omaine des Petits Champs Lins is the story about how La Rochepot met Meursault. In 2008 the Fouquerands brought together their vineyard holdings under one roof. Domaine Jean-Luc Fouquerand and Domaine Diane Levez became one single domaine, with vines in Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Volnay, Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune and Corton.
– We built this winery back in 2008, explains Jean-Luc Fouquerand. We had the vineyards, but no place to make wine. Since then we have increased how much of our production we bottle ourselves. We will see, but I think our daughters will increase it even more.
Jean-Luc Fouquerand is in the winery in Meursault together with his wife Diane and their two daughters Vick and Clémentine. Domaine des Petits Champs Lins is very much a family affair. All four are gathered around a table, talking about their domaine and Burgundy in general.
– We are 50 per cent red and 50 per cent white, says Diane. We sell about half of our production in bottles. The rest we sell to négociants.
Domaine des Petits Champs Lins covers nine hectares, from regional appellations up to premier and grand crus. The winery, a modern cubical building in green and yellow, is located just east of the D974 road in Meursault.
The domaine names may have changed over the years, but winemaking has been in the family for very long. For seven generations, to be precise.
In 2017 the regional Bourgogne appellation received a new geographical denomination. Bourgogne Côte d’Or is stricter than the catch-all Bourgogne appellation and limited to the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, as well as four villages in Saône-et Loire. The Bourgogne Côte d’Or at Domaine des Petits Champs Lins comes from Meursault, but outside the Meursault appellation, as well as Chassagne-Montrachet, down by the route nationale.
– It is often considered a lesser appellation, says Diane, but for us it is as important as a Meursault. In the cellar we treat all wines the same.
– A Bourgogne Côte d’Or, if well-made, can be super, says Jean-Luc.
One step up, at village appellation, Domaine des Petits Champs Lins has three Meursault cuvées. One blend and two vineyard specific cuvées – Chaumes des Perrières and Les Tillets. Both vineyards are located south of the village, on the same slope as the premier crus, but higher up. Chaumes des Perrières at about 300 metres and Les Tillets at about 350 metres.
– We have a large parcel next to the Chateau de Meursault, says Vick. We have vines in the middle of the village and Les Tillets is up behind the village, when you go up towards the Saint Christophe statue. It’s a very good part of Meursault and the view from up there is wonderful.
– There are many growers in Meursault, says Diane. You have something like 90 growers who submit harvest declarations. Meursault is a large appellation. When we taste each other’s Meursaults at the Saint-Vincent festivities, they are all different. Each grower has his or her own style.
The fact that Les Tillets is a cuvée on its own is a result of Vick and Clémentine wanting to vinify it separately.
– It has a bit more of a nervy and tense character, says Jean-Luc. It’s clay and limestone soil and it’s higher in altitude.
The village appellation Chassagne-Montrachet is part of the domaine portfolio thanks to Diane. The previous owner had just one condition for selling.
– It was a woman selling the parcel, says Jean-Luc. A friend caught wind of it and told me to ask Diane to go over there as the condition was that the buyer had to be a woman too.
– There has always been many girls in the family, explains Clémentine, so the surnames have been changing. Because of that we decided to remove the surname from the domaine name and call it Domaine des Petits Champs Lins, a name that doesn’t need to be changed as the generations change.
– In the past there were fields of flax (champs lins) here, hence the name, says Jean-Luc.
There are two white premier crus at Domaine des Petits Champs Lins. There is the Meursault Perrières, and there is the Saint Aubin En Remilly.
In red there are six cuvées, from regional appellation up to grand cru. Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune premier cru Les Vergelesses, Volnay premier cru Les Pitures, Volnay premier cru Les Caillerets and Corton grand cru Clos des Fiètres.
– The Corton Clos des Fiètres is not from a vineyard we own, says Diane. It’s a swap we do with a friend. It’s a good opportunity when you can do it like that. He doesn’t have any Chassagne-Montrachet and we don’t have any Corton.
– Every year we have been trying to buy a barrel of wine at the Hospices de Beaune auction, Fouquerand cuvée (a blend from Les Serpentières, Les Talmettes and Les Gravains). It is part of our history since it was Denis-Antoine Fouquerand who donated his vineyards to the Hospice between 1832 and 1844. But it has become too expensive. You get 300 bottles from a barrel, which means you will have to sell them at a very high price and that is very difficult.
The Savigny-lès-Beaune premier cru Les Vergelesses is a vineyard belonging to Diane’s brother, but since he is an electrician the wine is made and sold by Domaine des Petits Champs Lins.
– The two Volnay premier crus, Les Pitures and Les Caillerets, belong to the family, says Diane. Jean-Luc bought these parcels some years ago.
There are no set areas responsibility at Domaine des Petits Champs Lins. All four are involved in all tasks.
– Dad does a bit more tractor work, and mom a bit more paper work, says Vick. There are domaines where one person only deals with the vineyards, one person deals with the administrative work etc. That is not at all the case here.
– One has to say that Burgundy is quite macho, says Jean-Luc. There was a time when the girls were not allowed in the cellar or the cuverie. Thankfully that has changed the last 15 years. It used to be the oldest son who would automatically take on the family domaine. Today there are domaines like ours where the girls are the new generation. What I’m saying is that the girls definitely have an important role in Burgundy.
© 2024 Ola Bergman