Rougeon is special for several reasons. For starters, the vineyards are all contiguous and they are situated at a high altitude (400 m) on both granite and limestone. Granite is unusual in Burgundy, until you reach the Beaujolais. Rougeon has Aligoté planted on it, which, combined with great farming, has made it a source of Aligoté grapes for some pretty incredible winemakers in the Côte d’Or. (The dots shouldn’t be too hard to connect.)

Dominique was a passionate farmer. He replanted all clones to massales. Many years before his fellow growers, he had already begun careful, gentle, superficial plowing, only under the rows. Sheep were tasked to mow the rows. The vines had been farmed organically for a while and they are now in conversion to certification. Furthermore, the domaine is surrounded by pastures and forests. There are cows and a future dairy farm in the works. The location, isolation, altitude, geology, and biodiversity are absolutely unique in Burgundy.