Domaine Taupenot-Merme
Romain Taupenot is the ninth generation to run this family domaine in Morey-Saint-Denis. While records show his ancestors practiced viticulture as far back as the 17th century, the domaine as we know it today truly came to be after the marriage of Romain’s parents, Denise Merme and Jean Taupenot, in 1963. The domaine’s diverse vineyard sites across both the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune can be traced back to this union of holdings from the Taupenot family, based in Saint-Romain, with those belonging to the Mermes, from Morey-Saint-Denis.
Romain recalls helping out at the domaine as a child, assisting with harvest and selling his grandfather’s wines along the side of the route nationale to vacationers passing through Burgundy on their summer journey south. But his total integration into the family business would come much later, as he first pursued a career in finance following business studies in Paris. In 1998, he returned home to assume management of the domaine, which he now runs alongside his sister, Virginie.
With 9 hectares in the Côte de Nuits and another 4.5 hectares in the Côte de Beaune, Romain and Virginie now produce nineteen different wines across seventeen appellations. A significant portion of their holdings are in premier cru and grand cru appellations, and all of their premiers crus are enviably placed. Old vines represent a significant proportion of the domaine’s holdings, with new plantings created from sélection massale cuttings of their best vines. Having farmed organically since 2001, the Taupenots seek to respect the character of each climat to yield wines of purity and grace that are faithful to their appellation of origin.
Romain jokingly refers to himself as a “lazy winemaker,” prioritizing work in the vineyard in order to minimize the need for intervention in the cellar. Their hand-harvested grapes are de-stemmed and undergo a cold soak before fermentation with wild yeast, a method pioneered by the late, great Henri Jayer. Cellar operations like pigeages and remontages are gentle and performed with the goal of expressing the nuances of each site. Accordingly, commercial yeasts, bacteria, enzymes and other additives are out of the question, and new oak is used judiciously. With few exceptions, the wines are bottled unfiltered, while sulfur doses are kept to a minimum.
Romain considers the house style to be one of richness with freshness, relying on the innate quality of the sites they farm to deliver wines that are balanced and complete, with elegant tannins. With such an amazing assortment of climats to their name, the down-to-earth and hard-working Romain and Virginie are perfect ambassadors for this diverse collection of esteemed Burgundian terroirs.

Romain recalls helping out at the domaine as a child, assisting with harvest and selling his grandfather’s wines along the side of the route nationale to vacationers passing through Burgundy on their summer journey south. But his total integration into the family business would come much later, as he first pursued a career in finance following business studies in Paris. In 1998, he returned home to assume management of the domaine, which he now runs alongside his sister, Virginie.
With 9 hectares in the Côte de Nuits and another 4.5 hectares in the Côte de Beaune, Romain and Virginie now produce nineteen different wines across seventeen appellations. A significant portion of their holdings are in premier cru and grand cru appellations, and all of their premiers crus are enviably placed. Old vines represent a significant proportion of the domaine’s holdings, with new plantings created from sélection massale cuttings of their best vines. Having farmed organically since 2001, the Taupenots seek to respect the character of each climat to yield wines of purity and grace that are faithful to their appellation of origin.
Romain jokingly refers to himself as a “lazy winemaker,” prioritizing work in the vineyard in order to minimize the need for intervention in the cellar. Their hand-harvested grapes are de-stemmed and undergo a cold soak before fermentation with wild yeast, a method pioneered by the late, great Henri Jayer. Cellar operations like pigeages and remontages are gentle and performed with the goal of expressing the nuances of each site. Accordingly, commercial yeasts, bacteria, enzymes and other additives are out of the question, and new oak is used judiciously. With few exceptions, the wines are bottled unfiltered, while sulfur doses are kept to a minimum.
Romain considers the house style to be one of richness with freshness, relying on the innate quality of the sites they farm to deliver wines that are balanced and complete, with elegant tannins. With such an amazing assortment of climats to their name, the down-to-earth and hard-working Romain and Virginie are perfect ambassadors for this diverse collection of esteemed Burgundian terroirs.
Technical Information
Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bourgogne Aligoté |
Aligoté | Planted in 1950, 1986 | Clay, Limestone | 1 ha |
Bourgogne Passetoutgrain |
50% Gamay, 50% Pinot Noir | Planted in 1986 | Clay, Limestone | .9 ha |
Bourgogne Rouge |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1968, 1998 | Clay, Limestone | .5 ha |
Saint-Romain Blanc |
Chardonnay | Planted in 1957, 2005, 2017 | Clay, Limestone | 1.3 ha |
Saint-Romain Rouge |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1961, 1975 | Clay, Limestone | 1.3 ha |
Auxey-Duresses Blanc |
Chardonnay | Planted in 1957, 2009 | Clay, Limestone | .6 ha |
Auxey-Duresses Rouge |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1953 | Clay, Limestone | .4 ha |
Auxey-Duresses Rouge 1er Cru |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1953, 1968 | Clay, Limestone | .6 ha |
Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1973 | Clay, Limestone | .5 ha |
Morey-Saint-Denis |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1970, 1986 | Clay, Limestone | .4 ha |
Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Riotte |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1937, 1961-1971 | Clay, Limestone | .6 ha |
Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1975 | Clay, Limestone | .1 ha |
Chambolle-Musigny |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1967-1973 | Clay, Limestone | .9 ha |
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Combe d’Orveau |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1942, 1973 | Clay, Limestone | .5 ha |
Gevrey-Chambertin |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1968-1971 | Clay, Limestone | 1.6 ha |
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Bel Air |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1974, 1986 | Clay, Limestone | .4 ha |
Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1959 | Clay, Limestone | .9 ha |
Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1958, 1968, 1998 | Clay, Limestone | .6 ha |
Corton Rognet Grand Cru |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1987 | Clay, Limestone | .4 ha |
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres |
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
• All fruit is harvested by hand
• Naturally low yields
• Extensive sorting during harvest
• Grapes are completely de-stemmed
• 10-day cold-soak before fermentation to extract aromas and color
• Fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks for 8-13 days
• Punchdowns and pumpovers are carefully conducted for gentle extraction, determined by tasting
• Wines age 12-15 months in lightly toasted barrels
• New wood is used judiciously: up to 40% for the grand crus, 30% for premier crus, 25% for village-level wines
• Wines are racked to tanks for 3 months before bottling
• Wines are bottled unfined and rarely filtered
White Wines :
• Grapes are whole-cluster pressed
• Cold settling for 1-2 days, then must is racked off gross lees
• Fermented in stainless steel tanks
• Fermentation occurs naturally with help of a pied de cuve from indigenous yeasts
• After alcoholic fermentation, wines are racked to oak barrels (up to 20% new)
• Malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously in wood
• Aged for 10-12 months before bottling
Bourgogne Aligoté :
• Grapes sourced from two lieux-dits: Sur Melin in Auxey-Duresses and Champs Pirettes in Morey-Saint-Denis
Bourgogne Passetoutgrain :
• Grapes sourced from lieu-dit Croix Jeanniard in Morey-Saint-Denis
Bourgogne Rouge :
• Grapes sourced from the communes of Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis
Saint-Romain Blanc :
• Grapes sourced from four lieux-dits: Combe Bazin, En Gollot, La Perière, Le Marsain
Saint-Romain Rouge :
• Grapes sourced from two lieux-dits: Le Marsain, En Poillange
Auxey-Duresses Blanc :
• Grapes sourced from two lieux-dits: Creux de Tillet, La Chateille
Auxey-Duresses Rouge :
• Grapes sourced from lieu-dit Les Cloux
Auxey-Duresses Rouge 1er Cru: • Grapes sourced from two premier cru sites: Les Duresses, Les Grands Champs
Morey-Saint-Denis :
• Grapes sourced from three lieux-dits: En Seuvrey, Les Crais, Les Pourroux
Chambolle-Musigny :
• Grapes sourced from two lieux-dits: Les Bussières, La Taupe
Gevrey-Chambertin :
• Grapes sourced from four lieux-dits: La Justice, Craite Paille, Les Seuvrées, Bel Air
• Naturally low yields
• Extensive sorting during harvest
• Grapes are completely de-stemmed
• 10-day cold-soak before fermentation to extract aromas and color
• Fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks for 8-13 days
• Punchdowns and pumpovers are carefully conducted for gentle extraction, determined by tasting
• Wines age 12-15 months in lightly toasted barrels
• New wood is used judiciously: up to 40% for the grand crus, 30% for premier crus, 25% for village-level wines
• Wines are racked to tanks for 3 months before bottling
• Wines are bottled unfined and rarely filtered
White Wines :
• Grapes are whole-cluster pressed
• Cold settling for 1-2 days, then must is racked off gross lees
• Fermented in stainless steel tanks
• Fermentation occurs naturally with help of a pied de cuve from indigenous yeasts
• After alcoholic fermentation, wines are racked to oak barrels (up to 20% new)
• Malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously in wood
• Aged for 10-12 months before bottling
Bourgogne Aligoté :
• Grapes sourced from two lieux-dits: Sur Melin in Auxey-Duresses and Champs Pirettes in Morey-Saint-Denis
Bourgogne Passetoutgrain :
• Grapes sourced from lieu-dit Croix Jeanniard in Morey-Saint-Denis
Bourgogne Rouge :
• Grapes sourced from the communes of Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis
Saint-Romain Blanc :
• Grapes sourced from four lieux-dits: Combe Bazin, En Gollot, La Perière, Le Marsain
Saint-Romain Rouge :
• Grapes sourced from two lieux-dits: Le Marsain, En Poillange
Auxey-Duresses Blanc :
• Grapes sourced from two lieux-dits: Creux de Tillet, La Chateille
Auxey-Duresses Rouge :
• Grapes sourced from lieu-dit Les Cloux
Auxey-Duresses Rouge 1er Cru: • Grapes sourced from two premier cru sites: Les Duresses, Les Grands Champs
Morey-Saint-Denis :
• Grapes sourced from three lieux-dits: En Seuvrey, Les Crais, Les Pourroux
Chambolle-Musigny :
• Grapes sourced from two lieux-dits: Les Bussières, La Taupe
Gevrey-Chambertin :
• Grapes sourced from four lieux-dits: La Justice, Craite Paille, Les Seuvrées, Bel Air
General Information
- Country
- France
- Region
- Burgundy
- Appellation(s)
- Bourgogne, Saint Romain, Auxey Duresses, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle Musigny, Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Corton Rognet Grand Cru, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
- Producer
- Romain Taupenot
- Founded
- 1963
- Annual Production
- 7,000 cases
- Farming
- Organic (practicing)