyard is gently sloped.
Soil: Fine, pebbly soils with a proportion of clay over hard limestone.
Elevation: 250 meters
Exposure: East
Vinification: Hand-harvested and fermented in barrels on native yeasts.
Maturation: 11 months in barrel (up to 50% new oak)
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: Saint-Romain Poillange (aka En Poillange) is situated on the southern end of the village on an east-facing hillside starting at 350 meters. The vines are between 40 and 50 years old.
Soil: Marl and limestone with patches of clay
Elevation: 350-375 meters
Exposure: East
Vinification: Hand-harvested and fermented in stainless steel on native yeasts.
Maturation: Aged 11 months in stainless (80%) and barrel (20%)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: Les Clous (aka Les Cloux) is positioned above the village on its southern-oriented hillside.
Soil: Clay-limestone with many small to large stones
Elevation: 275 meters
Exposure: South
Vinification: Hand-harvested and fermented in stainless steel on native yeasts.
Maturation: 11 months in barrel (very little new oak)
Marketing Materials:
