Domaine Méo-Camuzet
Méo-Camuzet is one of the most celebrated domaines of the Côte d’Or, located in the heart of prestigious Vosne-Romanée. The domaine boasts fourteen hectares of land in some of the most spectacular appellations and crus of Burgundy. The vineyard land in Burgundy is highly parceled out among families, which makes it rare for anyone to have enough vines to be able to bottle one grand cru, let alone the six that the Méos have. The early beginnings of the domaine left it in the hands of métayeurs, or share-croppers. The last twenty years have brought substantial changes that have fostered a new chapter for the Méo family.
Founder Étienne Camuzet was not only a passionate vigneron, but a full-time politician, and spent most of his time in Paris, representing the Côte d’Or. In order to keep his land in use, he offered it to capable share-croppers to farm. By the time his daughter had inherited the estate, she found herself with no successors, so the estate was passed down to her closest relative, Jean Méo. Jean was also deeply involved in national politics—he served as a member of Charles De Gaulle’s cabinet. Consequently, he, too, had to direct the domaine from afar. In the early 1980s, as many of the métayeurs were starting to retire, it became clear that the domaine needed a new direction. Jean’s son, Jean-Nicolas had also spent most of his life in Paris. By 1985, it was his turn to take the helm. In lieu of continuing to rent out their highly-pedigreed vineyards, he made the bold decision to slowly start reclaiming the land for the domaine’s own bottlings. He called upon the resident expert, one of Burgundy’s greatest winemakers of all time, Henri Jayer, for guidance. Henri had spent over forty years farming parcels from Méo-Camuzet under his own label, while enjoying celebrity status in the Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant portfolio. For three years, he mentored Jean-Nicolas during the transition and finally decided to retire in 1988. Though Jayer passed away in 2006, his legacy endures to this day.
Jean-Nicolas has since directed the cellar and sales. He has put the vineyards in the capable hands of Christian Faurois, son of one of domaine’s métayeurs, who has dedicated himself to these vineyards since 1973.
Domaine Méo-Camuzet bottles six astounding grands crus (Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot, Échezeaux, Corton Clos Rognet, Corton Les Perrières, and Corton La Vigne au Saint), ten premier crus (from the communes of Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-St-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, and Fixin), several village wines, one Bourgogne Rouge, and only three whites. Jean-Nicolas aims for balance and purity of fruit, which he accomplishes with terrific success. Though delicate and fine, even in their youth, the paradoxical concentration and intensity of these wines make them ideal for long cellar aging. These rare, stunning achievements are a Burgundy lover’s dream.

Méo-Camuzet is one of the most celebrated domaines of the Côte d’Or, located in the heart of prestigious Vosne-Romanée. The domaine boasts fourteen hectares of land in some of the most spectacular appellations and crus of Burgundy. The vineyard land in Burgundy is highly parceled out among families, which makes it rare for anyone to have enough vines to be able to bottle one grand cru, let alone the six that the Méos have. The early beginnings of the domaine left it in the hands of métayeurs, or share-croppers. The last twenty years have brought substantial changes that have fostered a new chapter for the Méo family.
Founder Étienne Camuzet was not only a passionate vigneron, but a full-time politician, and spent most of his time in Paris, representing the Côte d’Or. In order to keep his land in use, he offered it to capable share-croppers to farm. By the time his daughter had inherited the estate, she found herself with no successors, so the estate was passed down to her closest relative, Jean Méo. Jean was also deeply involved in national politics—he served as a member of Charles De Gaulle’s cabinet. Consequently, he, too, had to direct the domaine from afar. In the early 1980s, as many of the métayeurs were starting to retire, it became clear that the domaine needed a new direction. Jean’s son, Jean-Nicolas had also spent most of his life in Paris. By 1985, it was his turn to take the helm. In lieu of continuing to rent out their highly-pedigreed vineyards, he made the bold decision to slowly start reclaiming the land for the domaine’s own bottlings. He called upon the resident expert, one of Burgundy’s greatest winemakers of all time, Henri Jayer, for guidance. Henri had spent over forty years farming parcels from Méo-Camuzet under his own label, while enjoying celebrity status in the Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant portfolio. For three years, he mentored Jean-Nicolas during the transition and finally decided to retire in 1988. Though Jayer passed away in 2006, his legacy endures to this day.
Jean-Nicolas has since directed the cellar and sales. He has put the vineyards in the capable hands of Christian Faurois, son of one of domaine’s métayeurs, who has dedicated himself to these vineyards since 1973.
Domaine Méo-Camuzet bottles six astounding grands crus (Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot, Échezeaux, Corton Clos Rognet, Corton Les Perrières, and Corton La Vigne au Saint), ten premier crus (from the communes of Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-St-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, and Fixin), several village wines, one Bourgogne Rouge, and only three whites. Jean-Nicolas aims for balance and purity of fruit, which he accomplishes with terrific success. Though delicate and fine, even in their youth, the paradoxical concentration and intensity of these wines make them ideal for long cellar aging. These rare, stunning achievements are a Burgundy lover’s dream.
Technical Information
Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc Clos St-Philibert |
Chardonnay | Planted in early 1990s | Clay, Limestone, Gravel | 3.5 ha |
Bourgogne Côte d’Or Rouge “Cuvée Etienne Camuzet” |
Pinot Noir | More info below | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Nuits-Saint-Georges Rouge 1er Cru Aux Boudots |
Pinot Noir | Planted in mid 1950s, 1960s | Fragmented Clay and Limestone | 1 ha |
Nuits-Saint-Georges Rouge 1er Cru Aux Murgers |
Pinot Noir | Planted between 1965 and 1972 | Clay, Limestone, Sand, Gravel | N/A |
Vosne-Romanée Rouge |
Pinot Noir | 25 - 30 years, 60 years | Clay, Limestone | 1.4 ha |
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Rouge Les Chaumes |
Pinot Noir | Planted in the 1950s, 1970s | Clay, Limestone | 2 ha |
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Rouge Aux Brûlées |
Pinot Noir | Majority of vines planted in 1930s | Clay, Limestone w/larger rocks | N/A |
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Rouge Au Cros Parantoux |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1950s | Steep with Clay, Limestone, Gravel | .3 ha |
Richebourg Grand Cru |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1950s | Clay, Limestone | .34 ha |
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru |
Pinot Noir | Vines from 1920s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s | Clay, Limestone | 3 ha |
Corton Clos Rognet Grand Cru |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1920s | Clay, Limestone | .45 ha |
Corton Les Perrières Grand Cru |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1953, 1954 | Clay, Limestone | .6 ha |
Corton La Vigne au Saint Grand Cru |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1959, 1960 | Clay, Limestone | .19 ha |
Échézeaux Grand Cru |
Pinot Noir | Planted in late 1940s | Clay, Limestone | .44 ha |
Saint Romain Blanc** |
Chardonnay | 30 years average | Clay, Limestone | .5 ha |
Saint Aubin Blanc ** |
Chardonnay | 20 years | Clay, Limestone | .36 ha |
Bourgogne Rouge ** |
Pinot Noir | N/A | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Bourgogne Côte d’Or Rouge “Hémisphère Nord”** |
Pinot Noir | More info below | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Bourgogne Côte d’Or Rouge “Hémisphère Sud”** |
Pinot Noir | More info below | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Marsannay ** |
Pinot Noir | 60 years | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Fixin ** |
Pinot Noir | 25 years, 50 years | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Fixin 1er Cru Clos du Chapître ** |
Pinot Noir | 50 years | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Pommard** |
Pinot Noir | 70 years average | Clay, Limestone | .41 ha |
Morey St-Denis ** |
Pinot Noir | Middle-aged vines | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Nuits-Saint-Georges** |
Pinot Noir | > 50 years | Clay, Limestone | .6 ha |
Vosne Romanée 1er Cru** |
Pinot Noir | N/A | Clay, limestone | N/A |
Chambolle-Musigny ** |
Pinot Noir | Middle-aged vines, very old vines | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Ladoix Blanc |
Chardonnay | N/A | Clay, limestone | N/A |
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras ** |
Pinot Noir | Younger vines | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes ** |
Pinot Noir | Younger vines | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Gevrey-Chambertin ** |
Pinot Noir | Middle-aged vines, very old vines | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Argillas ** |
Pinot Noir | 40 years | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Perrières ** |
Pinot Noir | 50 + years | Clay, Limestone | N/A |
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres |
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
This, the négociant entity of the family domaine, works closely with local growers to source the best fruit available in some of Burgundy’s finest terroirs. Vines are tended with the same best practices that the family espouses. The Méos oversee vineyard management, and they care for the wines in the cellars with the same attention to detail and respect of terroir that they do those of the domaine.
