Méo-Camuzet : Vosne-Romanée 1er cru "Les Chaumes" Domaine 2024

The elegance and precision of a Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru from the Côte de Nuits

The estate

Based in Vosne-Romanée, in the heart of the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy, Domaine Méo-Camuzet draws on the viticultural heritage built up by Étienne Camuzet, winegrower, mayor and member of parliament, in the early 20th century. Bequeathed in 1959 to Jean Méo, the estate took the name Méo-Camuzet in 1981. Today owned by the Méo family, it is run by Jean-Nicolas Méo, who has been based in Vosne-Romanée since 1989 and tends all of the vines himself. Shaped by the teachings of Henri Jayer, the estate practises de facto organic viticulture, without certification, and low-intervention winemaking.

The vineyard

This Vosne-Romanée comes from the premier cru "Les Chaumes", located at the bottom of the slope, at the foot of La Tâche and Les Malconsorts. The iron-rich clay-limestone soils are slightly deeper and more clayey than those of some neighbouring plots. This depth gives the vines a good water supply, and these east-facing vines are among the earliest to ripen on the estate. Domaine Méo-Camuzet farms two plots here.

The vines are managed according to the principles of de facto organic viticulture: only products approved for organic use are applied and the soils are ploughed. Green harvesting keeps yields under control.

The vintage

The estate describes the 2024 vintage as a trying one. The autumn and winter of 2023-2024 were mild and wet, and this trend continued into spring. Downy mildew then returned at an earlier stage than ever previously observed. The rains of May revealed affected bunches by the end of the month, even before flowering, and the crop was already reduced. Penetrating treatments limited the worst of the damage, without stopping the disease entirely.

The summer suffered from a lack of sunshine, and the August rains triggered a few outbreaks of rot. The only spell of fine weather all year arrived at harvest time, with a northerly wind bringing bright, cool conditions. Harvesting began in mid-September, first in the Côte de Beaune and then in the Côte de Nuits. The grapes remained generally healthy, but additional sorting was necessary to remove berries affected by rot and pinkish grapes.

Winemaking and ageing

For the Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru "Les Chaumes" 2024, Domaine Méo-Camuzet follows its usual methods. The grapes are hand-harvested, with a first sorting in the vineyard and a second on a sorting table at the winery. The grapes are then fully destemmed. The low-intervention winemaking favours finesse and the expression of fruit over extraction. It draws on the principles of Henri Jayer, who controlled temperature to preserve freshness and fruit.

Ageing takes place in oak barrels, with a significant proportion of new oak, carefully managed so as not to dominate the wine. Bottling is carried out by gravity, without filtration and, with few exceptions, without fining.

Grape variety

This Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru "Les Chaumes" 2024 from Domaine Méo-Camuzet is 100% Pinot Noir.