In the vineyards:
• Soils are ploughed regularly by horse to keep the ground soft
• Vines are treated without synthetic chemicals of any kind
• Yields are limited through pruning rather than a green harvest
• Vines are trained to grow higher than the norm, and leaves are eliminated at the base of the vine to allow the grapes better ventilation (useful in the prevention against rot)
• The harvest, all by hand, usually occurs in late September
• Grapes sourced for the Saint Aubin Blanc exclusively come from the 1er Cru “Bas de Vermarin à l’Est”• Bourgogne Rouge is sourced from estate vineyards in Vosne Romanée And Flagey Echézeaux and purchased fruit from five villages in the Côte de Nuits: Marsannay, Fixin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Vosne, and Nuits-Saint-Georges
In the cellar:
• Bunches are gently carried to the winery, and then rigorously sorted on conveyor belts, with anywhere from 5-20% of the crop discarded to better ensure quality
• Grapes macerate on their skins from 3-5 days at low temperatures
• Fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled concrete vats, lasting for 2-3 weeks
• Only small doses of sulfur are used
• Punch-downs occur only at the end of the vinification process
• Barrel Regime: Careful consideration is given to the barrels and the percentage of new oak used: the percentages vary according to the terroir and the vintage. Méo-Camuzet works in close association with coopers Maison François Frères to find the best diversity of local oaks within the same forest—a necessity in capturing the nuances of each cuvée. Méo has also experimented with the occasional integration of Hungarian oak into their collection.
• Wines are racked and blended in vats 3-4 weeks before bottling
• Wines are bottled (unfiltered) by gravity about 17 months after the harvest
Bourgogne Côte d’Or Rouges:
• 2018 “Cuvée Etienne Camuzet”: Sourced from domaine owned vines, primarily from Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne-Romanée
• 2018 “Hémisphère Nord”: Sourced from mostly domaine owned vines from the Côte de Nuits–Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot
• 2018 “Hémisphère Sud”: Sourced from rented vines from the Côte de Beaune, specifically Pommard
• Aged 12 to 15 months in barrel (very little new oak), 2 to 3 months in stainless steel before bottling
Individual Cuvées:
For specific information with regard to each wine, we encourage you to read further on Méo’s extensive and highly informative website, which is written both in English and French: www.meo-camuzet.com
General Information
- Country
- France
- Region
- Burgundy
- Appellation(s)
- Bourgogne, Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Marsannay, Morey St-Denis, Fixin, Chambolle-Musigny, Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-St-Georges, Vosne-Romanée, Richebourg Grand Cru, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Corton Grand Cru, and Échezeaux Grand Cru
- Producer
- Jean-Nicolas Méo & family
- Founded
- 1902
- Annual Production
- N/A
- Farming
- Organic (practicing)
- Website
- http://www.meo-camuzet.com